Capitol Mall Could Get A New Name In Honor Of Willie Brown
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - The street, circle and plaza directly in front of the California State Capitol could get a new name.
Senate Resolution 31 calls for the state to rename 914 and 915 Capitol Mall the Willie L. Brown, Jr. Circle and Plaza in honor of the former Assembly Speaker and San Francisco Mayor. It is currently called the Capitol Fountain Plaza and is part of Capitol Park.
According to the Resolution,
"Mr. Brown is widely regarded as one of the most influential politicians of the late 20th century, and has been at the center of California politics, government, and civic life for an astonishing four decades."
Brown served in the California Assembly from 1965-1995 and was the first African-American and longest-serving Speaker in California, holding the post from 1980-1995. He later was elected Mayor of San Francisco and led the city from January 1996-January 2004.
The 85-year-old is now the head of the Willie L. Brown, Jr. Institute on Politics and Public Service.
In 2013 the Assembly passed ACR 65 to rename the western span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge the "Willie L. Brown, Jr. Bridge". The Speaker's conference room on the second floor of the State Capitol West Wing is also named the Willie L. Brown, Jr. Room.
Willie Brown earned a BA from San Francisco State and a JD from the UC Hastings College of Law. He is a father of four.
The Resolution passed the Senate Governmental Organization with a unanimous 16-0 vote.