Builders

Herman and George R. Brown, formidable figures in the construction industry and Texas politics, made a unique business team. This book serves as both a history of their lives and as an examination of business life in mid-20th-century America. Herman and George R. Brown, formidable figures in the construction industry and Texas politics, made a unique business team. Practical and decisive Herman and university-trained, soft-spoken George, a natural salesperson, combined their individual strengths, strong work ethic, and ambition to develop Brown & Root one of America's preeminent construction companies. Builders serves both as a history of their lives and as an examination of business life in mid-twentieth-century America. In addition to examining the brothers' business accomplishments, the authors address the Browns' philanthropic work, political influence, antiunionism, and longtime relationship with Lyndon Baines Johnson.