Piedmont, California
Encyclopedia
Piedmont is a small, affluent city in Alameda County
, California
, United States
. It is surrounded by the city of Oakland
. The population was 10,667 at the 2010 census. Piedmont was incorporated in 1907 and was developed significantly in the 1920s and 1930s. Piedmont was one of the "25 Top-Earning Towns" in CNN Money Magazine's list of 'The Best Places to Live in 2007, and was also named one of the "Best Places To Live-Urban Enclaves" in the United States in 2007 by Forbes.
Piedmont is a small, primarily residential community. Piedmont was named one of the "25 Top-Earning Towns" in CNN Money Magazine's list of 'The Best Places to Live' due to its school system, low crime rate and high property values.
Piedmont is largely zoned
for residential use. Piedmont has minimal commerce compared with statistically similar cities, and relies primarily on property taxes as a base. The city does have the small commercial district located on Highland Avenue and a small number of businesses are found on Grand Avenue near Piedmont's southwest border with Oakland.
Located in the East Bay hills, Piedmont is surrounded on all sides by the city of Oakland. Piedmont provides its own fire and police services but does not have its own public library or federal post office; these services are shared with Oakland. Property taxes on Piedmont real estate are not shared with Oakland.
The city is served by two local weekly newspapers: Piedmont Post and the Piedmonter, a neighborhood newspaper organized under the Contra Costa Times
news organization.
Piedmont has a Community Hall and Veterans' Memorial Building. Parks include Piedmont Park, Dracena Park, Crocker Park and Kennelly Skate Park. Playfields include Coaches Playfield, Havens Playfield, Linda Playfield, Piedmont Sports Field (Hampton) and Witter Field.
By the Roaring Twenties, Piedmont was known as the "City of Millionaires" because it had the most resident millionaires per square mile of any city in the United States
. Many of these millionaires built mansions that still stand, notably on Sea View Avenue and Sotelo Avenue/Glen Alpine Road in upper Piedmont. Piedmont became a charter city under the laws of the State of California on December 18, 1922. On February 27, 1923, voters adopted the charter, which can only be changed by another vote of the people.
Piedmont celebrated the year 2007 as its Centennial Anniversary since incorporation. The Centennial Committee hosted celebratory events along a trail that runs through downtown Piedmont and denoted historical landmarks in the city. The Committee also created a float for the city's Fourth of July parade.
The historical exhibit "A Deluxe Autonomy: Piedmont’s First 100 Years" was on display in the Oakland Public Library
from January 5 to March 31, 2007.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 1.7 square miles (4.4 km²), all land.
Piedmont's major streets include Oakland Avenue, which runs from Piedmont's small city center down into Oakland; Highland Avenue, which divides Piedmont into upper and lower sections; Moraga Avenue, which runs near the city's northern border; and Grand Avenue, which runs near Piedmont's western border. Lots in upper Piedmont are, on average, larger than lots in lower Piedmont. A nearby shopping center on Piedmont Avenue in Oakland comes within two blocks of Piedmont but never actually enters the city's borders. No major highways run within Piedmont's borders.
was 6,358.5 people per square mile (2,455.0/km²). The racial makeup of Piedmont was 7,917 (74.2%) White, 144 (1.3%) African American, 6 (0.1%) Native American, 1,939 (18.2%) Asian, 13 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 94 (0.9%) from other races
, and 554 (5.2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 421 persons (3.9%).
The Census reported that 10,664 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 3 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 3,801 households, out of which 1,606 (42.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 2,738 (72.0%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 260 (6.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 119 (3.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 67 (1.8%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 38 (1.0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 578 households (15.2%) were made up of individuals and 344 (9.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81. There were 3,117 families
(82.0% of all households); the average family size was 3.11.
The population was spread out with 3,017 people (28.3%) under the age of 18, 451 people (4.2%) aged 18 to 24, 1,638 people (15.4%) aged 25 to 44, 3,922 people (36.8%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,639 people (15.4%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46.2 years. For every 100 females there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.8 males.
There were 3,924 housing units at an average density of 2,339.1 per square mile (903.1/km²), of which 3,358 (88.3%) were owner-occupied, and 443 (11.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.7%. 9,393 people (88.1% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 1,271 people (11.9%) lived in rental housing units.
of 2000, there were 10,952 people, 3,804 households, and 3,104 families residing in the city. The population density
was 6,488.7 inhabitants per square mile (2,502.1/km²). There were 3,859 housing units at an average density of 2,286.3 per square mile (881.6/km²).
