Sacramento, CA Past Governors of California Governor Young signing a bill, 1927 Inauguration of James Rolph, Governor of California, 1931 Governor Culbert L. Olson, circa 1939

Peter Burnett
1849–1851
John McDougal
1851–1852
John Bigler
1852–1856
J. Neely Johnson
1856–1858
John Weller
1858–1860
Milton Latham
1860–1860
John Downey
1860–1862
Leland Stanford
1862–1863
Frederick Low
1863–1867
Henry Haight
1867–1871
Newton Booth
1871–1875
Romualdo Pacheco
1875–1875
William Irwin
1875–1880
George Perkins
1880–1883
George Stoneman
1883–1887
Washington Bartlett
1887–1887
Robert Waterman
1887–1891
Henry Harrison Markham
1891–1895
James Budd
1895–1899
Henry Gage
1899–1903
George Pardee
1903–1907
James Gillett
1907–1911
Hiram Johnson
1911–1917
William Stephens
1917–1923
Friend Richardson
1923–1927
C.C. Young
1927–1931
James Rolph
1931–1934
Frank Merriam
1934–1939
Culbert Olson
1939–1943
Earl Warren
1943–1953
Goodwin Knight
1953–1959
Edmund G. "Pat" Brown
1959–1967
Ronald Reagan
1967–1975
Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown
1975–1983
George Deukmejian
1983–1991
Pete Wilson
1991–1999
Gray Davis
1999–2003
Arnold Schwarzenegger
2003–2011
Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown
2011–2019
Gavin Newsom
2019–Present

Edmund G. "Pat" Brown

1959–1967

Significant Facts

Born: April 21, 1905 in San Francisco, California
Died: February 16, 1996 in Beverly Hills, California
Married: Bernice Layne on October 30, 1930 in Reno, Nevada
Political Party: Democrat

Family

Father: Edmund Joseph Brown
Mother: Ida Schuckman
Wife: Bernice Layne
Children: Jerry, Kathleen, Cynthia, Barbara

Find out more about the time period and interests of Edmund G. "Pat" Brown

California Water Plans
The Free Speech Movement

Did You Know?

As a seventh grader Edmund Brown delivered a rousing speech to sell liberty bonds, which he ended by shouting Patrick Henry's line, "Give me liberty or give me death!" His classmates began calling him "Patrick Henry Brown," which was eventually shortened to Pat

Biography

As a boy growing up in San Francisco, Brown earned his own money by delivering two newspapers — the Call and the Chronicle. After graduating from high school, Brown studied law at the San Francisco College of Law, where he graduated first in his class. While he was in law school, he worked for Milton Schmitt, a blind attorney. After he graduated from law school, Brown continued to work for Mr. Schmitt and upon Schmitt’s death, Brown took over the practice.

On January 8, 1944, Brown was sworn into office as San Francisco's District Attorney, a post he held until 1950 when he became the state's Attorney General. He served two terms as California's Attorney General.

In 1958, Brown was elected Governor, winning by more than 1 million votes. Four years later, Brown defeated Richard Nixon to serve a second term as Governor. While in office, Brown achieved a statewide water plan and improvements in higher education. Brown also ended the practice of cross-filing for political candidates, and backed the use of computers in state government. His most controversial move was when he granted a 60-day reprieve to Caryl Chessman, who was convicted of rape and kidnapping with bodily harm (and eventually executed).

Governor Brown died as a result of a heart attack. He was 90 years old.

Budgets

Governor's Budget 1959/1960
Governor's Budget 1960/1961
Governor's Budget 1961/1962
Governor's Budget 1962/1963
Governor's Budget 1963/1964
Governor's Budget 1964/1965
Governor's Budget 1965/1966
Governor's Budget 1966/1967

(Please note: The title for the Governor’s Budgets for 1965/1966 and 1966/1967 was State Budget of California for Support and Local Assistance)

Speeches

Inaugural Address delivered on January 5, 1959
Inaugural Address delivered on January 7, 1963

Bibliography

Books and Articles

Melendy and Gilbert. The Governors of California: From Peter H. Burnett to Edmund G. Brown, Talisman Press, 1965
Schaechtele. The Governors of California and their Portraits, California State Capitol Museum Volunteer Association, 1995.The Governors of California

Websites

The Governor’s Office under Edwin G. Brown, Sr. Oral History Transcripts

National Governors Association

Executive Orders and Proclamations

Use the California State Library’s interactive tool to view Executive Orders and Proclamations signed by Governor Brown.

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