Arthur Alber
Encyclopedia
Arhur Alber was an attorney and a member of the Los Angeles, California, City Council
from 1927 to 1929.
. His parents were Hermann Alber, a native of Germany, and Mary Wing of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. He attended the local public schools until he was fifteen, when he moved with his family to Los Angeles, where he enrolled in Hollywood High School
. In 1910 he took the role of Shady in a student production of the operetta Pauline
, and during his high school years he played football, tennis and baseball; he was baseball team captain. He graduated in June 1912 and returned for Alumni Visitors Day in January 1913, when he gave a talk on Civil War Confederate General Robert E. Lee
. Between 1914 and 1918 he attended the University of Southern California
, where he earned letters
in baseball and tennis."In the Public Schools," Los Angeles Times, January 5, 1913, page II-16
Sources differ as to his World War I service. A report from a telephone interview with a Works Progress Administration
writer in 1937 noted that he "served in the Army at Vancouver, Washington
, where he attended officers training school
," but a 1926 article in the Los Angeles Times said: "Due to injuries resulting from an accident, Mr. Alber was unable to see active service with the army or navy during the World War, but served as a sergeant in the spruce woods." Another 1926 story said he was discharged from the Army in March 1919 and that he was on the stadium committee of the Hollywood American Legion
post.
Alber earned a law degree from the University of Southern California and was admitted to the California State Bar on March 1, 1919. He was unmarried as of 1937. Alber was a Presbyterian, a Republican and a member of the Hollywood Athletic
, Los Angeles Athletic
, Lakeside Golf and Westport Beach clubs, as well as being a Kiwanian."They Got Members," Los Angeles Times, October 25, 1924, page 8 He died in December 1964.
. Alber had the Times endorsement, but came in second to Clare Woolwine. The other candidates were Ernest E. Noon and Voltaire Perkins.
Alber was elected to the Los Angeles City Council District 2 in the May 1927 primary election, ousting six-year incumbent Robert M. Allan
by a vote of 4,980 to 2,399. It was said that Alber's victory was partly due to the voters' making a "clean sweep at the City Hall" of the council members allied with political boss Kent Kane Parrot
. The district at that time covered Hollywood south of Franklin Avenue
or Hollywood Boulevard
and north of Santa Monica Boulevard, including the Los Feliz district.
In his council activity, he was known for introducing a resolution in July 1929 that would have prohibited the rolling down of the shirts of men's bathing suits to the waist line. Only he voted in favor, all the other councilmen being opposed. He was also the lone holdout against a resolution that gave the city of Hawthorne
permission to circulate a petition asking for consolidation with the city of Los Angeles, stating that L.A. "should not adopt children until it knows that it can provide for them."
For the Christmas season, 1927, Alber presided over a council meeting wearing a silk hat from Paris, presented to him by Councilman Isaac F. Hughes
, The Times explained:
Alber did not run for reelection in 1929 but returned to private law practice.
Los Angeles City Council
The Los Angeles City Council is the governing body of the City of Los Angeles.The Council is composed of fifteen members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The president of the council and the president pro tempore are chosen by the Council at the first regular meeting after...
from 1927 to 1929.
Biography
Alber was born September 16, 1892, in Birmingham, AlabamaBirmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
. His parents were Hermann Alber, a native of Germany, and Mary Wing of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. He attended the local public schools until he was fifteen, when he moved with his family to Los Angeles, where he enrolled in Hollywood High School
Hollywood High School
Hollywood High School is a Los Angeles Unified School District high school located at the intersection of North Highland Avenue and West Sunset Boulevard in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California.-History:...
. In 1910 he took the role of Shady in a student production of the operetta Pauline
Pauline (opera)
Pauline is an opera in four acts with music by the British composer Frederic H. Cowen to a libretto by Henry Hersee after The Lady of Lyons by Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton, first performed 22 September 1876 at the Lyceum Theatre, London....
, and during his high school years he played football, tennis and baseball; he was baseball team captain. He graduated in June 1912 and returned for Alumni Visitors Day in January 1913, when he gave a talk on Civil War Confederate General Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
. Between 1914 and 1918 he attended the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, where he earned letters
Varsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...
in baseball and tennis."In the Public Schools," Los Angeles Times, January 5, 1913, page II-16
Sources differ as to his World War I service. A report from a telephone interview with a Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
writer in 1937 noted that he "served in the Army at Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. Incorporated in 1857, it is the fourth largest city in the state with a 2010 census population of 161,791 as of April 1, 2010...
, where he attended officers training school
Officer training
Officer training refers to the training that most military officers must complete before acquiring an officer rank. A potential recruit becomes an officer cadet, someone in training. An officer in training can either be trained in a military college like West Point, or taken from the enlisted ranks...
