Louis J. Brann

{{Infobox officeholder

|name =Louis Jefferson Brann

|image =Louis J. Brann (Maine Governor) 2.jpg

|caption =From 1982's Historic Lewiston: Its Government

|order1 =56th

|office1 =Governor of Maine

|term_start1 =January 4, 1933

|term_end1 =January 6, 1937

|predecessor1 =William T. Gardiner

|successor1 =Lewis O. Barrows

|office2 =Mayor of Lewiston, Maine

|term2 =1922–1924{{sfn|Historic Lewiston: Its Government|page=13}}

|predecessor2 =William H. Newell

|successor2 =Robert J. Wiseman

|term3 =1915–1916{{sfn|Historic Lewiston: Its Government|page=13}}

|predecessor3 =Robert J. Wiseman

|successor3 =Charles P. Lemaire

|office4 =Register of Probate for Androscoggin County, Maine

|term_start4 =1909

|term_end4 =1913

|predecessor4 =Fred O. Watson{{sfn|Register of the Executive Department of the State of Maine (1907)|page=30}}

|successor4 =James W. Murray{{sfn|Public Documents of the State of Maine for the Year 1912|page=37}}

|birth_date ={{birth date|1876|7|6}}

|birth_place =Madison, Maine, U.S.

|death_date ={{death date and age|1948|2|3|1876|7|6}}

|death_place =Falmouth, Maine, U.S.

|party =Democratic

|profession =Attorney

|alma_mater =University of Maine

|spouse =Martha "Mattie" Cobb n(m. 1902)

|children =4

}}

Louis Jefferson Brann (July 6, 1876 – February 3, 1948) was an American lawyer and political figure. He was the 56th governor of Maine.

Early life

Brann was born in Madison, Maine to Charles M. Brann and Nancy Lancaster Brann.{{sfn|National Cyclopedia of American Biography|page=269}} He attended schools in Gardiner, Maine. He graduated from the University of Maine in 1898, after which he studied law.{{sfn|National Cyclopedia of American Biography|page=269}} He was admitted to the bar in 1902 and began a practice in Lewiston. In the late 1920s he formed Brann & Isaacson with Peter A. Isaacson, a law firm which is still in existence (2010).

On March 8, 1902, Brann married Martha "Mattie" Cobb.{{sfn|"Maine Marriage Index"}} They were the parents of four children—Donald L., Marjorie, Dorothy L., and Nancy E.{{sfn|Historic Lewiston: Its Government|page=14}}

Brann participated widely in local and state government: he was the Androscoggin County Register of Probate (1909-1913);{{sfn|"Biography, Louis J. Brann"}} a municipal judge (1913–1915);{{sfn|"Biography, Louis J. Brann"}} mayor of Lewiston (1915–1917 and 1922–1925);{{sfn|"Biography, Louis J. Brann"}} member of the Maine House of Representatives (1919–1920);{{sfn|"Biography, Louis J. Brann"}} and delegate to the Democratic National Convention from Maine (1924, 1936, 1940 and 1944).{{sfn|"Biography, Louis J. Brann"}} He also served a term as chairman of the Maine Democratic Party.{{sfn|"Biography, Louis J. Brann"}}

Governor of Maine

Brann ran successfully for Governor of Maine in 1932,{{sfn|"Biography, Louis J. Brann"}} and was also successful in his re-election bid in 1934.{{sfn|"Biography, Louis J. Brann"}} During his administration, a constitutional amendment was sanctioned that secured two million dollars in state bonds for emergency relief during the Great Depression.{{sfn|"Biography, Louis J. Brann"}} As part of an initiative to promote Maine tourism and economic development, Brann entertained many celebrities at Blaine House;{{sfn|"Brann, Louis J."}} the "Maine Summer Visitors Day" program he started brought notables to Maine including Boston Braves President Emil Fuchs, authors Gladys Hasty Carroll, Kenneth Roberts and Ben Ames Williams, and singer Rudy Vallee.{{sfn|"Brann, Louis J."}}

Brann was the only Democratic governor of Maine between 1917, when Oakley C. Curtis left office, and 1955, when Edmund Muskie assumed office.{{Cite web |title=Maine |url=https://www.nga.org/former-governors/maine/ |access-date=2025-03-05 |website=National Governors Association}}

Later years

Brann ran unsuccessfully for the United States Senate in 1936.{{sfn|"Biography, Louis J. Brann"}} He also ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1938.{{sfn|"Biography, Louis J. Brann"}} Brann ran unsuccessfully for the other Maine Senate seat in 1940.{{sfn|"Biography, Louis J. Brann"}} In 1942, he was also an unsuccessful candidate for Maine's 1st District seat in the United States House of Representatives.{{sfn|"Brann, Louis J."}}

