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G. (Jerry) Brown, Jr. was born in San Francisco on
April 7, 1938. He graduated from St. Ignatius HighSchool
in that city, studied for the Catholic priesthood
at the Sacred Heart Novitiate, a Jesuit seminary,
and received his B.A. degree in the classics from
the University of California at Berkeley in 1961.
He graduated from Yale Law School in 1964.
In
1970, he was elected Secretary of State. Four years
later, he was elected Governor. He was reelected
in 1978 by the largest vote margin in California's
history. As governor, Brown fought for new environmental
protections, created the country's first energy
efficiency standards, halted nuclear power development,
enacted the nations first agricultural labor law
and brought women and minorities into high government
positions.
After
his defeat by Pete Wilson in a 1984 U.S. Senate
race, Brown spent time in Japan and worked with
Mother Teresa in India before returning to California,
where he practiced law and became chair of the state
Democratic Party.
He
resigned that position, expressing his disgust with
the growing influence of money in politics, and
sought the 1992 Democratic Presidential nomination.
During that campaign he refused to take contributions
larger than $100 and used an ''800" number
to raise funds.
Despite
limited financial resources, Brown defeated Bill
Clinton in Maine, Colorado, Vermont Connecticut,
Utah and Nevada during the 1992 Presidential primary
season and was the only candidate other than Clinton
to receive enough voter support to continue until
the Democratic National Convention.
Brown
began broadcast of his radio program, We the People
with Jerry Brown on January 31, 1994. The program
currently airs on KPFA, Berkeley, and its sister
stations KPFK, Los Angeles, KPFT, Houston and WBAI
in Manhattan, on the Pacifica Network. Brown's daily
commentaries are aired nationwide.
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