The Century’s Political ‘A List’

It was a fun but daunting job: The California Journal set out to pick the 30 leaders who had the greatest impact on California government and politics during the 20th century. Why 30? Because the year 2000 marks the 30th anniversary of the Sacramento-based Journal, founded by four onetime legislative aides. The 30 mini-biographies form the core of the Journal’s anniversary issue.

There were some obvious choices. Govs. Hiram Johnson, Earl Warren, Edmund G. “Pat” Brown and Ronald Reagan, certainly. Also, farm labor leader Cesar Chavez, populist tax-fighter Howard Jarvis, author-politician Upton Sinclair and former Assembly Speakers Jesse M. Unruh and Willie Brown. Others were less obvious--former legislative analyst A. Alan Post, ousted Supreme Court Chief Justice Rose Bird, pollster Mervin Field and lobbyist Artie Samish. These do, however, reflect the broad sweep of politics in California, as do Los Angeles water pioneer William Mulholland, Los Angeles Police Chief William Parker and L.A. Mayor Tom Bradley.

The list was compiled by Journal editors in consultation with a variety of experts. Journal Editor A.G. Block said, “We sought to identify those who had the greatest influence--for good or ill--on California government and politics . . . a list destined to generate controversy and dispute.”

Richard M. Nixon was left off, he said, because Nixon was more closely associated with the national scene, even when he represented California in Congress. Those rating honorable mention include former Rep. Robert K. Dornan, former Sens. Alan Cranston and William F. Knowland, Jane Fonda and Tom Hayden, Huey Newton, William Randolph Hearst, Walter O’Malley and John Steinbeck.

Only three are women, a major force in California politics that emerged just recently: Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Bird and pioneer political consultant Leone Baxter. Look for far more women and Latinos in future lists.

Otherwise, the Journal list shows that the public leaders of the past century were amazingly different and immensely talented for the most part. California will be fortunate if the leadership of today and the near future rises to the standard generally represented by those named by the Journal.