Collection context
Summary
- Title:
- Leon D. Ralph papers,
- Dates:
- 1967-1976
- Creators:
- Ralph, Leon D.
- Abstract:
- Leon Douglas Ralph, Democrat, was a State Assembly Member, 1966-1976. His main area of interest was issues affecting minorities, particularly affirmative action.
- Extent:
- 5 cubic feet
- Language:
- English.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Leon D. Ralph Papers, LP[number]:[folder number], California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The Leon D. Ralph Papers consist of Assembly Bill Files, 1967-1976 and Committee Files, 1968-1974. The bill files document Ralph's legislative activity during his time as a member of the California State Legislature. Bills introduced by Assembly Member Ralph cover a wide array of subjects. His main area of interest was issues affecting minorities, particularly affirmative action. Committee files document committee activities and include background information on proposed legislation.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Leon Douglas Ralph, Democrat, was a State Assembly Member, 1966-1976. His 55th Assembly District included cities within Los Angeles County. Following redistricting, he represented the 48th Assembly District.
He was born on August 20, 1932 in Richmond, Virginia and established residence in California in 1956. He attended the University of Colorado and received an A.A. degree from Los Angeles Valley College and a B.A. degree in Political Science from Windsor University in Ontario, Canada. He later attended Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena. Ralph served in the United States Air Force during the Korean Conflict, 1950-1954 and then worked as a logistical analyst for Douglas Aircraft, 1956-1963. With Martha Anna Morgan whom he married on September 27, 1951 he had three children: Martha, Ruth, and Leon, Jr. His 1972 marriage to Pamela Joynes (which ended in divorce in 1989) produced two children: Tyrone and Tiffany. In 1990 he married Ruth Gonzales Banda who had two children of her own: Maya Gonzales Banda & Vicente Ramon Banda.
Assembly Member Ralph's community and civic affiliations included such organizations and positions as Los Angeles County Democratic Committee member; Watts Branch NAACP member; Broadway-Manchester Chamber of Commerce member; Chair of the County of Los Angeles Conference of Black Elected Officials; and Democratic National Committee member from California.
Leon Ralph began his political career as an administrative assistant to Speaker of the Assembly Jesse Unruh. He was elected to the State Assembly in 1966 and served until 1976 when he resigned to become a minister. During his term in the Legislature he was a member of the Black Legislative Caucus. In 1988 he made an unsuccessful campaign to return to the Assembly. According to the California Legislature at Sacramento (Handbooks), he served on the following committees:
- Standing Committees
- Commerce and Public Utilities, 1969-1974
- Elections and Reapportionment, 1967-1973
- Unemployment Disability Insurance (Subcommittee), 1975-1976
- Finance and Insurance, 1972-1974
- Finance, Insurance, and Commerce, 1975-1976
- Governmental Organization, 1967-1976
- *Chair, 1971-1974
- Health, 1975
- Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities (Subcommittee), 1975
- Rules, 1975-1976
- *Chair, 1975-1976
- Social Welfare, 1967
- *Vice Chair, 1967
- Urban Affairs and Housing, 1969
- Urban Development and Housing, 1971-1972
- Ways and Means, 1967-1970
- Joint Committees
- Educational Goals and Evaluation, 1975
- Rules, 1975-1976
- Select Committees
- Prison Reform and Rehabilitation, 1972-1974
- Other Service
- Employment Service Board, 1974
- Acquisition information:
- The California State Archives acquired the Leon D. Ralph Papers following his final Assembly term.
- Arrangement:
-
Arranged into two series: bill files and committee files.
- Physical location:
- California State Archives
Indexed terms
About this collection guide
- Date Prepared:
- © 2004
- Date Encoded:
- Machine-readable finding aid created by Sara Roberson. Machine-readable finding aid derived from MS Word. Date of source: 2001.
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Collection is open for research.
- Terms of access:
-
For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the California State Archives. Permission for reproduction or publication is given on behalf of the California State Archives as the owner of the physical items. The researcher assumes all responsibility for possible infringement which may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the California State Archives collections.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Leon D. Ralph Papers, LP[number]:[folder number], California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California.
- Location of this collection:
-
1020 "O" StreetSacramento, CA 95814, US
- Contact:
- (916) 653-2246