Monday, August 13, 2012

In 108 years, Fullerton has had exactly TWO Latino city council members

The following is from a work-in-progress called The Town I Live In: A History of Fullerton.

Fullerton, California was incorporated as a city in 1904.  In the 108 years since then, only two Latinos have been elected to city council.  The reasons for this are varied, involving historic housing discrimination, school segregation, social exclusion of Latinos, official segregation, and plain-old American racism.  Despite a long-standing and fairly large Latino community in Fullerton, their representation in local government has, historically, been very low.

The two Latinos who have served on Fullerton city council are Louis Velasquez, who was elected in 1976, and Sharon Quirk-Silva, who was elected in 2004.

Sharon Quirk-Silva
Here is a list of everyone who has ever served on Fullerton City Council.  Some years have more names than others because either someone resigned (or was recalled) and someone else was appointed or elected.  You can click on some of their names and learn fun facts about these people.  This information is available at the City Clerk's office on Commonwealth, and on the city of Fullerton web site HERE.

1904: 
Edward R. Amerige
E.K. Benchley
Charles C. Chapman
G.C. Clark
J.R. Gardiner

1906:
George Welton
C.H. Smith 
John Gardiner
E.K. Benchley
Charles C. Chapman
William Crother
Harold Jewett
Dr. William Freeman

1908:
W.F. Coulter, Jr.
August Hiltscher
G.C. Welton
J.H. Clever
William Crother

1910:
Edward R. Amerige
R.S. Gregory
G.C. Welton
August Hiltscher
W.F. Coulter

1912:
E.S. Richman
Gustave Stern
Edward R. Amerige
R.S. Gregory
George Welton
A.V. Smith
August Hiltscher

1914:
August Hiltscher
Eugene Livingston
George Anin
E. S. Richman
R.S. Gregory

1916:
J.R. Carhart
J.M. Clever
A.H. Sitton
P.C. Woodward
August Hiltscher
R.R. Davis

1918:
R.R. Davis
Robert Strain
P.C. Woodward
J.R. Carhart
Albert Sitton

1920:
W.F. Coulter
L.P. Drake
R.A. Mardsen
Robert Strain
R.R. Davis

1922:
R.R. Davis
W.A. Moore
W.F. Coulter
R.A. Mardsen
L.P. Drake

1924:
Howard Crooke
W.J. Carmichael
O.M. Thompson
W.A. Moore
R.R. Davis
J.R. Gardiner

1926:
Bert Anin
J.S. Elder
O.M. Thompson
H.H. Crooke
W.J. Carmichael
Emanuel Smith

1928:
J.S. Elder
O.A. Kreighbaum
W.L. Hale
W.B. Potter
Bert Anin

1930:
W.B. Potter
Bert Anin
W.L. Hale
O.A. Kreighbaum
J.S. Elder
Frank Treadwell

1932:
Ted Concoran
T.K. Gowen
W.L. Hale
W.B. Potter
Bert Anin

1934:
George Lille
Harry Maxwell
W.L. Hale
Ted Concoran
T.K. Gowen

1936:
Hans Kohlenberger
T.K. Gowen
Walter Muckenthaler
George Lille
Harry Maxwell

1938:
Olie Cole
Carl Bowen
Walter Muckenthaler
Hans Kohlenberger
T.K. Gowen
Wm. Montague

1940:
Hans Kohlenberger
Walter Muckenthaler
Wm. Montague
Olie Cole
Carl Bowen

1942:
Carl Bowen
Alfred Beazley
Wm. Montague
Hans Kohlenberger
Walter Muckenthaler

1944:
Hans Kohlenberger
Verne Wilkinson
Wm. Montague
Carl Bowen
Alfred Beazley

1946:
Irvin Chapman
Homer Bemis
Wm. Montague
Verne Wilkinson
Hans Kohlenberger

1948:
Verne Wilkinson
Thomas Eadington
Hugh Warden
Homer Bemis
Irvin Chapman

1950:
Kermit Wood
Jack Adams
Thomas Eadington
Verne Wilkinson
Hugh Warden

1952:
Hugh Warden
Cecil Crew
Jack Dutton
Kermit Wood
Jack Adams
Irvin Chapman
Miles Sharkey
Philip Twombly

