Bradley, Tom, 1917-1998
Variant namesThomas Bradley was born in Calvert, TX, in 1917; his family moved to Los Angeles, CA, when he was seven years old; attended UCLA; joined LAPD, 1940; married Ethel Mae Arnold, 1941; retired from LAPD as a lieutenant, 1962; elected to LA City Council representing 10th District, 1963-73; ran unsuccessfully against Sam Yorty for mayor, 1969; became the first African American mayor of Los Angeles, 1973; re-elected to a subsequent four terms, serving as mayor until 1993; while in office, Bradley initiated low income housing projects through the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), helped reform the LAPD, strengthened downtown's economic prosperity with the introduction of the LA Produce and Flower Markets, fought offshore oil drilling, expanded the LA workforce to include women and minorities, and oversaw the introduction of a mass transist system in the Los Angeles area; he also brought the 1984 Summer Olympic Games to Los Angeles; ran unsuccessfully for Governor of CA in 1982 and 1986; retired from public office in 1993.
From the description of Administrative papers, 1963-1993 bulk 1973-1993. (University of California, Los Angeles). WorldCat record id: 38274976
Biography
Thomas Bradley was born in Calvert, TX, in 1917; his family moved to Los Angeles, CA, when he was seven years old; attended UCLA; joined LAPD, 1940; married Ethel Mae Arnold, 1941; retired from LAPD as a lieutenant, 1962; elected to LA City Council representing 10th District, 1963-1973; ran unsuccessfully against Sam Yorty for mayor, 1969; became first African American mayor of Los Angeles, 1973; re-elected to a subsequent four terms, serving as mayor until 1993; while in office, Bradley initiated low income housing projects through the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), helped reform the LAPD, strengthened downtown's economic prosperity with the introduction of the LA Produce and Flower Markets, fought offshore oil drilling, expanded the LA workforce to include women and minorities, and oversaw the introduction of a mass transit system in the Los Angeles area; he also brought the 1984 Summer Olympic Games to Los Angeles; ran unsuccessfully for Governor of CA in 1982 and 1986; retired from public office in 1993.
Mayor Tom Bradley Chronology
-
1917:
Born in Calvert, Texas -
1924:
Moved to Los Angeles with family -
1936 -1939 :Attended UCLA with a major in education -
1940:
Joined Los Angeles Police Department -
1956:
Graduated from Southwestern Law School and passed the California Bar Exam -
1961:
Retired from LAPD and began to practice law -
1963:
Elected to City Council representing Tenth District -
1967:
Reelected to City Council -
1969:
Wins mayoral primary, but loses runoff -
1973:
Wins mayoral primary and runoff -
1976:
Co-chair of Democratic National Convention -
1977:
Elected to second term as Mayor of Los Angeles -
1981:
Wins mayoral primary with 64% of vote to gain third term in City Hall -
1982:
Wins Democratic gubernatorial primary, loses general election -
1985:
Wins fourth term as Mayor with 68% of vote -
1986:
Wins Democratic gubernatorial primary, loses general election -
1989:
Wins record fifth term as Mayor of Los Angeles -
1993:
Completes three decades of elected service to Los Angeles
From the guide to the Mayor Tom Bradley Administrative papers, 1973-1993, (University of California, Los Angeles. Library Special Collections.)
| Role | Title | Holding Repository |
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Filters:
| Place Name | Admin Code | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| California--Los Angeles | |||
| Los Angeles (Calif.) | |||
| California--Los Angeles |
| Subject |
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| Advertising, political |
| African American mayors |
| Afro |
| City planning |
| Local transit |
| Local transit |
| Los Angeles (Calif.) |
| Los Angeles (Calif.) |
| Los Angeles (Calif.) |
| Television advertising |
| Occupation |
|---|
| Activity |
|---|
Person
Birth 1917-12-29
Death 1998-09-29
English
