G. Vernon Bennett
Encyclopedia
Guy Vernon Bennett also known as G. Vernon Bennett, was superintendent of schools in Pomona, California; a professor of education at the University of Southern California, and a Los Angeles city councilman from the 10th District
from 1935 to 1951. A liberal, he was defeated for reelection after seventeen years in office in the wake of arrest on a morals charge.
, on February 17, 1880. He had five siblings, Edward Allen Bennett of Los Angeles, Richard Bennett of Tacoma, Washington, Belle Campbell of Guelph, Ontario, Zellia Campbell of Los Angeles and William M. Bennett. Bennett was married and had at least one son. He was a Kiwanian.
While a city councilman, Bennett, then 65, was "apprehended" in Lincoln Park
on October 2, 1950, by two police officers who "took a statement from him at the Highland Park Police Station." A complaint was later issued by the city attorney's office "charging two morals counts
." Bennett pleaded guilty to disturbing the peace
," and a charge of lewd vagrancy
was dismissed "in the interests of justice." He paid a fine of $100.
Bennett, who was then living in Pasadena, died July 31, 1968, at the age of 88.
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Bennett was working in Gridley, California
, before taking up his position as superintendent of schools in Pomona
in July 1914, replacing the retiring schools chief, W.P. Murphy. Near the end of his first school year, he responded to a statement by University of California President Benjamin Ide Wheeler
, who had declared vocational training to be "an attempt of aristocracy to keep children of the laborer in the working class so they couldn't better themselves." Bennett said:
Bennett ordained an anti-slang week in April 1915 and ordered that anybody who used slang
in Pomona schools be penalized. "I'd like to eliminate such phrases as 'hand somebody a lemon,' 'cut it out,' 'the once-over,' and a lot of similar expressions," he said.
In 1919 he was appointed head of the local office of the Federal Board for Vocational Education,
an agency that retrained returning U.S. servicement. In October 1920, Bennett and Nicholas Ricciardi, director of the vocational office in San Francisco, were attacked by the James B. Gresham Post No. 3, Veterans of Foreign Wars
, for, among other things, "repressive measures." A statement charged Bennett with being "out of harmony with every man engaged in Federal board work in this city."
Bennett, who held a doctorate of philosophy, was hired to be an associate professor of education at the University of Southern California, effective with the fall semester, 1926.
Bennett attempted a run for the State Superintendent of Public Instruction
in 1934, but lost. In February 1935, still a college professor and living at 3017-1/2 Hoover, he took out a nomination petition for the City Council seat in the 10th District, campaigning against the incumbent, E. Snapper Ingram
. Bennett was supported by the End Poverty in California movement (EPIC) and opposed by the Los Angeles Times. Other candidates in the 10th District primaries were Lenna G. Walradt, a lecturer; Allan M. Rose, employed by the Civilian Conservation Corps
, Karl Euper, "in the insurance and real estate business," and Austin L. Tournoux, "in the publishing business"; he had been a member of the California State Assembly
in 1933.
Bennett received 5,974 votes to Ingram's 5,810, and they faced each other in the finals. In that race, Bennett won by a vote of 8,794 to 8,064.
1937
In 1937 Bennett ran as an incumbent against George McLain but without the support of EPIC. He won in the primary, 8,065 to 5,306.
1938–39
He lost in another bid for state superintendent of public instruction in 1938. Bennett was known for supporting "liberal" measures in the City Council and had the support of Mayor Fletcher Bowron
and activist Clifford Clinton
; he was concentrating on issues of slum clearance and supported the thirty dollars every Thursday
movement. He was the only council member to vote against an April 1939 resolution urging the Dies Committee on Un-American Activities to investigate Communist influence in Los Angeles "as soon as possible." That month he won in the primary election, 9,526 votes to 2,192 for Willard E. Badham, 1,620 for Solly F. Smith and 804 for Allan M. Rose.