1954:
Howard Cornwell
William Kroeger, Jr.
Cecil Crew
Philip Twombly
Hugh Warden

1956:
Burton Herbst
Duane Winters
Kermit Wood
William Kroeger, Jr.
Howard Cornwell

1958:
Howard Cornwell
Everette Farnsworth
Duane Winters
Burton Herbst
Kermit Wood

1960:
Duane Winters
Burton Herbst
Glenn Walters
Howard Cornwell
Everette Farnsworth

1962:
Everette Farnsworth
Howard Cornwell
Burton Herbst
Glenn Walters
Duane Winters

1964:
Glenn Walters
Duane Winters
Burton Herbst
Everette Farnsworth
Howard Cornwell

1966:
Ralph Diedrich
Louis Reinhardt
Glenn Walters
Duane Winters
Burton Herbst

1968:
Jerry Christie
Robert Root
Robert Von Esch
Louis Reinhardt
Ralph Diedrich
Duane Winters

1970:
Louis Reinhardt
Frances Wood (The first female council member!)
Jerry Christie
Robert Root
Duane Winters

1972:
Duane Winters
Robert Ward
Robert Root
Louis Reinhardt
Frances Wood

1974:
Frances Wood
Charles Philips
Duane Winters
Robert Ward
Robert Root

1976:
Robert Ward
Duane Winters
Louis Velasquez (The first Latino council member!)
Frances Wood
Charles Philips

1978:
Sue Tsuda 
Wayne Bornhoft
Robert Ward
Duane Winters
Louis Velasquez

1980:
Duane Winters
Linda LeQuire
Richard "Dick" Ackerman
Sue Tsuda
Wayne Bornhoft

1982:
A.B. "Buck" Catlin
Molly McClanahan
Richard "Dick" Ackerman
Linda LeQuire
Duane Winters

1984:
Richard "Dick" Ackerman
Linda LeQuire
Chris Norby
A.B. "Buck" Catlin
Molly McClanahan

1986:
A.B. "Buck" Catlin
Molly McClanahan
Richard "Dick" Ackerman
Linda LeQuire
Chris Norby

1988:
Richard "Dick" Ackerman
Don Bankhead
Chris Norby
Molly McClanahan
A.B. "Buck" Catlin

1990:
Molly McClanahan
A.B. "Buck" Catlin
Chris Norby
Don Bankhead
Richard "Dick" Ackerman

1992:
Don Bankhead
Chris Norby
Julie Sa
A.B. "Buck" Catlin
Molly McClanahan

1994:
Julie Sa
Chris Norby
Conrad DeWitte
Jan Flory
Peter Godfrey
Don Bankhead

1996:
Chris Norby
F. Richard "Dick" Jones
Julie Sa
Don Bankhead
Jan Flory

1998:
Jan Flory
Don Bankhead
F. Richard "Dick" Jones
Julie Sa
Chris Norby

2000:
F. Richard "Dick" Jones
Don Bankhead
Jan Flory
Chris Norby
Mike Cleseri

2002:
Don Bankhead
Mike Cleseri
Leland Wilson
F. Richard "Dick" Jones
Shawn Nelson

2004:
Shawn Nelson
Leland Wilson
Don Bankhead
F. Richard "Dick" Jones
Sharon Quirk-Silva (Second Latino council member!)

2006:
Shawn Nelson
Don Bankhead
F. Richard "Dick" Jones
Pam Keller
Sharon Quirk-Silva

2008:
Don Bankhead
F. Richard "Dick" Jones
Pam Keller
Shawn Nelson
Sharon Quirk-Silva

2010:
F. Richard "Dick" Jones
Pat McKinley
Bruce Whitaker
Sharon Quirk-Silva
Don Bankhead

2012 (so far):
Sharon Quirk-Silva
Greg Sebourn
Travis Kiger
Doug Chaffee
Bruce Whitaker