Brann was a member of the Church of Christ, Scientist,{{sfn|Who's Who In Our American Government|page=64}} and held membership in Beta Theta Pi,{{sfn|National Cyclopedia of American Biography|page=269}} and the Knights of Pythias,{{sfn|National Cyclopedia of American Biography|page=269}} Elks,{{sfn|National Cyclopedia of American Biography|page=269}} National Grange,{{sfn|Who's Who In Our American Government|page=64}} and Lions Club.{{sfn|Who's Who In New England|page=173}}

Brann died in Lewiston on February 3, 1948.{{sfn|"Biography, Louis J. Brann"}} He was buried at Riverside Cemetery in Lewiston.{{sfn|"Biography, Louis J. Brann"}}

References

Sources

=Books=

{{cite book |last=Fellowship Forum |date=1935 |title=Who's Who In Our American Government |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B7IbAQAAMAAJ&q=%22louis%22+%22brann%22+%22maine%22+%22grange%22 |location=The Fellowship Forum |publisher=Washington, DC |ref={{sfnRef|Who's Who In Our American Government}}}}
{{cite book |last1=Kirk |first1=geneva |last2=Barrows |first2=gridley |date=1982 |title=Historic Lewiston: Its Government |url=http://www.lewistonmaine.gov/DocumentCenter/Home/View/1188 |location=Auburn, ME |publisher=Central Maine Vocational Technical Institute |ref={{sfnRef|Historic Lewiston: Its Government}}}}
{{cite book |last=Maine Executive Department |date=1907 |title=Register of the Executive Department of the State of Maine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZgRAAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA30 |location=Augusta, ME |publisher=Kennebec Journal Print |ref={{sfnRef|Register of the Executive Department of the State of Maine (1907)}}}}
{{cite book |last=Maine Executive Department |date=1914 |title=Public Documents of the State of Maine for the Year 1912 |volume=II |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zRvQdd9XU0gC&pg=RA2-PA37 |location=Waterville, ME |publisher=Sentinel Publishing Company |ref={{sfnRef|Public Documents of the State of Maine for the Year 1912}}}}
{{cite book |last=Marquis |first=A. N. |date=1938 |title=Who's Who In New England |volume=3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eDCfwb9RegEC&q=%22+Mem.+K.+P.%2C+Elks%2C+Grange.+Club%3A+Lions+Internat%22 |location=A. N. Marquis |publisher=Chicago, IL |ref={{sfnRef|Who's Who In New England}}}}
{{cite book |last=White |first=James T. |date=1949 |title=The National Cyclopedia of American Biography |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ne4pAQAAMAAJ&q=%22brann,+louis+jefferson%22 |location=J. T. White |publisher=Chicago, IL |page=269 |ref={{sfnRef|National Cyclopedia of American Biography}}}}

=Internet=

{{cite web |url=https://www.ancestry.com |title=Lewis J. Brann and Martha "Mattie" K. Cobb in the Maine Marriage Index, 1892-1996 |date=March 8, 1902 |website=Ancestry.com |publisher=Ancestry.com, LLC |location=Provo, UT |access-date=October 8, 2017 |url-access=subscription |ref={{sfnRef|"Maine Marriage Index"}}}}
{{cite web |url=https://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_maine/col2-content/main-content-list/title_brann_louis.html |title=Biography, Louis J. Brann |website=www.nga.org/ |publisher=National Governors Association |access-date=October 8, 2017 |ref={{sfnRef|"Biography, Louis J. Brann"}}}}
{{cite web |url=http://maineanencyclopedia.com/louis-j-brann/ |title=Brann, Louis J. |website=Maine: An Encyclopedia |publisher=South Harpswell, ME |access-date=October 9, 2017 |ref={{sfnRef|"Brann, Louis J."}}}}

External sources

Sobel, Robert and John Raimo. Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789-1978. Greenwood Press, 1988. {{ISBN|0-313-28093-2}}
{{Find a Grave|32239326}}

{{s-ttl|title=Democratic nominee for Governor of Maine|years=1932, 1934}}

{{s-ttl|title={{nowrap|Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator from Maine}}
(Class 2)|years=1936}}

{{s-ttl|title=Democratic nominee for Governor of Maine|years=1938}}

{{s-ttl|title=Democratic nominee for U.S. senator from Maine
(Class 1)|years=1940}}

{{succession box

|before=William Tudor Gardiner

|years=1933–1937

|after=Lewis O. Barrows

|title=Governor of Maine

}}

Category:American Christian Scientists

Category:Governors of Maine