Brown soon became involved in Republican politics in Pima County and Arizona , serving in the Arizona State Legislature from 1955 to 1959 . When Richard Kleindienst resigned as chairman of the Arizona Republican Party due to business pressures in early 1963 , Brown was endorsed to be his successor by top Republican leaders , including Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater . Although challenged by Evan Mecham , who had been the Republican candidate in the previous year 's Senate elections , the more moderate Brown was selected for the chairmanship . He was Arizona party chairman when Goldwater became the state 's first candidate for the presidency . He was also a delegate at the 1964 Republican National Convention , and in September 1964 he was appointed to the executive branch of the Republican National Committee . He resigned the chairmanship in the spring of 1965 due to the demands of his business life , as well as the inconvenience of commuting from the Tucson area to the state capital of Phoenix
1964 Republican National Convention
1964 Republican National Convention
Keith Brown (pole vaulter)