Isidore B. Dockweiler
Encyclopedia
Isidore Bernard Dockweiler (December 28, 1867 - February 6, 1947). Prominent California
lawyer and politician from a pioneering Los Angeles
family.
's population was less than 4,500, to Heinrich Dockweiler
(Henry Dockweiler) and Margaretha Sugg. He was affectionately called "Pequeno Ysidro" by Bishop
Francisco Mora y Borrell
, then the prelate of St. Vibiana's Cathedral in Los Angeles, who personally baptised him. Dockweiler would serve in his youth as Mora's "train bearer". He graduated from St. Vincent College (now Loyola Marymount University
) in 1887. Dockweiler was admitted to the practice of law October 14, 1889, practicing for 58 years. He married Gertrude Reeve, and he and his wife had 13 children, 11 of which grew to adulthood. Several became attorneys. John Francis Dockweiler would become a Congressman, and later Los Angeles County District Attorney. George Dockweiler would become a superior court judge.
Dockweiler was the Democratic Party
candidate for Lieutenant Governor of California
in 1902, along with Franklin K. Lane as Governor of California
. Governor-Elect Lane and Lt. Governor-Elect Dockweiler won the electorate's plurality by 25,000 votes, but lost on a minor legal technicality decided by the California Supreme Court - a controversial event. Republican
George Cooper Pardee became Governor of California as a result.
Dockweiler helped secure California's vote for Woodrow Wilson
, who would become President of the United States
. Dockweiler was held in high esteem and confidence by Wilson. Lane served as U.S. Secretary of the Interior. When Lane resigned in 1920, Dockweiler was offered the position. Dockweiler declined due to family responsibilities of 11 children. Instead he was appointed by Wilson to the United States Board of Indian Commissioners
(1913-1920).
He had numerous positions throughout his life, both local and national. He served as President of the Los Angeles City Library Commission. He was the Director of the Los Angeles Public Library
(1897-1899) and as ex-President of same (1901-1911).
Dockweiler was defeated in the August 31, 1926 Democratic primary
for the U.S. Senate nomination for California, losing to John B. Elliott. Elliott was the contestant sponsored by the then former U.S. Treasury Secretary William Gibbs McAdoo
.
Dockweiler served thrice as a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions of 1908 (Denver), 1936 (Philadelphia), and 1940 (Chicago
). He served as a member of the Democratic National Committee
(DNC) (1916-1932). Will Rogers
once characterized Dockweiler as "the Democratic Party of California".
Dockweiler was instrumental in having a statue of Fr. Junipero Serra
, mission builder of California, placed in Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C. in 1932. He was also instrumental in getting passed a bill in the California Legislature making it a law to fly the California Bear Flag along with the U.S. Flag in or on public buildings. This would eventually be followed by other states.
Dockweiler served on the Board of Directors
of Security First National Bank (1922-1947).
Dockweiler, a Catholic
, was awarded Pontifical Knighthood by Pope Pius XI
in the spring of 1924 as a Knight of St. Gregory (KSG) for meritorious service to the public, humanity, and the Catholic Church. He was a charter member of the Knights of Columbus
. One of his sons, Thomas A. J. Dockweiler, would also receive knighthood later as a Knight Commander
of Saint Gregory (KCSG).
He was interred in Calvary Cemetery
(New Calvary Catholic Cemetery) in East Los Angeles
.
By an act of the U.S. Congress, Dockweiler Station Post Office, is named in his honor in Los Angeles.
On January 26, 1955, the California State Parks Commission upon request of California Governor Goodwin Knight
renamed a portion of the then Venice-Hyperion Beach State Park in Playa del Rey to the Isidore B. Dockweiler Beach State Park, commonly known as Dockweiler Beach, to honor him and the contributions to the public by the Dockweiler Family. Dockweiler served as a member of that same commission from his appointment by California Governor Earl Warren
on March 22, 1943 until his death.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
lawyer and politician from a pioneering Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
family.
Biography
Isidore Bernard Dockweiler was born in Los Angeles, when the small puebloPueblo
Pueblo is a term used to describe modern communities of Native Americans in the Southwestern United States of America. The first Spanish explorers of the Southwest used this term to describe the communities housed in apartment-like structures built of stone, adobe mud, and other local material...
's population was less than 4,500, to Heinrich Dockweiler
Heinrich Dockweiler
Heinrich Dockweiler . Elected member of the Los Angeles Common Council , forerunner to the Los Angeles City Council. Patriarch of pioneering Los Angeles family when it was a pueblo.-Biography:...
(Henry Dockweiler) and Margaretha Sugg. He was affectionately called "Pequeno Ysidro" by Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
Francisco Mora y Borrell
Francisco Mora y Borrell
Francisco Mora i Borrell was a Catalan American Roman Catholic priest, serving as the Bishop of Monterey-Los Angeles from 1878 to 1896.Francisco Mora was born in Gurb , Spain on November 25, 1827...
, then the prelate of St. Vibiana's Cathedral in Los Angeles, who personally baptised him. Dockweiler would serve in his youth as Mora's "train bearer". He graduated from St. Vincent College (now Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University is a comprehensive co-educational private Roman Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions located in Los Angeles, California, United States...
) in 1887. Dockweiler was admitted to the practice of law October 14, 1889, practicing for 58 years. He married Gertrude Reeve, and he and his wife had 13 children, 11 of which grew to adulthood. Several became attorneys. John Francis Dockweiler would become a Congressman, and later Los Angeles County District Attorney. George Dockweiler would become a superior court judge.
