Roybal, Edward Ross, 1916-2005

Edward Ross Roybal (February 10, 1916 – October 24, 2005) was an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he was a member of the Los Angeles City Council for thirteen years and of the U.S. House of Representatives representing California's 30th and 25th congressional districts for thirty years.

Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, his family moved to the East Los Angeles neighborhood of Boyle Heights when he was a child. After graduating from Roosevelt High School, he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps, before studying business at UCLA and law at Southwestern Law School. In 1942, Roybal began work as a public health educator with the California Tuberculosis Association. Upon returning home, he began work as director of health education for the Los Angeles County Tuberculosis and Health Association, a position he held until 1949. After an unsuccessful bid in 1947 for a seat on the Los Angeles city council, Roybal helped start the Community Service Organization (CSO), which sought to ally the city’s diverse neighborhoods. In 1949, Roybal was successful in gaining a seat on the city council, becoming the first Hispanic to serve on the Los Angeles city council since 1881.

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