George William Brown

Born in 1812, he built a long career in Baltimore as a lawyer, teacher, judge, and public official. He graduated from Rutgers College, taught at the University of Maryland School of Law, and later served as mayor of Baltimore during the tense opening phase of the Civil War.

He is especially remembered as the author of Baltimore and the Nineteenth of April, 1861, a memoir and historical study drawn from his experience in office when violence erupted in the city. That perspective gives his writing a direct, personal quality while also reflecting his lifelong interest in law, government, and civil liberty.

Later in life, he continued to hold important legal and civic roles, including service on Baltimore's Supreme Bench. For listeners interested in American history, his books offer both a participant's view of a divided nation and the measured voice of a man shaped by public duty.