John Young Brown (February 1, 1900 – June 16, 1985) was an American attorney and politician.[1] He was a state representative for six two-year terms, serving one as speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1932 and as majority floor leader in 1966, during the term of Governor Edward T. Breathitt. He was elected to one term in the U.S. House of Representatives from March 4, 1933, to January 3, 1935, to an at-large seat elected statewide on a general ticket. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination for Governor of Kentucky in 1939 and the party's unsuccessful nominee for the U.S. Senate in 1946 and 1966. He lost five Democratic primaries for the Senate, the last one in 1968.[2]
John Brown | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky's at-large district | |
| In office March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1935 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives 56th district | |
| In office 1966–1968 | |
| Preceded by | John W. Morgan, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Robert P. Wooley |
| In office 1962–1964 | |
| Preceded by | Ted R. Osborne |
| Succeeded by | District abolished |
| Constituency | 49th district |
| In office 1954–1956 | |
| Preceded by | Bart N. Peak |
| Succeeded by | John B. Breckinridge |
| Constituency | 49th district |
| In office 1946–1948 | |
| Preceded by | Charles B. Gentry |
| Succeeded by | Chas. J. Bronston |
| Constituency | 49th district |
| In office 1930–1933 | |
| Preceded by | Jesse O. Creech |
| Succeeded by | Robert E. Beatty |
| Constituency | 76th district (1930-1932) 75th district (1932-1933) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Young Brown February 1, 1900 Union County, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | June 16, 1985 (aged 85) Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Dorothy Inman
(m. 1929; div. 1973) |
| Children | 5, including John |
| Relatives | John Y. Brown III (grandson) Pamela Brown (granddaughter) |
| Education | Centre College (BA) University of Kentucky (LLB) |
Biography
edit
Brown was the son of tenant farmers Jesse C. and Lucy Keeper Brown, who named him after John Young Brown, a former governor and neighbor.[3][4] He was born on a farm near Geiger Lake, Union County, Kentucky, attended Union County schools and graduated from the high school at Sturgis, Kentucky. He graduated from Centre College at Danville, Kentucky[2] with an A.B. degree in 1921 where he was a member of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity and a "Scrub" player on the famous Centre Praying Colonels football team. He received his LL.B. degree from University of Kentucky College of Law[2] in 1926 and was admitted to the bar that same year.
He was a well-known trial lawyer who practiced law from 1926 to 1985 in Lexington, Kentucky, with three firms: Brown and Miller, Brown and Son, and Brown, Sledd and McCann. He was noted for his extensive quotation of the Bible from memory during his summations to juries and his representation of coal miners. Brown was elected to Congress in 1932 when the state failed to redistrict and elected House members at large. It was his only statewide victory. He lost the Democratic primary for governor to Lt. Gov. Keen Johnson in 1939 and the primaries for the U.S. Senate in 1936 and 1942, the last one to Sen. A.B. "Happy" Chandler. He won the Senate nomination in 1946 over Phil Ardery but lost the general election to Republican John Sherman Cooper. He lost the 1948 Senate primary to U.S. Rep. Virgil Chapman, who was elected but died in 1951, and the 1960 primary to Johnson. He won the nomination in 1966 but lost again to Cooper. He finished second to Katherine Peden in the 1968 Democratic primary. [5]
Brown sponsored much legislation in the state House including the state's first sales-tax and civil-rights laws. He was recognized on many occasions as the most effective legislator in the House. He lost to Richard P. "Dick" Moloney in a 1951 primary for the state Senate.
Personal life
editBrown married Dorothy Inman in March 1929 in New Albany, Indiana. They had five children: Dorothy Ann, Betty, John Y. Jr., Diane, and Pamela. They divorced in 1973 after repeated political campaigns strained their relationship.[4][6] Their son, John Y. Brown Jr., made a large fortune as the owner of Kentucky Fried Chicken and was Kentucky governor from 1979 to 1983. Their daughter Pamela died in 1970 in an ill-fated attempt to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a balloon dubbed "The Free Life." He is also the grandfather of former Kentucky Secretary of State John Y. Brown III and news anchor Pamela Brown.
Brown died of pneumonia in Louisville, six months after being paralyzed from the waist down in an automobile accident.[1]
Legacy
editBrown is a member of the University of Kentucky College of Law's Hall of Fame and the Phi Kappa Tau Hall of Fame.
References
edit- ^ a b "John Y. Brown Sr., 85. Father of Ex-Governor". The New York Times. June 17, 1985. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
John Y. Brown Sr., a prominent defense attorney and father of former Gov. John Y. Brown Jr. of Kentucky, died of pneumonia today at Humana Hospital Audubon, where he had been treated since June 5. He was 85 years old and had been paralyzed from the waist down since he was hurt in an automobile accident in December. ...
- ^ a b c "John Y. Brown Sr.". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 2014-08-04.
John Young Brown, a Representative from Kentucky; born on a farm near Geigers Lake, Union County, Ky., February 1, 1900; attended the county schools and the high school at Sturgis, Ky.; Centre College, Danville, Ky., A.B., 1921, and from the law department of the University of Kentucky at Lexington, LL.B., 1926 ...
- ^ "Kentucky Campaign". Evansville Press. 1939-07-24. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
- ^ a b "John Y. Brown Sr., noted Kentucky lawyer and politician, dies at 85". The Courier-Journal. 1985-06-17. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
- ^ https://elect.ky.gov/results/Pages/default.aspx
- ^ "Mr. Brown and Miss Inman Married". Danville Daily Messenger. 1929-03-11. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
External links
edit- United States Congress. "John Y. Brown Sr. (id: B000934)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- John Y. Brown Sr. at Find a Grave