William H. Brown, III
Encyclopedia
William H. Brown, III is a Philadelphia attorney, who has had a distinguished career in public service and is viewed as a leader for the strides he made for African Americans in the legal profession. In addition to have been a named partner in the prominent Philadelphia law firm of Norris Schmidt Green Harris Higginbotham & Brown, which is widely recognized to be Philadelphia's first black-owned law firm, Brown was appointed to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
(EEOC) by President Lyndon Johnson in 1968 and named its Chairman by President Richard Nixon
in 1969. He was the fourth Chairman of the EEOC, serving from May 5, 1969 to December 23, 1973. Today, he is senior counsel to Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP.
in 1952, and from the University of Pennsylvania Law School
in 1955. He began working in private practice after graduating, during a time when African-Americans had few, if any, options to practice in established law firms. He joined with a group of several other African American lawyers formed what is considered by many to be Philadelphia's first African-American law firm, Norris Schmidt Green
Harris Higginbotham & Brown. Brown also served for some time as the Chief of the Fraud unit and as a Deputy District Attorney for the City of Philadelphia.
in 1969. He was the fourth Chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). He served in that role until December 23, 1973.
During his time as Chairman, the EEOC took significant steps in establishing its role in American life and in fighting discrimination, including seeking to intercede in a telephone rate case
being presented by AT&T
to the Federal Communications Commission
(asserting that because of discriminatory practices, costs for telephone services were higher than they would have been otherwise), securing the enforcement powers granted to the EEOC, and the establishment of five regional litigating centers in Chicago
, San Francisco, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Denver, each staffed with 30 lawyers.
A notable recognition came when in 1985, he was chosen to chair the Philadelphia Special Investigation Commission investigating the MOVE
tragedy.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is an independent federal law enforcement agency that enforces laws against workplace discrimination. The EEOC investigates discrimination complaints based on an individual's race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, perceived intelligence,...
(EEOC) by President Lyndon Johnson in 1968 and named its Chairman by President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
in 1969. He was the fourth Chairman of the EEOC, serving from May 5, 1969 to December 23, 1973. Today, he is senior counsel to Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP.
Education and early career
Born in Philadelphia, Brown graduated from Temple UniversityTemple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
in 1952, and from the University of Pennsylvania Law School
University of Pennsylvania Law School
The University of Pennsylvania Law School, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the law school of the University of Pennsylvania. A member of the Ivy League, it is among the oldest and most selective law schools in the nation. It is currently ranked 7th overall by U.S. News & World Report,...
in 1955. He began working in private practice after graduating, during a time when African-Americans had few, if any, options to practice in established law firms. He joined with a group of several other African American lawyers formed what is considered by many to be Philadelphia's first African-American law firm, Norris Schmidt Green
Clifford Scott Green
Clifford Scott Green was a judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Green was the eighteenth African American Article III judge appointed in the United States, and the second African American judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern...
Harris Higginbotham & Brown. Brown also served for some time as the Chief of the Fraud unit and as a Deputy District Attorney for the City of Philadelphia.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Brown was appointed to the EEOC by President Lyndon Johnson in 1968 and named the Commission's Chairman by President Richard NixonRichard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
in 1969. He was the fourth Chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). He served in that role until December 23, 1973.
During his time as Chairman, the EEOC took significant steps in establishing its role in American life and in fighting discrimination, including seeking to intercede in a telephone rate case
Rate case
A rate case is the formal process which industries that have the legal designation of public utility are mandated to go through in order to set the rate at which they are allowed to charge consumers for their service...
being presented by AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
to the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(asserting that because of discriminatory practices, costs for telephone services were higher than they would have been otherwise), securing the enforcement powers granted to the EEOC, and the establishment of five regional litigating centers in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, San Francisco, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Denver, each staffed with 30 lawyers.
Later career
After his time as Chairman of the EEOC, Brown returned to the private practice of law, and is still practicing at the Philadelphia-based law firm of Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP. He is nationally known in the field of employment discrimination, and has also developed extensive experience with alternative dispute resolution. He has served as a mediator for Federal District Court for Eastern District of Pennsylvania and as an arbitrator for American Arbitration Association.A notable recognition came when in 1985, he was chosen to chair the Philadelphia Special Investigation Commission investigating the MOVE
MOVE
MOVE or the MOVE Organization is a Philadelphia-based black liberation group founded by John Africa. MOVE was described by CNN as "a loose-knit, mostly black group whose members all adopted the surname Africa, advocated a "back-to-nature" lifestyle and preached against technology." The group...
tragedy.
External links
- His professional biography on the Schnader web page.
- A biography of Brown published on the 35th anniversary of the EEOC.
- Letter Brown wrote at the end of his tenure with the EEOC, published on the 35th anniversary of the organization.
- An article from the July 20, 2007 edition of The Legal Intelligencer on the law firm of Norris Schmidt Green Harris Higginbotham & Brown.
- Records from Temple University's Urban Archives on the Philadelphia Special Investigation (MOVE) Commission.