Walter Folger Brown was born in Massillon, Ohio, on May 31, 1869. He studied law as an apprentice in Ohio and eventually earned a law license. Brown established a practice in Toledo, Ohio, and became active in Republican Party politics. He served as assistant secretary of commerce from 1927 to 1929, and President Herbert Hoover appointed him Postmaster General in 1929. He served in that capacity until the end of Hoover’s term in 1933. During that time, Brown encouraged the development of the airline industry as a means of transporting the U.S. mail. He also worked with Congress to implement and improve the Kelly Air Mail Act of 1929 and subsequent legislation promoting airline mail delivery. Brown served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1940 and 1944. He died on January 1, 1961.