1941
In 1941, Bennett faced S. Frederic Smith (the Times choice) and Mary A. Van Dame. Bennett won, 9,287 votes against 3,806 for Smith and 1,071 for Van Dame. By that time, Bennett had joined the "anti-Bowron bloc," and when the City Council was reorganized in July, he was elected president of the council
by a vote of 9 to 6, replacing Robert L. Burns
. As council president, he became acting mayor when Bowron was out of town.
1942–43
Bennett was elected chairman of the Los Angeles County Democratic Central Committee in September 1942, unseating Claude L. Welch.
In late 1941, political reformer Clifford E. Clinton had accused Bennett, with other councilmen, of having misused city automobiles, asking for a grand jury investigation. The issue resurfaced in 1943, an election year, when Council Member Parley P. Christensen
accused Bennett of having used a city automobile for an "unauthorized and illegal" trip to Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1937 and on his return, "presenting the city with a bill for gasoline and oil." Bennett denied the charge. In the 1943 election, Bennett was endorsed by the Times, which said that "Although inclined when first elected toward ultra-liberal views, years of practical experience have tempered Bennett's convictions." Bennett won election in the primary, 5,510 votes to 3,718 for Vernon Kilpatrick and 1,573 for George W. Barnard.
1944–1945
Bennett made news in January 1944 when he urged that a woman be appointed to a vacancy on the Water and Power Commission
, though "he had no particular person in mind."
He was re-elected at the primary in April 1945 by 12,207 votes to 2,327 for William L. Biber, a "well-to-do used-car lot owner taking his first fling at politics." Bennett was endorsed by the Times.
1947–1949
The 1947 election was highlighted by a Los Angeles Times attack on Bennett's championing of a police union, but despite that and an accusation that he had appeared "as the supporter of radical movements or legislation." the Times endorsed him over his opponents — Bertrand R. Bratton, a certified public accountant
, and Charles Downs
, a builder
who had been a City Council member in 1925 but was removed from office that year upon conviction of receiving a bribe from a developer. Bennett won in the April primary with 12,173 votes to 2,834 for Downs and 1,843 for Bratton (four precincts not reported). Two years later, in 1949, Bennett was reelected without opposition.
1951
In 1951, running in the shadow of a morals charge (above) and deprived of a Los Angeles Times endorsement, Bennett was defeated for reelection after seventeen years in office. In the primary he came in third, with 3,835 votes, compared to 5,301 for State Assemblyman Vernon Kilpatrick and 5,077 for musician Charles Navarro
. Cafe operator George R. Hubbard had 2,250 votes and Charles Downs, running for the last time for his old seat, 1,423. Bennett sued Navarro on the grounds that the latter "did not give his full name as Charles Navarro Guarino," but the case was dismissed by Superior Judge Joseph W. Vickers. Bennett's last major vote in the council was on June 26, 1951, in favor of federally subsidized housing projects.
"I have for a long time failed to see any sense in teaching German here. English is our language, and I think it is nonsensical to spend so much time on something from which we get so little practical good." (December 1917.)
"I. purposefulness of life. The last aim of teaching to be discussed is one that affects deeply the lives of all boys and girls of the adolescent period. ..." (1919.) From The Junior High School, Lexic.us website
Sources: Library of Congress Online Catalog and Amazon.com
Debate Questions on U.S. History, 1918
"A Primer of School Finance, before 1923
Problems of the Elementary School Principal, 1928
Social Civics, 1928
Vocational Education of Junior College Grade, 1928
Occupational Exploratory Courses for Junior High School (Grades 7, 8, 9), co-editor, 1929
Legalistic Pursuits, 1931
Occupational Orientation, co-editor, 1931
Exploring the World of Work; a Guidebook to Occupations, co-author, 1937
Grant to Eisenhower; Political Giveaways Unlimited, 1956
Newspaper article
----
Los Angeles City Council District 10
Los Angeles City Council District 10 is one of the 15 districts of the Los Angeles City Council. It includes parts of Palms, Koreatown and South Los Angeles. Herb Wesson has been the incumbent since 2005....
from 1935 to 1951. A liberal, he was defeated for reelection after seventeen years in office in the wake of arrest on a morals charge.