There were 3,804 households out of which 47.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.9% were married couples
living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.4% were non-families. 14.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88, and the average family size was 3.18.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.3% under the age of 18, 3.8% from 18 to 24, 18.5% from 25 to 44, 34.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $134,270, and the median income for a family was $149,857. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $58,553 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $70,539. About 1.0% of families and 2.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 1.6% of those age 65 or over.
The City of Piedmont is served by the Piedmont Unified School District
. The district, coinciding with the municipal boundaries, includes three elementary schools (Havens*, Beach, and Wildwood), one middle school (Piedmont Middle School
), one high school (Piedmont High School), and one alternative high school, Millennium. Piedmont High School matriculates a high percentage of students bound for college. Many graduates continue their education at both public and private colleges and universities.
The Piedmont Unified School District
was ranked #10 of 756 districts in the state of California according to one statistical analysis of California public education.
Piedmont voters have approved several local bond measures earmarked for maintaining and/or improving educational facilities. For example, Witter Field, home of the Piedmont Highlanders, was rebuilt over a period of years (1996–1999), transforming it from the older facility to a newer and markedly improved one. Similar improvements have been made to the fields adjacent to the Beach Elementary School.
In 2005, Piedmont citizens voted in favor of Measures B and C with an overwhelming majority. Measure B renews the school district parcel tax, which pays for 21 percent of the district's budget, and Measure C adds an additional amount that compensates for reduced funding from state and federal sources.
In 2006, voters authorized the Piedmont City Unified School District to issue up to $56 million in bonds to improve Piedmont public school buildings so as to reduce dangers from earthquakes, to meet state and federal seismic safety standards.
The Piedmont Educational Foundation awards a number of grants for academic innovation in Piedmont schools each year, and provides a sustained source of funding for the PUSD through its Endowment Fund.
player Dave McCarty, ex-National Football League
player Bubba Paris
, San Francisco 49ers
, ex-National Football League
player Bill Romanowski
, Ambassador to Australia Jeff Bleich
, and Peter Docter
, director of Pixar's Monsters, Inc.
and Up
and co-writer of WALL-E
and AFJR, extra in the Santa Claus 3, and Billie Joe Armstrong
of the rock band Green Day
.
lived in Piedmont, and John F. Kennedy's Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara grew up in Piedmont, where his family lived on Annerley Road. Clint Eastwood
resided in Piedmont and attended Piedmont schools. Country Joe McDonald
resided in Piedmont in the 1970s. Actors Dean Butler (Little House on the Prairie
) and Austin Tichenor (Reduced Shakespeare Company
) also grew up in Piedmont. Further, notable tennis player and coach Brad Gilbert
, grew up in Piedmont. Charles R. Schwab
, founder of the discount stock brokerage firm bearing his name, and his family also lived in Piedmont in the early 1980s, as did Dean Witter, founder of Dean Witter Reynolds brokerage, in the 1940s.
Other past notables include Dorothy and Robert DeBolt who rose to international prominence while raising their 20 children, including 14 adopted, multi racial and multi-handicapped, to complete self sufficiency. A 1977 documentary of their family's story, "Who Are The DeBolts?" won an Academy Award .
Other residents over time have included: F. Wayne Valley
, philanthropist, construction magnate, owner of the Oakland Raiders and founding member of the AFL; Frank C. Havens
, for whom Havens Elementary School
is named, and James Gamble, president of the Western Union
Telegraph Company, who, in 1877, founded the Piedmont Land Company, thus introducing the name later adopted by the city upon its incorporation.
Other people who have lived in Piedmont, past and present, include:
Alameda County, California
Alameda County is a county in the U.S. state of California. It occupies most of the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 1,510,271, making it the 7th most populous county in the state...
, California
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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is surrounded by the city of Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
. The population was 10,667 at the 2010 census. Piedmont was incorporated in 1907 and was developed significantly in the 1920s and 1930s. Piedmont was one of the "25 Top-Earning Towns" in CNN Money Magazine's list of 'The Best Places to Live in 2007, and was also named one of the "Best Places To Live-Urban Enclaves" in the United States in 2007 by Forbes.
Background
Piedmont is largely zoned
Zoning
Zoning is a device of land use planning used by local governments in most developed countries. The word is derived from the practice of designating permitted uses of land based on mapped zones which separate one set of land uses from another...
for residential use. Piedmont has minimal commerce compared with statistically similar cities, and relies primarily on property taxes as a base. The city does have the small commercial district located on Highland Avenue and a small number of businesses are found on Grand Avenue near Piedmont's southwest border with Oakland.
