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Regular Session, 2012 ENROLLED
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 24
BY SENATORS THOMPSON, ADLEY, ALARIO, ALLAIN, AMEDEE, APPEL,
BROOME, BROWN, BUFFI NGTON, CHABERT, CL AITOR,
CORTEZ, CROWE, DONAHUE, DORSEY-COLOMB, ERDEY,
GALLOT, GUILLORY, HEITMEIER, JOHNS, KOSTELKA,
LAFLEUR, LONG, MARTINY, MILLS, MORRELL, MORRISH,
MURRAY, NEVERS, PEACOCK, PERRY, PETERSON, RISER,
GARY SMITH, JOHN SMITH, TARVER, WALSWORTH, WARD
AND WHITE AND REPRESENTATIVE CHANEY
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON
To express the sincere condolences of the Legislature of Louisiana upon the death of
William "Billy" Brown III.
WHEREAS, William Brown III, fondly known as "Billy" was born on November 30,
1931 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and raised in Lake Providence, Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, prior to his progressive illness, he enjoyed varied pursuits, many of
which were quite successful; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Brown was chairman of the Louisiana Bank and was co-founder
of Gas Transportation Corporation and Tensas Delta Exploration, along with involvement
in several real estate developments and farming interests; and
WHEREAS, while practicing law, he served as president of the Junior Bar, president
of the Fourth District Bar Association, and Board of Governors of the Louisiana State Bar
Association; and
WHEREAS, in addition to an extraordinarily busy and successful law practice, Mr.
Brown made forays into gold mining, latex importation, and radio broadcasting; and
WHEREAS, he was known to admit that even though he had been down three or four
times, he was quick to say that he had gotten up at least five or six; and
WHEREAS, he entered the Louisiana Senate as a freshman in 1968, serving under
former governors John McKeithen and Edwin Edwards; and
WHEREAS, while serving under former Governor Edwin Edwards, he played a
significant role in the initial draft of the Louisiana Mineral Code; and
WHEREAS, after deciding not to run for governor of Louisiana, he served as
chairman of the Louisiana Board of Ethics from 1980 to 1988; and SCR NO. 24 ENROLLED
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WHEREAS, Mr. Brown served two terms as the democratic senator for district
thirty-five from 1968 to 1976 before an unsuccessful campaign for lieutenant governor; and
WHEREAS, Senator Francis Thompson served with Mr. Brown in the legislature
when Thompson was a freshman lawmaker and called him one of the most talented and
classiest people in the legislature in the 1970s; and
WHEREAS, John Hill, who covered Billy's senatorial actions for The News-Star
called Mr. Brown formidable even though he only served two terms in office; he was a
polished, effective legislator who knew how to form alliances that allowed him to secure
what was needed for his senatorial district; and
WHEREAS, he moved to Monroe in 1957 where his dedication to community was
further enhanced and where he built an impressive resume of civic service; and
WHEREAS, he was president of the Monroe Rotary, was named Outstanding Man
of the Year in 1966, was a member of United Way, board member of the Louisiana Forestry
Association, charter member of the Louisiana Civil Law Institute, a member of the Monroe
Recreation Board, and a member of the Monroe Chamber of Commerce; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Brown is described by family and friends as having unrestrainable
energy and a mind in hyper drive; and
WHEREAS, he entered military service via the ROTC and received his commission
as an infantry lieutenant and was quickly assigned to the Judge Advocate's office; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Brown's commanding officer, Robert Harris, once remarked that
back in that day, defendants were usually considered guilty at the outset and so he never
allowed Mr. Brown to try any cases as defense counsel, expecting that he would "embark
on a campaign to get them back on the street"; and
WHEREAS, the military came immediately on the heels of his graduation from
Louisiana State University Law School with a bachelor's degree in commerce and cum laude
status and while graduating first in his law school class of 1955, he was president of the
same; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Brown was president of Kappa Alpha Order, a member of Phi
Kappa Phi, Order of the Coif and member of the Board of Editors of the Louisiana Law
Review; and SCR NO. 24 ENROLLED
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WHEREAS, he was known as an exceptional attorney, especially after representing
the state of Louisiana before the United State Supreme Court in defense of the First Use Tax;
and
WHEREAS, he saw the practice of law as a way for a young father to earn a living,
but moreover, he considered it a purely intellectual pursuit, blending the best of a person's
reason and imagination and considered it "a place to let the wings of the mind unfurl"; and
WHEREAS, at the age of seventeen, Mr. Brown left his home north of Lake
Providence to attend a postgraduate year at Kentucky Military Institute, in Lyndon,
Kentucky; and
WHEREAS, his son, Harris Brown, followed in his father's public service footsteps,
serving as the longtime president of the Tensas Basin Levee Board and now as the director
of the Louisiana Nature Conservancy Board; and
WHEREAS, remembered as fair minded, determined, impulsive, loving and loyal
to a fault, Mr. Brown is survived by his wife Eleanor, of fifty-eight years, Denis and Kathryn
Brown and their children Harriett and Wyly of Salt Lake City, Utah; David and Priscilla
O'Quinn and their children, Eleanor and Maisie, of New Orleans, Louisiana, and Harris and
Kristin Brown of Monroe, Louisiana.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
express sincere and heartfelt condolences upon the death of former senator William "Billy"
Brown III and does hereby extend enduring appreciation for the pride and honor that this
extraordinary man will forever bring to his family, friends, caregivers Nicole Hoston and
Willie Mae Standifer, his local community and the entire state of Louisiana.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
family of William "Billy" Brown III.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES