Edwin J. Brown
Edwin J. Brown (1864–1941) was mayor of Seattle, elected in May, 1922,[1] and again in 1924.[2] He graduated from Kansas City School of Law in 1899, and worked as a dentist, thus earning the moniker "Doc" Brown.[3] As a politician during prohibition, Brown personally did not drink alcohol, but supported the public's right to drink.[4]
Edwin J. Brown | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Mayor of Seattle | |
| In office June 5, 1922 – June 7, 1926 | |
| Preceded by | Hugh M. Caldwell |
| Succeeded by | Bertha Knight Landes |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1864/1865 Oregon, Illinois |
| Died | (aged 76) Seattle, Washington |
| Political party | Socialist |
| Alma mater | Kansas City School of Law (1899) |
| Occupation | Dentist, lawyer, politician |
When Brown left to attend the 1924 Democratic National Convention, he appointed city council member Bertha Knight Landes as acting mayor. Landes began her own law and order campaign, firing Police Chief William B. Severyns for corruption and closing down lotteries, punchboards and speakeasies. Upon his return, Brown reinstated the police chief.[5] In 1926, Brown ran for a third term, but lost to Landes.
He died on July 28, 1941, at the age of 76, of a heart attack.[6]
Further reading
- "A rare elected voice for socialism pledges to be heard in Seattle", The New York Times, December 29, 2013,
A socialist was elected mayor of Seattle as recently as 1922.
- Bostrom, Frans (State Secretary) (March 1914), History of the 1913 Secession in the Socialist Party of Washington, Socialist Party of Washington
- O'Connor, Harvey (2009), "Checklist of radical papers in the State of Washington (1898–1920)", Revolution in Seattle: A Memoir, p. 288, ISBN 9781931859745,
1911: Political Socialist, Seattle, 1911–1912, Edwin J. Brown, socialist
- Shay, Jordan (2001), Professor James Gregory (ed.), "Socialist Voice (newspaper)", Labor Press Project, University of Washington,
The Socialist Voice was issued ... by the City Central Committee of the Socialist Party of Seattle ... Some of the staff [included] Dr. Edwin J. Brown, dentist and lead journalist ...
- Clark, Norman H. (1972), Mill Town: A Social History of Everett, Washington, from Its Earliest Beginnings on the Shores of Puget Sound to the Tragic and Infamous Event Known as the Everett Massacre, University of Washington Press, p. 169, ISBN 9780295800028,
Dr. Edwin Brown of Seattle, a dentist and a prominent moderate [socialist]...
- "Elect Socialist in Seattle: Denounced as "Internationalist" and "Socialist," Doc Brown Wins Mayoralty Contest in Western City" (PDF), The New Age, Buffalo, NY, 10 (509), p. 1, May 25, 1922
References
- David Wilma (November 29, 2000), Voters elect Edwin J. Brown as mayor of the City of Seattle on May 2, 1922, HistoryLink
- "Mayors of the City of Seattle", Seattle municipal archives, Seattle City Clerk's Office
- Collins, William Chaplin (May 17, 1922), "Seattle Elects a Mayor", New Outlook, p. 102,
Dr. Edwin J. Brown, dentist-lawyer, sometime Socialist...graduated from a dental college, and from the Kansas City School of Law in 1899
- Metcalfe, Phillip (2007). Whispering Wires. Portland, OR: Inkwater Press. p. 19. ISBN 978-1-59299-252-2.
- "Mayor Bertha Knight Landes". Seattle Municipal Archives. Retrieved 2015-11-24.
- "Edwin J. Brown Funeral Is Set For Tomorrow". The Seattle Times. July 30, 1941. p. 7.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Hugh M. Caldwell |
Mayor of Seattle 1922–1926 |
Succeeded by Bertha Knight Landes |