Saratoga Stereopticon
Brazil best choice as Saratoga's first mayor
Professor helps set city's foundation
By Willys Peck
A well-functioning city can very easily be taken for granted by later residents who weren't around for the municipal birth pangs, Saratoga being a prime example. The thought occurred to me on hearing that Burt Brazil, our first mayor, had died March 15 at the age of 82. Anyone who knew him could easily identify him in the following Q&A segment:
Q: When a city is to be established, what kind of leader would be most effective?
A: One who is well-grounded in the science of government.
Q: What kind of person would most likely meet this qualification?
A: A professor of political science.
That, in sum, is what Saratoga gained when, in 1956, by a rather narrow margin of votes, it embarked on the tempestuous sea of cityhood. Burton R. Brazil, Ph.D., was a logical choice for mayor, having garnered the most votes among 14 city council candidates on the special-election incorporation ballot. Also, he was on the political science faculty at San Jose State College, now University.
That was 46 years ago, but Burt Brazil is still remembered for the manner in which he conducted meetings, seeking a consensus through reasoning and discussion. He served as mayor for seven years of the two four-year terms to which he was elected. In the city's formative years, Burt was instrumental in establishing its basic policies, and he also served on such regional bodies as the Association of Bay Area Governments.
Burt came to Saratoga in 1953 with his wife, Helen, and their children, and they took an active part in community life. Helen was president of the Foothill Club in 1980-'81, and Burt was president of the Saratoga Men's Club in 1987-'88. Burt was a combat veteran of World War II, having served in the Aleutian Islands, and he remained active in the Army Reserve after the war, achieving the rank of colonel.
In addition to his 36-year professorial tenure at San Jose State, during which time he became chairman of the political science department, he served as dean of the School of Arts and Humanities and as executive vice president of the, by then, San Jose State University.
Although all facets of his career can be said to have had a bearing on Burt's contribution to Saratoga's beginnings, probably the chief factor was his academic experience. As an example of his standing, I'd like to refer to a publication that came out in 1964, causing quite a stir at the time. Let me preface this by noting that students are, or can be, a teacher's severest critics.
The "Tower List" was put out by a men's honorary scholastic fraternity at San Jose State and it purported to evaluate faculty members by means of surveys in which students rated their instructors on such points as relevance and interest of their lectures, amount of work required, grading and fairness. Each capsule evaluation concluded with a recommendation as to who should take a course: "All," "Some" or "Avoid."
Some of this was pretty heavy stuff. There were such comments as, "Very disappointing as a college professor. He should try research"; "Could be more tolerant of differing views. Tests could be better. (Rec: SOME)"; "He rambles on about trivia and makes no attempt to listen to his students. (Rec: AVOID)"
Here's how Burt came out: "Lectures are extremely compact, meaty and thought-provoking. His ability to clarify and illustrate complex political theories is superior. Student should have a firm European history background. Tests are long and hard. Student must be willing to put out an intensive effort. (Rec: ALL)"
This all added up to a very good deal for the city of Saratoga.
Any account of Burt Brazil would have to include members of his family, whom he imbued with his sense of scholarship. I remember having his older son, Wayne, in a Sunday school class at the Federated Church. Bright kid. He's now a U.S. magistrate in Oakland. His other son, John, is president of Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. His two daughters, Lynn Brazil and Anne Kolb, also have advanced degrees and one is a law librarian.
Burt is also survived by his wife, Helen, now living at The Villages in San Jose. I have pleasant memories of dealing with her when she was with Barclays Bank in the Village. I liked to think of it as the "First National Bank of Brazil."
A memorial service for Burt was held at the San Jose State University Chapel on March 19. I am advised that memorial contributions can be made to the Burton Russell Brazil Scholarship, payable to the San Jose State University Fund, care of the SJSU Political Science Department, One Washington Square, San Jose, CA 95192-0119.
Saratoga, California Since 1955