Biography
Bennett was born in Waverly, IowaWaverly, Iowa
Waverly is a city in Bremer County, Iowa, United States. The population was 9,874 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Bremer County and is part of the Waterloo–Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, on February 17, 1880. He had five siblings, Edward Allen Bennett of Los Angeles, Richard Bennett of Tacoma, Washington, Belle Campbell of Guelph, Ontario, Zellia Campbell of Los Angeles and William M. Bennett. Bennett was married and had at least one son. He was a Kiwanian.
While a city councilman, Bennett, then 65, was "apprehended" in Lincoln Park
Lincoln Park (Los Angeles)
Lincoln Park in Los Angeles, California was originally created by the City of Los Angeles in 1881, from land donated by Griffith J. Griffith. It was one of Los Angeles' first parks. It was originally called East Los Angeles Park, then Eastlake Park in 1901...
on October 2, 1950, by two police officers who "took a statement from him at the Highland Park Police Station." A complaint was later issued by the city attorney's office "charging two morals counts
Sodomy laws in the United States
Sodomy laws in the United States, which outlawed a variety of sexual acts, were historically universal. While they often targeted sexual acts between persons of the same sex, many statutes employed definitions broad enough to outlaw certain sexual acts between persons of different sexes as well,...
." Bennett pleaded guilty to disturbing the peace
Disturbing the Peace
Disturbing the Peace is the second studio album by Alcatrazz, and is the only one featuring Steve Vai on guitar. One of the singles, God Blessed Video, can be found on the fictional radio station, V-Rock, on Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Weeks on Chart: 7, Peak: #133...
," and a charge of lewd vagrancy
Sodomy laws in the United States
Sodomy laws in the United States, which outlawed a variety of sexual acts, were historically universal. While they often targeted sexual acts between persons of the same sex, many statutes employed definitions broad enough to outlaw certain sexual acts between persons of different sexes as well,...
was dismissed "in the interests of justice." He paid a fine of $100.
Bennett, who was then living in Pasadena, died July 31, 1968, at the age of 88.
Educational career
Bennett was working in Gridley, California
Gridley, California
Gridley is a city in Butte County, California, United States. The population was 6,584 at the 2010 census, up from 5,382 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, before taking up his position as superintendent of schools in Pomona
Pomona, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Pomona had a population of 149,058, a slight decline from the 2000 census population. The population density was 6,491.2 people per square mile...
in July 1914, replacing the retiring schools chief, W.P. Murphy. Near the end of his first school year, he responded to a statement by University of California President Benjamin Ide Wheeler
Benjamin Ide Wheeler
Benjamin Ide Wheeler was a Greek and comparative philology professor at Cornell University as well as President of the University of California from 1899 to 1919.-Biography:...
, who had declared vocational training to be "an attempt of aristocracy to keep children of the laborer in the working class so they couldn't better themselves." Bennett said:
That sort of talk is bosh. ... If teaching boys how to do interior decorating, plumbing, lathe work and cabinet-making and teaching girls how to make hats and dresses and custard pies is an aristocratic attempt to tie a millstone around the neck of genius, then let us become more aristocratic. If we can keep the boys and girls off the street and reduce the number of street-corner loafers by teaching some useful trades in our schools I think it is our duty to do so.
Bennett ordained an anti-slang week in April 1915 and ordered that anybody who used slang
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
in Pomona schools be penalized. "I'd like to eliminate such phrases as 'hand somebody a lemon,' 'cut it out,' 'the once-over,' and a lot of similar expressions," he said.
In 1919 he was appointed head of the local office of the Federal Board for Vocational Education,
an agency that retrained returning U.S. servicement. In October 1920, Bennett and Nicholas Ricciardi, director of the vocational office in San Francisco, were attacked by the James B. Gresham Post No. 3, Veterans of Foreign Wars
Veterans of Foreign Wars
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is a congressionally chartered war veterans organization in the United States. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, VFW currently has 1.5 million members belonging to 7,644 posts, and is the largest American organization of combat...
