J. Hyatt Brown

{{Short description|American businessman and politician (born 1937)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = J. Hyatt Brown

|image = Speaker J Hyatt Brown.jpg

|image_size = 180px

|office = Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives

|term_start = 1978

|term_end = 1980

|predecessor = Donald L. Tucker

|successor = Ralph Haben

|state1 = Florida

|state_house1 = Florida

|district1 = 31st

|term_start1 = November 7, 1972

|term_end1 = November 4, 1980

|predecessor1 = William C. Andrews{{Cite web|url=http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/fefdl/florida/House19672001.html|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180113095046/http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/fefdl/florida/House19672001.html|archive-date =January 13, 2018|title=House of Representatives|publisher=University of Florida}}

|successor1 = T. K. Wetherell

|birth_name =

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1937|7|12}}

|birth_place = Orlando, Florida, U.S.

|death_date =

|death_place =

|party = Democratic

|occupation = insurance agent

|spouse =

|children = 3

|relations =

|residence =

|alma_mater = University of Florida |bodyclass=}}

J. Hyatt Brown (born July 12, 1937) is an American billionaire businessman and politician in the state of Florida.

Brown was born in Orlando and grew up in Daytona Beach.{{cite web|url=http://www.businessinsurance.com/article/20090705/ISSUE01/307059986|title=Buyer-friendly property market continues|first= Mark A|last=Hofmann|date=July 5, 2015|website= Business Insurance|accessdate=June 3, 2022}} He attended the University of Florida and works in the insurance industry.{{cite web|url=http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/details.aspx?MemberId=2828|title=Representative J. Hyatt Brown |publisher=Florida House of Representatives|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180129140627/http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/details.aspx?MemberId=2828|archivedate=January 29, 2018|accessdate=June 3, 2022}}

Brown sat in the Florida House of Representatives for the 31st district, as a Democrat, from 1972 to 1980. From 1978 to 1980, he was Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives.{{cite web|url=http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/FileStores/Web/HouseContent/Approved/Public%20Guide/Uploads/Documents/house_counties_final.pdf |title=Membership of the Florida House of Representatives by County, 1845-2012|publisher=Florida House of Representatives |year=2011 |accessdate=December 11, 2011}}

In 2009, Brown retired as CEO of his insurance agency, Brown & Brown.{{cite web|url=http://www.propertycasualty360.com/2010/09/01/j-hyatt-brown-talks-about-business-florida-and-politics|title=J. Hyatt Brown Talks About Business, Florida, and Politics|website=Property Casualty 360|access-date=2014-11-26|archive-date=2015-09-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924082443/http://www.propertycasualty360.com/2010/09/01/j-hyatt-brown-talks-about-business-florida-and-politics|url-status=dead}} In March 2018, he was worth an estimated $1.1 billion.{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/chasewithorn/2018/03/06/meet-the-worlds-259-newest-billionaires-francois-bettencourt-meyers-lynsi-snyder/|title=Meet The World's 259 Newest Billionaires|first=Chase|last=Peterson-Withorn|date=March 6, 2018|website=Forbes|accessdate=March 6, 2018}} In 2012, Brown and his wife Cici donated $13 million to the Museum of Arts and Sciences in Daytona Beach for the construction of the Brown Museum, which opened in early 2015.{{Cite web|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/os-joy-wallace-dickinson-0320-20160320-column.html|title=Florida's past comes alive in art at Daytona museum|last=Dickinson|first=Joy Wallace|website=Orlando Sentinel|access-date=April 11, 2019}} In 2018, Brown and his wife donated $18 million to Stetson University{{Cite web|url=https://www.news-journalonline.com/news/20180409/hyatt-and-cici-brown-gift-stetson-with-18m-schools-largest-donation-ever|title=Hyatt and Cici Brown gift Stetson with $18M, school's largest donation ever|date=April 9, 2018|website=Daytona Beach News Journal|access-date=April 11, 2019|archive-date=April 11, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190411182808/https://www.news-journalonline.com/news/20180409/hyatt-and-cici-brown-gift-stetson-with-18m-schools-largest-donation-ever|url-status=dead}} and pledged $15 million to improve Daytona Beach's Riverfront Park.{{Cite web|url=https://www.news-journalonline.com/news/20180718/browns-pledge-15-million-to-improve-daytona-beachs-riverfront-park|title=Browns pledge $15 million to improve Daytona Beach's Riverfront Park|date=July 18, 2018|website=Daytona Beach News Journal|access-date=April 11, 2019|archive-date=April 11, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190411182808/https://www.news-journalonline.com/news/20180718/browns-pledge-15-million-to-improve-daytona-beachs-riverfront-park|url-status=dead}}