Summary |
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| Creator: | Brownlow, Louis, 1879-1963. |
| Title: | Louis Brownlow Papers |
| Dates: | 1958 |
| Size: | 1 box (.25 linear foot) |
| Abstract: | The Louis Brownlow Papers contain several anecdotes that are autobiographical in nature, as well as several lectures during his appointment as a professor at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. |
| Language: | English |
| Repository: |
University Archives, Special Collections Research Center Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Ave., Suite 600 Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center/university-archives |
Biography
Louis Brownlow (1879-1963) was a decorated American journalist and public administrator. He joined the Syracuse University Maxwell School faculty towards the end of his career in 1958.
Louis Brownlow was born on August 29, 1879, in Buffalo, Missouri. Due to illness as a young boy Brownlow was schooled from home by his parents, who were both school teachers.
At the age of 14 Louis Brownlow started his career as editor of a county weekly newspaper. He continued in that capacity until he was hired as a reporter for the Nashville Banner in 1900. From 1902 to 1905, Brownlow worked as a reporter, city editor, managing editor, and Washington correspondent. Brownlow was employed by several newspapers during that time period: The Courier-Journal, Nashville Daily News, Louisville Times, Louisville Evening Post, and the Paducah News-Democrat. He returned to the Nashville Banner as their Washington correspondent in November 1905.
Following his time in Washington, Brownlow worked for the Haskin Syndicate as a political writer and foreign correspondent in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. He worked at the Haskin Syndicate from 1906 to 1915.
In 1915, President Wilson appointed Brownlow as a District Commissioner for the District of Columbia. He served as a Commissioner for five years, the last three of which he was appointed as the president of the Board of District Commissioners for the District of Columbia. He was also named the Chairman of the District Public Utilities Commission and a member of the District Zoning Commission. While serving as a Commissioner, Brownlow revitalized the police department as well as the health and welfare services provided by the District of Columbia. During the crises caused by World War I, Brownlow reduced the amount of governmental regulation pertaining to resource allocation in the District due to the influx of population caused by the war.
Following his time as a Commissioner for the District of Columbia, Brownlow moved to Petersburg, Va., in 1920. He served as the city’s first city manager for three years. In 1922, he moved to Knoxville, Tenn., for a position in the same capacity. Brownlow also became the president of the International City Managers Association in 1922.
Brownlow returned to journalism briefly in 1927 as a staff reporter for the United States Daily. Shortly after, he became a consultant to the City Housing Corporation in New York City.
In 1930, Brownlow helped to establish the Public Administration Clearing House at the University of Chicago. He served as the institution's director from 1931 to 1945 while also being a lecturer in public administration at the university. From 1931 to 1937, Brownlow headed President Roosevelt’s Committee on Administration Management and was the chief author of the bill the committee produced. Though the bill failed in 1938, almost all of its proposals were incorporated in the successful Hoover Commissions ten years later.
During his life Louis Brownlow held many honors. In 1937, he was bestowed an honorary doctorate of law from the American University in Washington, D.C. He received an honorary doctorate of law on March 8, 1957, from Syracuse University. The next year, at the age of 79, he was appointed as visiting professor of Public Administration for Syracuse University’s Maxwell Graduate School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. He also held several other positions during his career: visiting professor in politics at Washington University of St. Louis, director of the Woodrow Wilson Foundation, president of the American Society for Public Administration, the National Institute of Public Affairs, and vice president of the American Political Science Association.
Louis Brownlow was decorated by the countries of Poland, Belgium, and the Dominican Republic. He was a member of the National Press Club and Cosmos Club. He was also the author of several books, numerous articles, and book reviews. His works included Passion for Politics (1955), Passion for Anonymity (1958), The President and the Presidency (1949), and The Anatomy of the Anecdote (1960).
Louis Brownlow died on September 27, 1963.
Scope and Content Note
The Louis Brownlow Papers contains materials dating from 1958 and comprises three folders.
The Autobiographical Anecdotes folder is comprised of narrations that are autobiographical and concentrate on events surrounding the Civil War, Russo-Japanese War, World War I, and Brownlow's time served as the President of the Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia.
The Lecture folders form the majority of the collection. They contain several lectures given by Brownlow from February through May 1958, which were transcribed from audio tapes. His lectures recollect his experiences as a public administrator and touch on general public administration issues.
Restrictions
Access Restrictions
Please note that the collection is housed off-site, and advance notice is required to allow time to have the materials brought to the Reading Room on campus.
Use Restrictions
Written permission must be obtained from University Archives,
Special Collections Research Center
Syracuse University Libraries and all relevant rights holders
before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this
collection.
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Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
Louis Brownlow Papers,
University Archives,
Special Collections Research Center
Syracuse University Libraries
Acquisition Information
The Louis Brownlow Papers were donated on June 3, 1963, by James Blackhurst, assistant to the Dean of the Maxwell School.
Processing Information
Materials were placed in acid-free folders and box.
Finding Aid Information
Created by: Kyle C. Wilson
Date: 2007
Revision history: Converted to EAD by Zachary Burnham, 2013.