Jesse M. Unruh

Jesse Marvin Unruh (born September 30, 1922 in Newton , Kansas , † August 4, 1987 in Marina del Rey , California ), also known by the nickname Big Daddy Unruh , was an American politician of the Democratic Party and State Treasurer of California .

Life

Unruh was in the United States Navy during World War II . He received his BA in Political Science and Journalism from the University of Southern California in 1948 . He then switched to politics and was already active in supporting the election of Frank Mankiewicz in 1952 . From 1961 to 1969 he was speaker of the California State Assembly , 1968 delegate to the Democratic National Convention , 1969 minority leader in the California State Assembly. In early 1970, he won the Democratic primary for governor of California . In the actual election on November 3, 1970, however, he had to admit defeat to the Republican incumbent and later US President Ronald Reagan with 52 to 46 percent of the vote. Unruh ran for Mayor of Los Angeles in 1973 , but lost the election. Between 1975 and 1987 he was the successor of Ivy Baker Priest State Treasurer of California. This post corresponds roughly to a finance minister, but is filled by the citizens through direct elections every four years .

He was married to Virginia June Lemon since 1943 and had five children. In 1987, Unruh died of prostate cancer at the age of 64 .

Web links

• Jesse M. Unruh at The Political Graveyard
• Jesse Unruh Political History
• The Jesse M. Unruh Assembly Fellows Program
• SNAC: Jesse M. Unruh, California Legislator (Social Networks and Archival Context Project, University of Virginia)