, for, among other things, "repressive measures." A statement charged Bennett with being "out of harmony with every man engaged in Federal board work in this city."
Bennett, who held a doctorate of philosophy, was hired to be an associate professor of education at the University of Southern California, effective with the fall semester, 1926.
Political career
1934–35Bennett attempted a run for the State Superintendent of Public Instruction
California State Superintendent of Public Instruction
The State Superintendent of Public Instruction of California is the nonpartisan elected executive officer of the California Department of Education. The SPI directs all functions of the Department of Education and executes policies set by the California State Board of Education...
in 1934, but lost. In February 1935, still a college professor and living at 3017-1/2 Hoover, he took out a nomination petition for the City Council seat in the 10th District, campaigning against the incumbent, E. Snapper Ingram
E. Snapper Ingram
Ebenezer Snapper Ingram was a Los Angeles City Councilmember representing the 10th District from 1927 until 1935. He went by E. Snapper Ingram.-Biography:...
. Bennett was supported by the End Poverty in California movement (EPIC) and opposed by the Los Angeles Times. Other candidates in the 10th District primaries were Lenna G. Walradt, a lecturer; Allan M. Rose, employed by the Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
, Karl Euper, "in the insurance and real estate business," and Austin L. Tournoux, "in the publishing business"; he had been a member of the California State Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
in 1933.
Bennett received 5,974 votes to Ingram's 5,810, and they faced each other in the finals. In that race, Bennett won by a vote of 8,794 to 8,064.
1937
In 1937 Bennett ran as an incumbent against George McLain but without the support of EPIC. He won in the primary, 8,065 to 5,306.
1938–39
He lost in another bid for state superintendent of public instruction in 1938. Bennett was known for supporting "liberal" measures in the City Council and had the support of Mayor Fletcher Bowron
Fletcher Bowron
Fletcher Bowron was the 35th Mayor of Los Angeles, California from September 26, 1938 until June 30, 1953. Until Thomas Bradley passed his length of service during the 1980s, Bowron held the distinction of having the longest tenure in that position in city history.Bowron was born in Poway,...
and activist Clifford Clinton
Clifford Clinton
Clifford E. Clinton was a Californian restaurateur who founded Meals for Millions, one of two parent organizations of Freedom from Hunger, in 1946....
; he was concentrating on issues of slum clearance and supported the thirty dollars every Thursday
Ham and Eggs Movement
The Ham and Eggs movement was an old-age pension movement in California during the 1930s. It was originally founded by Robert Noble, a controversial radio personality, and William Allen. It grew out of a pension movement similar to the one advocated by Francis Townsend. The Ham and Eggs lobby...
movement. He was the only council member to vote against an April 1939 resolution urging the Dies Committee on Un-American Activities to investigate Communist influence in Los Angeles "as soon as possible." That month he won in the primary election, 9,526 votes to 2,192 for Willard E. Badham, 1,620 for Solly F. Smith and 804 for Allan M. Rose.
1941
In 1941, Bennett faced S. Frederic Smith (the Times choice) and Mary A. Van Dame. Bennett won, 9,287 votes against 3,806 for Smith and 1,071 for Van Dame. By that time, Bennett had joined the "anti-Bowron bloc," and when the City Council was reorganized in July, he was elected president of the council
Los Angeles City Council president
This is an incomplete list of presidents of the Los Angeles City Council. Not only does the officer preside over meetings of the council, but he or she also makes assignments to City Council committees and handles parliamentary duties like ruling motions in or out of order...
by a vote of 9 to 6, replacing Robert L. Burns
Robert L. Burns
Robert L. Burns was a Los Angeles school board member between 1923 and 1929 and Los Angeles City Council member between 1929 and 1945. He previously was on the school board in Hutchinson, Kansas. At his death in 1955, he was described as Los Angeles's "elder statesman."Robert L...
. As council president, he became acting mayor when Bowron was out of town.
1942–43
Bennett was elected chairman of the Los Angeles County Democratic Central Committee in September 1942, unseating Claude L. Welch.