Located in the East Bay hills, Piedmont is surrounded on all sides by the city of Oakland. Piedmont provides its own fire and police services but does not have its own public library or federal post office; these services are shared with Oakland. Property taxes on Piedmont real estate are not shared with Oakland.
The city is served by two local weekly newspapers: Piedmont Post and the Piedmonter, a neighborhood newspaper organized under the Contra Costa Times
Contra Costa Times
The Contra Costa Times is a daily newspaper based in Walnut Creek, California, U.S.. The paper serves Contra Costa and eastern Alameda counties, in the eastern part of the San Francisco Bay Area...
news organization.
Piedmont has a Community Hall and Veterans' Memorial Building. Parks include Piedmont Park, Dracena Park, Crocker Park and Kennelly Skate Park. Playfields include Coaches Playfield, Havens Playfield, Linda Playfield, Piedmont Sports Field (Hampton) and Witter Field.
History
Residents originally sought incorporation in 1907. Two elections were held among the citizens of Piedmont in 1907, both of which narrowly upheld the decision for Piedmont to become a separate city, rather than become a neighborhood within the city of Oakland.By the Roaring Twenties, Piedmont was known as the "City of Millionaires" because it had the most resident millionaires per square mile of any city in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Many of these millionaires built mansions that still stand, notably on Sea View Avenue and Sotelo Avenue/Glen Alpine Road in upper Piedmont. Piedmont became a charter city under the laws of the State of California on December 18, 1922. On February 27, 1923, voters adopted the charter, which can only be changed by another vote of the people.
Piedmont celebrated the year 2007 as its Centennial Anniversary since incorporation. The Centennial Committee hosted celebratory events along a trail that runs through downtown Piedmont and denoted historical landmarks in the city. The Committee also created a float for the city's Fourth of July parade.
The historical exhibit "A Deluxe Autonomy: Piedmont’s First 100 Years" was on display in the Oakland Public Library
Oakland Public Library
The Oakland Public Library is the public library in Oakland, California. Opened in 1878, the Oakland Public Library currently serves the city of Oakland, along with some neighboring smaller cities including Emeryville and Piedmont. The Oakland Public Library has the largest collection of any...
from January 5 to March 31, 2007.
Geography
Piedmont is located at 37.821994°N 122.231405°W. It is located near the Hayward Fault, a geological fault line that runs through the East Bay region.According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 1.7 square miles (4.4 km²), all land.
Piedmont's major streets include Oakland Avenue, which runs from Piedmont's small city center down into Oakland; Highland Avenue, which divides Piedmont into upper and lower sections; Moraga Avenue, which runs near the city's northern border; and Grand Avenue, which runs near Piedmont's western border. Lots in upper Piedmont are, on average, larger than lots in lower Piedmont. A nearby shopping center on Piedmont Avenue in Oakland comes within two blocks of Piedmont but never actually enters the city's borders. No major highways run within Piedmont's borders.
Demographics
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Piedmont had a population of 10,667. The population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 6,358.5 people per square mile (2,455.0/km²). The racial makeup of Piedmont was 7,917 (74.2%) White, 144 (1.3%) African American, 6 (0.1%) Native American, 1,939 (18.2%) Asian, 13 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 94 (0.9%) from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 554 (5.2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 421 persons (3.9%).
The Census reported that 10,664 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 3 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 3,801 households, out of which 1,606 (42.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 2,738 (72.0%) were opposite-sex married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 260 (6.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 119 (3.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 67 (1.8%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
POSSLQ
POSSLQ is an abbreviation for "Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters," a term coined in the late 1970s by the United States Census Bureau as part of an effort to more accurately gauge the prevalence of cohabitation in American households....
, and 38 (1.0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 578 households (15.2%) were made up of individuals and 344 (9.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81. There were 3,117 families
Family (U.S. Census)
A family or family household is defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes as "a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. They do not include same-sex married couples even if the marriage was performed in a state...
(82.0% of all households); the average family size was 3.11.
The population was spread out with 3,017 people (28.3%) under the age of 18, 451 people (4.2%) aged 18 to 24, 1,638 people (15.4%) aged 25 to 44, 3,922 people (36.8%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,639 people (15.4%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46.2 years. For every 100 females there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.8 males.
There were 3,924 housing units at an average density of 2,339.1 per square mile (903.1/km²), of which 3,358 (88.3%) were owner-occupied, and 443 (11.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.7%. 9,393 people (88.1% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 1,271 people (11.9%) lived in rental housing units.
