B. Mahlon Brown Jr. was a man of integrity.  He displayed leadership beyond the ordinary kind as he strived to give back to the people of Nevada.  His example of citizenship, dedication, and public service should be admired and emulated by every young person who enters B. Mahlon Brown JHS.  

B. Mahlon Brown Jr., was the only child of pioneer Nevadans, Perle and Mahlon Brown.  He was a Las Vegas schoolboy and graduated from Las Vegas High in 1931 having served that year as student body President.  He was a member of the school's first football team in 1927, played first string ball during all four of his high school years, and was All-State Wildcat Tackle in his final year.   One of the most memorable experiences he recalled, was traveling to games in California with Coach Dough Dashiell and Principal Maude Frazier.  Later he and Miss Frazier would serve as fellow legislators in Carson City.

Brown attended UCLA, then graduated from George Washington University Law School in 1937.  It was in Washington that he met a lovely young court reporter named Lucille, a graduate of Boston's Simmons College, who he married in 1938.   In September 1938 the young couple decided to leave Washington to make their home in Las Vegas. 

In November 1938 Mahlon accepted Bryan Bunker's offer of a partnership in the insurance business.  Bunker, who excelled in assessing the potential of people, suggested that his young partner go into politics, perhaps entering the race for Justice of the Peace.  Young Brown eyed the strong field of ten candidates, which included such political heavy-weights as former Lt. Governor Fred Alward, City Judge Gus Blad, County Assessor Frank DeVinney, and City Attorney Harry Austin, and filed with considerable trepidation.  But Leo McNamee, a political power, gave him encouragement, and when the primary election votes were counted in 1940, B. Mahlon Brown Jr. came in second to DeVinney.  For the face-off in the general election, underdog Brown concentrated on reminding voters that DeVinney was a good assessor..."keep him in office!"  Mahlon Brown won the J.P. race, and served for two years before entering the U.S. Navy, but not before paying off the $1,000 in campaign loans granted by banker Cyril Wengert.

During the Second World War, Brown served as a gunnery officer in the Pacific.  Upon returning to Las Vegas after the war, he started a law practice, then was elected to the Nevada State Senate, a post he held for 26 years.

During his legislative career, Democratic Brown was a member of the Executive Committee of the National Conference of State Legislative Leaders, and was appointed by President Nixon to the Advisory Commission on Inter-Government Relations, an elite committee made up of U.S. senators, representatives, cabinet officers, governors, and mayors.  He served on this commission for six years, longer than any other democrat.
For 22 years, Brown was a Democratic leader in the Senate, ten years as Minority Leader and twelve years as Majority Leader, which at the time was a longevity record for party leadership in the State Capitals of the United States.  In 1976, he chose not to run again, but remained Senator Brown to all who knew him for the remainder of his life.  Senator Brown died in 1995, leaving a proud legacy, included among which is the Henderson Junior High School named in his honor.

Taken April 12, 1983  Senators at dedication of
B. Mahlon Brown Junior High School

1st row – Bremmner, Lt. Gov Cashell, Sen. Fred Settlemeyer,
Brown, Senator Hug, Senator Gibson

2nd row – Senator Jackson, Senator Ashworth,
Senator Fransway, Senator Raggio

3rd row – Senator Dodge, Senator Robinson,
Senator Blakemore, Senator Glaser