," but a 1926 article in the Los Angeles Times said: "Due to injuries resulting from an accident, Mr. Alber was unable to see active service with the army or navy during the World War, but served as a sergeant in the spruce woods." Another 1926 story said he was discharged from the Army in March 1919 and that he was on the stadium committee of the Hollywood American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
post.
Alber earned a law degree from the University of Southern California and was admitted to the California State Bar on March 1, 1919. He was unmarried as of 1937. Alber was a Presbyterian, a Republican and a member of the Hollywood Athletic
Hollywood Athletic Club
The Hollywood Athletic Club is a nightclub in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles.Since it was built in 1924, it has had a varied history as a health club, bar, music venue and billiard room.It is located on Sunset Boulevard.-History:...
, Los Angeles Athletic
Los Angeles Athletic Club
Los Angeles Athletic Club is an athletic club and private social club in Los Angeles, California, USA. It awards the John R. Wooden Award to the outstanding men's and women's college basketball player of each year....
, Lakeside Golf and Westport Beach clubs, as well as being a Kiwanian."They Got Members," Los Angeles Times, October 25, 1924, page 8 He died in December 1964.
Political life
Alber was a candidate in 1926 for the 63rd Assembly District seat being vacated by Sidney T. GravesSidney T. Graves
Sidney T. Graves was a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors between 1926 and 1930. He was the only member of the county's governing body to be convicted of a crime and sent to prison. In 1933, the former supervisor was convicted of accepting a bribe concerning the building of a dam...
. Alber had the Times endorsement, but came in second to Clare Woolwine. The other candidates were Ernest E. Noon and Voltaire Perkins.
Alber was elected to the Los Angeles City Council District 2 in the May 1927 primary election, ousting six-year incumbent Robert M. Allan
Robert M. Allan
Robert M. Allan was a member of the City Council in Los Angeles, California, from 1921 to 1927.-Biography:Robert M. Allan was a member of the City Council in Los Angeles, California, from 1921 to 1927.-Biography:...
by a vote of 4,980 to 2,399. It was said that Alber's victory was partly due to the voters' making a "clean sweep at the City Hall" of the council members allied with political boss Kent Kane Parrot
Kent Kane Parrot
Kent Kane Parrot was an American political figure and attorney who was considered the "boss" of municipal politics in Los Angeles, California, in the 1920s.Kent Kane Parrot Kent Kane Parrot (c. 1882 - March 11, 1956) was an American political figure and attorney who was considered the "boss" of...
. The district at that time covered Hollywood south of Franklin Avenue
Franklin Avenue (Los Angeles)
Franklin Avenue is a street in Los Angeles. It is the northernmost street in Hollywood, north of Hollywood Boulevard and south of the Hollywood Hills, and later Los Feliz Boulevard....
or Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood Boulevard
-Revitalization:In recent years successful efforts have been made at cleaning up Hollywood Blvd., as the street had gained a reputation for crime and seediness. Central to these efforts was the construction of the Hollywood and Highland shopping center and adjacent Kodak Theatre in 2001...
and north of Santa Monica Boulevard, including the Los Feliz district.
In his council activity, he was known for introducing a resolution in July 1929 that would have prohibited the rolling down of the shirts of men's bathing suits to the waist line. Only he voted in favor, all the other councilmen being opposed. He was also the lone holdout against a resolution that gave the city of Hawthorne
Hawthorne, California
Hawthorne is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California. The city at the 2010 census had a population of 84,293, up from 84,112 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
permission to circulate a petition asking for consolidation with the city of Los Angeles, stating that L.A. "should not adopt children until it knows that it can provide for them."
For the Christmas season, 1927, Alber presided over a council meeting wearing a silk hat from Paris, presented to him by Councilman Isaac F. Hughes
Isaac F. Hughes
Not to be confused with William M. Hughes, council member in 1927 to 1929.Isaac F. Hughes, known as I.F. Hughes, was a miller, a grocer and a businessman who was the first representative of Los Angeles City Council District 3 after a new city charter went into effect in 1925...
, The Times explained:
The "high-hat" presentation was the result of the recent discussion over whether the members of the City Council should wear two-gallon hatsCowboy hatThe cowboy hat is a high-crowned, wide-brimmed hat best known as the defining piece of attire for the North American cowboy. Today it is worn by many people, and is particularly associated with ranch workers in the western and southern United States, western Canada and northern Mexico, with...
, cutaway coats, striped trousers and spats as they take part in the Tournament of Roses parade at Pasadena on New Year's Day. During the debate Councilman Alber remarked that he did not have a tall hat, so yesterday he was presented with the silk hat by Councilman Hughes... Alber was hailed as the Mayor of Hollywood."
Alber did not run for reelection in 1929 but returned to private law practice.