2000
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 10,952 people, 3,804 households, and 3,104 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 6,488.7 inhabitants per square mile (2,502.1/km²). There were 3,859 housing units at an average density of 2,286.3 per square mile (881.6/km²).
There were 3,804 households out of which 47.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.9% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.4% were non-families. 14.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88, and the average family size was 3.18.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.3% under the age of 18, 3.8% from 18 to 24, 18.5% from 25 to 44, 34.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $134,270, and the median income for a family was $149,857. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $58,553 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $70,539. About 1.0% of families and 2.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 1.6% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Piedmont Unified School District
The Piedmont Unified School District comprises the seven schools in the city of Piedmont, California.-Schools:* Egbert W. Beach Elementary School* Frank C...
. The district, coinciding with the municipal boundaries, includes three elementary schools (Havens*, Beach, and Wildwood), one middle school (Piedmont Middle School
Piedmont Middle School
Piedmont Middle School, also known as PMS, is part of the Piedmont Unified School District in Piedmont, California.-Background:Piedmont Middle School provides education for students grades six through eight in the city. Piedmont students come from Frank C. Havens Elementary School, Wildwood...
), one high school (Piedmont High School), and one alternative high school, Millennium. Piedmont High School matriculates a high percentage of students bound for college. Many graduates continue their education at both public and private colleges and universities.
- Havens has been entirely rebuilt for earthquake safety reasons and was reopened in 2010.
The Piedmont Unified School District
Piedmont Unified School District
The Piedmont Unified School District comprises the seven schools in the city of Piedmont, California.-Schools:* Egbert W. Beach Elementary School* Frank C...
was ranked #10 of 756 districts in the state of California according to one statistical analysis of California public education.
Piedmont voters have approved several local bond measures earmarked for maintaining and/or improving educational facilities. For example, Witter Field, home of the Piedmont Highlanders, was rebuilt over a period of years (1996–1999), transforming it from the older facility to a newer and markedly improved one. Similar improvements have been made to the fields adjacent to the Beach Elementary School.
In 2005, Piedmont citizens voted in favor of Measures B and C with an overwhelming majority. Measure B renews the school district parcel tax, which pays for 21 percent of the district's budget, and Measure C adds an additional amount that compensates for reduced funding from state and federal sources.
In 2006, voters authorized the Piedmont City Unified School District to issue up to $56 million in bonds to improve Piedmont public school buildings so as to reduce dangers from earthquakes, to meet state and federal seismic safety standards.
The Piedmont Educational Foundation awards a number of grants for academic innovation in Piedmont schools each year, and provides a sustained source of funding for the PUSD through its Endowment Fund.
Current
Piedmont is home to a number notable individuals in the political, business, sports, and academic communities, including: ex-Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player Dave McCarty, ex-National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
player Bubba Paris
Bubba Paris
William "Bubba" Paris is a former professional American football offensive lineman who played for the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL from 1983 to 1990. He was a member of three 49er teams that won the Super Bowl...
, San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
, ex-National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
player Bill Romanowski
Bill Romanowski
William Thomas "Bill" Romanowski is a former American football player. He was born in Vernon, Connecticut. A linebacker, he graduated from Rockville High School in 1984, Boston College in 1988 , and then went on to a 16-year career in the NFL, playing for the San Francisco 49ers , Philadelphia...
, Ambassador to Australia Jeff Bleich
Jeff Bleich
Jeffrey Laurence "Jeff" Bleich is an American lawyer from California who is the United States Ambassador to Australia. Formerly a partner at the firm of Munger, Tolles & Olson, Bleich is a longtime friend of President Barack Obama...
, and Peter Docter
Peter Docter
Peter Hans "Pete" Docter is an American film director, animator, and screenwriter from Bloomington, Minnesota. He is best known for directing the films Monsters, Inc. and Up, and as a key figure and collaborator in Pixar Animation Studios. The A. V. Club has called him "almost universally...
, director of Pixar's Monsters, Inc.
Monsters, Inc.