Dockweiler was the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
candidate for Lieutenant Governor of California
Lieutenant Governor of California
The Lieutenant Governor of California is a statewide constitutional officer elected separately from the Governor who serves as the "vice-executive" of California. The Lieutenant Governor of California is elected to serve a four year term and can serve a maximum of two terms...
in 1902, along with Franklin K. Lane as Governor of California
Governor of California
The Governor of California is the chief executive of the California state government, whose responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced...
. Governor-Elect Lane and Lt. Governor-Elect Dockweiler won the electorate's plurality by 25,000 votes, but lost on a minor legal technicality decided by the California Supreme Court - a controversial event. Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
George Cooper Pardee became Governor of California as a result.
Dockweiler helped secure California's vote for Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
, who would become President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. Dockweiler was held in high esteem and confidence by Wilson. Lane served as U.S. Secretary of the Interior. When Lane resigned in 1920, Dockweiler was offered the position. Dockweiler declined due to family responsibilities of 11 children. Instead he was appointed by Wilson to the United States Board of Indian Commissioners
Board of Indian Commissioners
The Board of Indian Commissioners was a committee that advised the federal government of the United States on Native American policy and it inspected supplies delivered to Indian agencies to ensure the fufillment of government treaty obligations to tribes....
(1913-1920).
He had numerous positions throughout his life, both local and national. He served as President of the Los Angeles City Library Commission. He was the Director of the Los Angeles Public Library
Los Angeles Public Library
The Los Angeles Public Library system serves the residents of Los Angeles, California, United States. With over 6 million volumes, LAPL is one of the largest publicly funded library systems in the world. The system is overseen by a Board of Library Commissioners with five members appointed by the...
(1897-1899) and as ex-President of same (1901-1911).
Dockweiler was defeated in the August 31, 1926 Democratic primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
for the U.S. Senate nomination for California, losing to John B. Elliott. Elliott was the contestant sponsored by the then former U.S. Treasury Secretary William Gibbs McAdoo
William Gibbs McAdoo
William Gibbs McAdoo, Jr. was an American lawyer and political leader who served as a U.S. Senator, United States Secretary of the Treasury and director of the United States Railroad Administration...
.
Dockweiler served thrice as a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions of 1908 (Denver), 1936 (Philadelphia), and 1940 (Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
). He served as a member of the Democratic National Committee
Democratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
(DNC) (1916-1932). Will Rogers
Will Rogers
William "Will" Penn Adair Rogers was an American cowboy, comedian, humorist, social commentator, vaudeville performer, film actor, and one of the world's best-known celebrities in the 1920s and 1930s....
once characterized Dockweiler as "the Democratic Party of California".
Dockweiler was instrumental in having a statue of Fr. Junipero Serra
Junípero Serra
Blessed Junípero Serra, O.F.M., , known as Fra Juníper Serra in Catalan, his mother tongue was a Majorcan Franciscan friar who founded the mission chain in Alta California of the Las Californias Province in New Spain—present day California, United States. Fr...
, mission builder of California, placed in Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C. in 1932. He was also instrumental in getting passed a bill in the California Legislature making it a law to fly the California Bear Flag along with the U.S. Flag in or on public buildings. This would eventually be followed by other states.
Dockweiler served on the Board of Directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
of Security First National Bank (1922-1947).
Dockweiler, a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
, was awarded Pontifical Knighthood by Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was Pope from 6 February 1922, and sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929 until his death on 10 February 1939...
in the spring of 1924 as a Knight of St. Gregory (KSG) for meritorious service to the public, humanity, and the Catholic Church. He was a charter member of the Knights of Columbus
Knights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in the United States in 1882, it is named in honor of Christopher Columbus....
. One of his sons, Thomas A. J. Dockweiler, would also receive knighthood later as a Knight Commander
Knight Commander
Knight Commander is the second most senior grade of seven British orders of chivalry, three of which are dormant . The rank entails admission into knighthood, allowing the recipient to use the title 'Sir' or 'Dame' before his or her name...
of Saint Gregory (KCSG).
He was interred in Calvary Cemetery
Calvary Cemetery, East Los Angeles
The Calvary Cemetery is a Roman Catholic cemetery operated by the Los Angeles Archdiocese, located at 4201 Whittier Boulevard in Los Angeles, California...
(New Calvary Catholic Cemetery) in East Los Angeles
East Los Angeles, California
East Los Angeles is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California, United States...
.
Legacy
Two streets, Dockweiler Street and Dockweiler Place, are named after Isidore in Los Angeles. Isidore became aware of an effort to name a transportation arterial after him. Being humble, he did not like the idea. That street was eventually named Doheny (Edward Laurence Doheny), now part of Beverly Hills, California.By an act of the U.S. Congress, Dockweiler Station Post Office, is named in his honor in Los Angeles.
On January 26, 1955, the California State Parks Commission upon request of California Governor Goodwin Knight
Goodwin Knight
Goodwin Jess Knight , known as "Goodie Knight", was a U.S. politician who was the 31st Governor of California from 1953 until 1959.-Early life:...
renamed a portion of the then Venice-Hyperion Beach State Park in Playa del Rey to the Isidore B. Dockweiler Beach State Park, commonly known as Dockweiler Beach, to honor him and the contributions to the public by the Dockweiler Family. Dockweiler served as a member of that same commission from his appointment by California Governor Earl Warren
Earl Warren
Earl Warren was the 14th Chief Justice of the United States.He is known for the sweeping decisions of the Warren Court, which ended school segregation and transformed many areas of American law, especially regarding the rights of the accused, ending public-school-sponsored prayer, and requiring...
on March 22, 1943 until his death.