San Francisco City Hall hosts 90th birthday celebration for "Da Mayor" Willie Brown
On Wednesday, San Francisco City Hall hosted a special celebration as hundreds of former employees gathered to mark the 90th birthday of their one-time boss, legendary former Mayor Willie Brown.
Brown is an old-school political wheeler-dealer – energetic, articulate, powerful, dapper, and with the most unmistakable laugh.
Whether he's playing Boss Dice from the prized window seat at Le Central, holding court at John's Grill -- one of the oldest restaurants in the city -- or being serenaded by the Irish Newsboys at Chief Sullivan's Irish pub in North Beach, Willie Brown is a force of nature: unstoppable and unforgettable. This past week, Brown has been at the center of festivities ahead of his actual birthday on March 20th.
On his birthday, this reporter made it her quest to uncover the secret behind his longevity.
I met Brown in his office and tried to sweet-talk him with a little birthday pie. Goodrich asked him what his favorite pie and he responded "sweet potato." Goodrich asked him to try again and suggested key lime pie.
"Da Mayor" laughed out loud.
"That's right! How did you know that? That's a snitch! Somebody told you that!" Brown chuckled.
When I asked if he had a certain wish that he makes when he blows out his birthday candles, he replied, "Well, each time, I hope that I will be around to blow them out next year. That's my goal in perpetuity!"
Brown has lived quite a life. His unprecedented success brought him a long way from his childhood in Mineola, Texas.
At age 17, he was virtually penniless when he came to San Francisco to live with his uncle, getting his start doing odd jobs. In college, he lived at Jones Memorial United Methodist on Post St., where he worked as a church janitor. He later lived at the corner of Page and Webster while working as a gym director. While in law school, Brown paid his bills and tuition by working as a janitor and a cab driver.
After graduating from law school, he was admitted to the California State Bar. Brown became involved in the civil rights movement and represented clients no one else would represent. Brown was elected to the California State Assembly in 1965 and was one of only four Black Americans in the governing body, serving in the Assembly for 30 years. Brown was the first Black man to be Speaker of the Assembly in 1981 and held that position for roughly half of his tenure in Sacramento.
When Brown left the state legislature, he ran for Mayor of San Francisco and was elected twice.
I asked Brown how he has maintained his good health and whether he followed a routine.
"I have always been very careful at the level of consumption on the food side, on the booze side," he said. "I try to get an adequate amount of rest. But above all else, I try to end the day without one issue still troubling me."
There is one thing that Brown will not do.
"I will not text! Under no circumstance," he asserted.
Brown is not big on texting or emailing and he has repeatedly cautioned other lawmakers about the technology.
"The kinds of things that we politicians say and talk about are not what you would want to have to mark it. That evidence could defeat you. That evidence could put you away," warned Brown. "And so, my advice is emailing and texting two of the most dangerous instruments you could subject yourself to."
With a Biden-Trump rematch in the works, the former lawmaker and mayor wants to prove age is just a number.
"This birthday year has taken on significance for me personally. It's frankly the first time that I have in politics ever known someone to make age an issue – period," he noted.
Late last December, Brown helped KPIX celebrate the station's 75th anniversary at the Top of the Mark restaurant and lounge atop the Intercontinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco hotel.
Now it's our turn to toast the legendary Willie Brown and his unparalleled life. We simply can't name all of his highlights, but here are a few.
In 1975, he authored and lobbied for the passing of the "Consenting Adult Sex Bill" in the Assembly, which legalized homosexuality in California. His strong negotiation skills and ability to manage people were two of the many traits that turned him into one of the most powerful state legislators in the nation.
As mayor of San Francisco, he ended the policy of penalizing those who fed the homeless, worked with the Giants to build a new stadium, and oversaw the renovations to the Ferry Building and San Francisco City Hall.
Brown has also appeared in a number of movies, including "The Godfather Part III," "The Princess Diaries" and "The Hulk."
His sartorial skills are also legendary. He actually appeared in 1985 on KPIX's "The Afternoon Show" along with clothier Wilkes Bashford to model some clothes he had helped design and create.
After he left the mayor's office, Mr. Brown dabbled in writing a column for the San Francisco Chronicle, wrote an autobiography, and continues to raise funds for other politicians.
KPIX wishes Willie Brown a happy 90th birthday, with many more to come.
