Hahn, Kenneth C.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn was born in Los Angeles in 1920. He attended Pepperdine University, from which he received a B.A. in Political Science, and the University of Southern California, where he earned a Master's Degree in Education. He served in the United States Navy during World War II. In 1946, Hahn ran for State Assembly and in 1947, became, at the age of 26, the youngest person to have ever served on the Los Angeles City Council. He was re-elected to the Council in 1949 and 1951. Hahn became the youngest man to serve on the Board of Supervisors of Los Angeles County when he was elected in November 1952. He was re-elected to the Board for eight consecutive terms. He served as a Supervisor longer than any other person in the history of the County. During Hahn's 40 years in public office, he has amassed a unique record of accomplishment. Among them are creation of the paramedic program, the freeway emergency call boxes, authorship of the Proposition A transit measure, construction of the Sports Arena, the bringing of the Dodgers baseball team to Los Angeles from Brooklyn, the building of the Martin Luther King, Jr. General Hospital, and the enactment of the state-wide "Rob A Home, Go to Jail" law.

Kenneth Hahn was married to Ramona Fox, whom he met at Pepperdine. They had two children: James Kenneth Hahn, who has served as Los Angeles City Attorney (1985-2001), Mayor of Los Angeles (2001-2005) and is now a sitting judge on the Los Angeles County Superior Court; and Janice Hahn Baucum who served on the Los Angeles City Council (2001-2011) and is now the U.S. Representative from California's 36th congressional district. Hahn received honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from Pepperdine University and West Los Angeles College of Law. He died on October 12, 1997 in Los Angeles.

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