Charles Sr.'s father, Henry Hart Brown, had been a journalist, lawyer, and politician, serving several terms in the Alabama state legislature[3] and one term as sheriff.
He also served as a state senator from Fulton County in the Georgia General Assembly from 1957 to 1964, and retired from politics in 1979.
[6] He was touted as a candidate in 1957, and would-be supporters mailed out thousands of postcards to support a write-in vote for him, but he never entered the race officially that year.
He was involved in many other programs, including starting both MARTA and Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium.
He was also involved in the creation of the Fulton County Airport in west Atlanta, which was named Charlie Brown Field in his honor.