Hayden, Tom, 1939-2016

Biography

Tom Hayden, Democrat, was a State Assembly Member, 1983-1992 and a State Senator, 1993-1998. He represented the 44th Assembly District in Los Angeles County until 1992 when his Assembly seat was eliminated with redistricting. Hayden was then elected to the 23rd Senatorial District in Los Angeles. He left office in 2000 because of term limits.

Hayden was a leader of student civil rights and anti-war movements in the 1960s, and the environmental and anti-nuclear movements in the 1970s. In 1994, Senator Hayden was a candidate for Governor of California in the June Democratic Primary, calling for reform of campaign finance and lobbying practices.

Senator Hayden was born on December 11, 1939 in Detroit, Michigan. He established California residence in 1968. Hayden attended the University of Michigan where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1961. He worked as a teacher and has written nine books including The Lost Gospel of the Earth, The Whole World Was Watching and Reunion which was cited by the New York Times as one of the best 200 books written in 1988. Senator Hayden was a faculty member at Pitzer College, University of Southern California, Immaculate Heart College, Holy Names College, Santa Monica College, New College and California State University, Sacramento.

He was formerly married to actress Jane Fonda. His children include his son Troy and step-daughter Vannessa. Senator Hayden is currently married to Barbara Williams, an actress and singer from British Columbia and has a son by this marriage.

Senator Hayden was active on the Solar-Cal Council, State of California, 1978-82. He served as the Governor's Alternate to the Southwest Border Regional Commission, 1979-80; the California representative to Western SUN, 1978-81; and the Chairman of Campaign California. He was member of National Organization of Women, Sierra Club, and Big Ten Alumni Club. He was appointed to the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEF) and attended the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

During his term in the California State Legislature, Senator Hayden authored 100 measures enacted into law or legislative policy. He was chair of Proposition 65 (1986) which enacted the nation's toughest drinking water protections and endorsed Proposition 99 (1988) which created the nation's most successful anti-smoking campaign. An environmental activist, Hayden headed up the Big Green initiative and authored legislation relating to environmental restoration, pollution penalties and mandatory recycling programs.

He has served on the following legislative committees:

In addition, as a member of the Legislature, Hayden was a member of the California Commission on Innovation, 1983-1984; Commission of the Californias, 1985-2000; California Policy Seminar, 1978-1992.

Assembly, 1983-1992

Senate, 1993-2000

From the guide to the Tom Hayden papers, 1983-2000, (California State Archives)