Greene, Leroy F.

Biography / Administrative History

Leroy F. Greene was a California State Senator (Democrat) who wrote a substantial amount of legislation while he was in office. Born in 1918 in Newark, New Jersey, he went on to graduate from Purdue University in 1940 with a degree in engineering. After several years of working with bridge design in private engineering firms, he eventually started his own California firm in 1951 known as "Leroy Greene and Associates Consulting Engineers".

He was first elected to the California State Legislature in 1962. He went on to serve in both the State Assembly and Senate for 36 years, making him (at the time) the Legislature's longest-serving sitting lawmaker.

Throughout his years in service, Leroy Greene wrote several bills. They ranged from prohibiting the sale of previously frozen meat as fresh to the legalization of Bingo and prostitution. His legacy, however, is the expansion and seismic upgrading of California's schools to resist earthquakes and fires.

Leroy Greene died on September 29, 2002 from peritonitis. He was 84 years old.

From the guide to the Leroy F. Greene papers, 1962-1977, (California State University, Sacramento. Library. Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives.)