John Y. Brown, Jr.

John Young Brown, Jr. ( born December 28, 1933, Lexington, Kentucky ) is an American politician and former governor of the state of Kentucky.

Early years and political rise

John Y. Brown was the son of John Young Brown, who over several decades, a well-known politicians in the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington DC and was in Kentucky. He studied at the University of Kentucky and served 1959-1965 in a reserve unit of the U.S. Army. He then worked in the restaurant business. He was until 1971 a co-owner of the fast-food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken, which was in those years before McDonald's worldwide market leader. In addition, he owned two professional basketball teams, the Kentucky Colonels and the Buffalo Braves, which later became the Los Angeles Clippers were.

Governor of Kentucky

In 1979, Brown applied for the Democratic Party for the office of governor of Kentucky. His opponent was the Republican Louie Nunn had been 1967-1971 before Governor. Brown won the election with clear 59.4 % of the votes against 40.6 % Nunns. His term began on December 11, 1979 and ended on 13 December 1983. During this time, he ordered the country with an economy drive by he cut spending by 22%. Nonetheless, the expansion of the roads was continued. He successfully promoted tourism and trade. Privately, he was due to high gambling debts to talk.

Further CV

After the end of his term in 1984, he briefly a candidate for a seat in the U.S. Senate; six weeks after the announcement of his application but he drew this for health reasons back. A renewed attempt to become Governor of Kentucky, failed in 1987, when he only took second place in the primaries behind Wallace Wilkinson. Then he climbed back into the catering business. In December 2007, he declined the invitation of the new Governor Steve Beshear to its inauguration from only one of the still-living former governors of Kentucky. The reason he gave to political and personal differences with Beshear. John Y. Brown was married three times and has four children.