In late 1941, political reformer Clifford E. Clinton had accused Bennett, with other councilmen, of having misused city automobiles, asking for a grand jury investigation. The issue resurfaced in 1943, an election year, when Council Member Parley P. Christensen
Parley P. Christensen
Parley Parker Christensen was an American politician and nominee of the Farmer-Labor Party for President of the United States in 1920. He was member of the Utah House of Representatives and of the Los Angeles, California, City Council...
accused Bennett of having used a city automobile for an "unauthorized and illegal" trip to Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1937 and on his return, "presenting the city with a bill for gasoline and oil." Bennett denied the charge. In the 1943 election, Bennett was endorsed by the Times, which said that "Although inclined when first elected toward ultra-liberal views, years of practical experience have tempered Bennett's convictions." Bennett won election in the primary, 5,510 votes to 3,718 for Vernon Kilpatrick and 1,573 for George W. Barnard.
1944–1945
Bennett made news in January 1944 when he urged that a woman be appointed to a vacancy on the Water and Power Commission
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is the largest municipal utility in the United States, serving over four million residents. It was founded in 1902 to supply water and electricity to residents and businesses in Los Angeles and surrounding communities...
, though "he had no particular person in mind."
He was re-elected at the primary in April 1945 by 12,207 votes to 2,327 for William L. Biber, a "well-to-do used-car lot owner taking his first fling at politics." Bennett was endorsed by the Times.
1947–1949
The 1947 election was highlighted by a Los Angeles Times attack on Bennett's championing of a police union, but despite that and an accusation that he had appeared "as the supporter of radical movements or legislation." the Times endorsed him over his opponents — Bertrand R. Bratton, a certified public accountant
Certified Public Accountant
Certified Public Accountant is the statutory title of qualified accountants in the United States who have passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination and have met additional state education and experience requirements for certification as a CPA...
, and Charles Downs
Charles E. Downs
Charles E. Downs was the first Los Angeles City Council member representing the 10th District after a new city charter went into effect in 1925...
, a builder
General contractor
A general contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and communication of information to involved parties throughout the course of a building project.-Description:...
who had been a City Council member in 1925 but was removed from office that year upon conviction of receiving a bribe from a developer. Bennett won in the April primary with 12,173 votes to 2,834 for Downs and 1,843 for Bratton (four precincts not reported). Two years later, in 1949, Bennett was reelected without opposition.
1951
In 1951, running in the shadow of a morals charge (above) and deprived of a Los Angeles Times endorsement, Bennett was defeated for reelection after seventeen years in office. In the primary he came in third, with 3,835 votes, compared to 5,301 for State Assemblyman Vernon Kilpatrick and 5,077 for musician Charles Navarro
Charles Navarro
Charles Navarro , born Charles Navarro Guarino, was a Los Angeles, California, City Council member between 1951 and 1961 and city controller from 1961 to 1977.-Biography:...
. Cafe operator George R. Hubbard had 2,250 votes and Charles Downs, running for the last time for his old seat, 1,423. Bennett sued Navarro on the grounds that the latter "did not give his full name as Charles Navarro Guarino," but the case was dismissed by Superior Judge Joseph W. Vickers. Bennett's last major vote in the council was on June 26, 1951, in favor of federally subsidized housing projects.
Quotations
"I'd favor using ... the old expressions of the merry knights. Ods bodikins, Ods fish, gadzooks, etc., would seem to me more acceptable than some of the slang we hear, and I don't know but that I had rather hear somebody mention having 'a merrie joust' than to hear some baseball player say that he had been 'beaned' by a 'fade-away.'" (April 1915.)"I have for a long time failed to see any sense in teaching German here. English is our language, and I think it is nonsensical to spend so much time on something from which we get so little practical good." (December 1917.)
"I. purposefulness of life. The last aim of teaching to be discussed is one that affects deeply the lives of all boys and girls of the adolescent period. ..." (1919.) From The Junior High School, Lexic.us website
Publications
BooksSources: Library of Congress Online Catalog and Amazon.com
Newspaper article
External links
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