Monsters, Inc. is a 2001 American computer-animated film and the fourth feature-length film produced by Pixar Animation Studios. It was directed by Pete Docter, co-directed by Lee Unkrich and David Silverman, and written by Jill Culton, Peter Docter, Ralph Eggleston, Dan Gerson, Jeff Pidgeon, Rhett...
and Up
Up (2009 film)
Up is a 2009 American computer-animated comedy-adventure film produced by Pixar, distributed by Walt Disney Pictures and presented in Disney Digital 3-D. The film premiered on May 29, 2009 in North America and opened the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, becoming the first animated and 3D film...
and co-writer of WALL-E
WALL-E
WALL-E, promoted with an interpunct as WALL•E, is a 2008 American computer-animated science fiction film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and directed by Andrew Stanton. The story follows a robot named WALL-E, who is designed to clean up a waste-covered Earth far in the future...
and AFJR, extra in the Santa Claus 3, and Billie Joe Armstrong
Billie Joe Armstrong
Billie Joe Armstrong is an American rock musician and occasional actor, best known as the lead vocalist, main songwriter and lead guitarist for the American punk rock band Green Day...
of the rock band Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
.
Past
Author Jack LondonJack London
John Griffith "Jack" London was an American author, journalist, and social activist. He was a pioneer in the then-burgeoning world of commercial magazine fiction and was one of the first fiction writers to obtain worldwide celebrity and a large fortune from his fiction alone...
lived in Piedmont, and John F. Kennedy's Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara grew up in Piedmont, where his family lived on Annerley Road. Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
resided in Piedmont and attended Piedmont schools. Country Joe McDonald
Country Joe McDonald
Country Joe McDonald is an American musician who was the lead singer of the 1960s psychedelic rock group Country Joe and the Fish.-Personal life:...
resided in Piedmont in the 1970s. Actors Dean Butler (Little House on the Prairie
Little House on the Prairie (TV series)
Little House on the Prairie is an American Western drama television series, starring Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert, about a family living on a farm in Walnut Grove, Minnesota, in the 1870s and 1880s. The show was an adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder's best-selling series of Little House books...
) and Austin Tichenor (Reduced Shakespeare Company
Reduced Shakespeare Company
The Reduced Shakespeare Company is an American acting troupe that writes and performs unsubtle, fast-paced, seemingly improvisational condensations of huge topics.- Overview :...
) also grew up in Piedmont. Further, notable tennis player and coach Brad Gilbert
Brad Gilbert
Brad Gilbert , is an American tennis coach, a television tennis commentator, an author and former professional tennis player. He was born in Oakland, California and graduated from Piedmont High School ....
, grew up in Piedmont. Charles R. Schwab
Charles R. Schwab
Charles R. "Chuck" Schwab is the founder and chairman of the Charles Schwab Corporation.-Early life:Schwab was born in Sacramento, California. Despite having the same name, he is not related to Charles M. Schwab, the American steel magnate of the first half of the Twentieth Century...
, founder of the discount stock brokerage firm bearing his name, and his family also lived in Piedmont in the early 1980s, as did Dean Witter, founder of Dean Witter Reynolds brokerage, in the 1940s.
Other past notables include Dorothy and Robert DeBolt who rose to international prominence while raising their 20 children, including 14 adopted, multi racial and multi-handicapped, to complete self sufficiency. A 1977 documentary of their family's story, "Who Are The DeBolts?" won an Academy Award .
Other residents over time have included: F. Wayne Valley
F. Wayne Valley
F. Wayne Valley was an American businessman, philanthropist and football player. He attended Oregon State University in the 1930s, where he was a starting linebacker and fullback on the Oregon State Beavers football team, though he would ultimately graduate with a business degree from the...
, philanthropist, construction magnate, owner of the Oakland Raiders and founding member of the AFL; Frank C. Havens
Frank C. Havens
Frank Colton Havens was born into one of the founding families of Shelter Island, New York, the son of Wickham Havens of Sag Harbor.-Biography:...
, for whom Havens Elementary School
Frank C. Havens Elementary School
Frank C. Havens Elementary, commonly referred to as Havens, is one the three elementary schools in Piedmont, California. It is part of the Piedmont Unified School District.-History:...
is named, and James Gamble, president of the Western Union
Western Union
The Western Union Company is a financial services and communications company based in the United States. Its North American headquarters is in Englewood, Colorado. Up until 2006, Western Union was the best-known U.S...
Telegraph Company, who, in 1877, founded the Piedmont Land Company, thus introducing the name later adopted by the city upon its incorporation.
Other people who have lived in Piedmont, past and present, include:
- James CliffordJames CliffordJames Clifford is an historian and Professor in the History of Consciousness Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Clifford and Hayden White were among the first faculty directly appointed to the History of Consciousness Ph.D. program in 1978, which was originally the only...
