B. Gratz Brown

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B. Gratz Brown

Benjamin Gratz Brown (born May 28, 1826 in Lexington , Kentucky , † December 13, 1885 in Kirkwood , Missouri ) was an American politician and from 1871 to 1873 the 20th governor of Missouri.

Early years

Benjamin Brown attended Transylvania University until 1845 and then Yale University until 1847 . He then studied law until 1849 at the Louisville Law School. He then practiced his new profession in St. Louis , Missouri.

Political rise

Between 1852 and 1858 Brown was a member of the Missouri House of Representatives . At the same time he worked in the newspaper business. Between 1854 and 1865 he published the Missouri Democrat newspaper. In 1857 he unsuccessfully ran for governor of Missouri. As an opponent of slavery , Brown became a member of the Republican Party , from which he later separated. He then joined the short-lived Liberal Republican Party . At the beginning of the civil war he served as an officer in the Union Army . Between 1863 and 1867 he represented his state in the US Senate . There he was an opponent of the reconstruction policy of the new President Andrew Johnson . On August 8, 1870, he was elected the new governor of his state.

Missouri governor

Benjamin Brown took up his new office on January 4, 1871. During his tenure, some railroad companies co-financed by the state went bankrupt. The University of Missouri has admitted women in all fields. In addition, both medical and law faculties were established at this university during these years. In 1872 Brown ran unsuccessfully for his party at the side of Horace Greeley for the office of US Vice President .

Another résumé

After the end of his two-year tenure in January 1873, Brown retired from politics and worked as a lawyer. He died on December 13, 1885. He had seven children with his wife, Mary Ginn.

literature

  • Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Volume 2, Meckler Books, Westport, 1978. 4 volumes.

Web links


personal data
SURNAME Brown, B. Gratz
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Brown, Benjamin Gratz
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH May 28, 1826
PLACE OF BIRTH Lexington , Kentucky
DATE OF DEATH December 13, 1885
Place of death Kirkwood , Missouri