- Richard Carlson (author)Richard Carlson (author)Richard Carlson Ph.D. was an American author, psychotherapist, and motivational speaker, who rose to fame with the success of his book, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff…and it’s all Small Stuff , which became one of the fastest-selling books of all time and made publishing history as USA Todays...
- Peter CornellPeter CornellPeter Vasilevich Cornell is an American professional basketball player. He currently plays with the pro club Hitachi SunRockers. He is also an actor, who has been in over 40 national and international commercial campaigns and a few basketball themed movies...
- Al DavisAl DavisAllen "Al" Davis was an American football executive. He was the principal owner of the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League from 1970 to 2011...
- Clint EastwoodClint EastwoodClinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
- Erin FetherstonErin FetherstonBorn and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, designer Erin Fetherston graduated from UC Berkeley before attending Parson's School of Design in New York.In January 2005, she first presented her eponymous label during the Paris Haute Couture Shows...
- Joan London (American writer)Joan London (American writer)Joan London was the eldest of two daughters born to Jack and Bess London, his first wife. One sibling, sister Bessie, was born on October 20, 1902. Both children were born in Piedmont, California. Joan was the author of Jack London and His Times, a biography of her father...
- Elsie Whitaker MartinezElsie Whitaker MartinezElsie Whitaker Martinez was the daughter of writer Herman Whitaker.She and her family moved to the hills of Piedmont, California in 1902. By age 16, Whitaker was a "free-spirited artist." Piedmont Bohemian George Sterling called her "the Blessed Damozel."...
- Wes NiskerWes NiskerWes Nisker is an author, radio commentator, comedian, and Buddhist meditation instructor.Nisker is a longtime fixture on San Francisco radio station KFOG. He has become well-known for the catchphrase, "If you don't like the news .....
- Xavier MartínezXavier MartinezXavier Timoteo Martínez was a California artist active in the late 19th and early 20th century. He was born in the Mexican city of Guadalajara, Jalisco, and, after becoming a naturalized citizen of the United States, died in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California...
- Gyo ObataGyo ObataGyo Obata is a significant American architect, the son of renowned painter Chiura Obata and his wife, Haruko Obata, a floral designer. In 1955, he co-founded global architectural firm HOK . He lives in St. Louis, Missouri and still works in HOK's St. Louis office...
- Ashley ParisAshley ParisAshley Paris is a WNBA player for the Atlanta Dream. She is the twin sister of Courtney Paris, who plays for the Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA. She has been nationally recognized for her basketball achievements at the University of Oklahoma...
- Courtney ParisCourtney ParisCourtney Paris most recently played for the Atlanta Dream of the WNBA, she was the senior starting center for the University of Oklahoma women's basketball team. Her twin sister, player Ashley Paris, was also a Sooner.-Early life:In addition to being a twin, Paris has four brothers: Wayne, David,...
- Cynthia StevensonCynthia StevensonCynthia Stevenson is an American actress.Stevenson was born in Oakland, California, the daughter of Gayle, an editor, and Al Stevenson, an upholstery warehouse owner. She grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia....
- Debbie TenzerDebbie TenzerDebbie Tenzer is an American non-fiction author, motivational speaker, and the founder of the international kindness movement, Do One Nice Thing...
- David C. WayburDavid C. WayburDavid Crowder Waybur was a United States Army officer and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II. During the Allied invasion of Sicily, he led his small patrol in its defense against an attack by four Italian tanks...
- Dave McCarty
- John Wheeler (audio/video technologist)John Wheeler (audio/video technologist)John Henry Wheeler is an audio/video engineer, computer programmer, developer of the Penteo surround-sound process....
- Herman WhitakerHerman WhitakerHerman Whitaker was a Californian writer.Whitaker and his family moved to the Piedmont hills in 1902 and took up residence in "The Bug House," which is now Blair Avenue....
- Zhaoming WuZhaoming WuZhaoming Wu is a Chinese-born painter. Wu grew up in Guangzhou City, China. and he received his BFA from Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts and his MFA from the Academy of Art University, San Francisco, California.-Personal life:...
- Asieh NamdarAsieh NamdarAsieh Namdar is an Iranian-American journalist and television presenter.She was born to parents of Iranian origin, in Karachi in 1967. Namdar grew up in Tehran, Iran. Following the Iranian Revolution in 1979, her family moved to the United States...
- George ZimmerGeorge ZimmerGeorge Zimmer is an American entrepreneur, the founder and CEO of the Men's Wearhouse, a men's clothing retailer that has more than 1,300 stores across the U.S...