Robert Stewart Sparks
Encyclopedia
Robert Stewart Sparks was a Los Angeles City Council
member in the 1920s
. He was the first person to represent the 5th District under a new city charter effective in 1925. Earlier, as the marriage-license clerk at City Hall, he was given the nickname "Cupid" and, with his wife, ran an informal matchmaking
service throughout Los Angeles County.
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Sparks was born on March 31, 1871, in Anoka, Minnesota
, the son of Henry Sparks. He graduated with an engineering degree from the University of Minnesota
in Saint Paul and moved to Los Angeles in 1894 to engage in the real-estate business
; he was married to Edith McGinty of that city the same year. They had one son, Richard.
Sparks entered the office of the County Clerk as deputy in charge of the marriage-license
division in December 1912 and there was given the nickname
"Cupid." He was ousted as deputy in 1920 after L.E. Lampton was elected clerk., but he retained his interest in matrimony. Having received "thousands of letters from lonely men and women asking for his assistance in securing mates," he said, he and his wife "study the letters, and from the descriptions given we match up the requirements as best we can, and then I put the husband-seekers and wife-seekers in touch with each other by letter. Hundreds of marriages have resulted." He said he would continue the practice after his election to the City Council in 1921 but "out of office hours."
In 1923, on the occasion of his 29th wedding anniversary, he noted that he had issued more than 200,000 marriage licenses and gave this advice to husbands:
Between 1923 and 1925 Sparks returned to the real-estate business and also purchased the Los Angeles Chronicle, a newspaper for city employees. He became a county employee again in December 1931 as assistant chief real-estate appraiser
in the County Assessor
's Office.
A Presbyterian, he was a member of the Elks
, Knights of Pythias
, Woodmen of the World
, Masons
and Union League
. He was a Republican.
He was living at 2646 South Normandie Avenue when he died on March 25, 1932. He was buried in Rosedale Cemetery.
Sparks placed seventh in the citywide primary of May 1923, with 26,971 votes, and was nominated for re-election. In the June final he came in 11th, with 34,458 votes, and was defeated; only the top nine vote-getters were elected.
Sparks was out of the council for two years, but in 1925 he returned as the first person to represent the 5th District under the new city charter, which replaced the former at-large election system
with one based on single-member constituencies. He was elected 4,379 votes to John Topham's 3,075. In 1925, the 5th District was bounded by Washington Street on the north, the city limits on the west, Exposition Boulevard on the south and Vermont Avenue on the west.
He ran again in the 1927 election but this time he was linked to the unpopular mayoral administration of George E. Cryer, and he was soundly defeated in the final round by Virgil A. Martin
, 7,843-2,889. Before that election he was criticized for having mailed letters on official city stationery to people who were on a tentative list for appointment as election precinct workers, asking them to call on him to "discuss with you some matters in which I am interested."
It was Sparks who introduced a successful resolution into the City Council on January 15, 1923, for the formation of a Board of Freeholders that was assigned to develop a new city charter for Los Angeles. The move was supported by the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce
.
He also called on the city to require private hospitals to give emergency care to accident victims to avoid the "long delays in transporting injured persons to the Receiving Hospital at First and Hill streets."
In 1925 he voted against a request by the Humane Animal Commission for funding of five additional inspectors: "You know how I stand about animals," said Sparks, a former president of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
. "All those inspectors do is to pursue poor people for the measley $2 dog tax. Every child should have a dog. yet many children cannot have dogs because of this tax." The next year he opposed placing on the election ballot a measure that would allow animal-control officers
to, as he said, "go on the premises of a dog owner and take away any dog not tied up or on a leash. In other words, the ordinance would permit one's personal property to be seized."
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...
member in the 1920s
1920s
File:1920s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Third Tipperary Brigade Flying Column No. 2 under Sean Hogan during the Irish Civil War; Prohibition agents destroying barrels of alcohol in accordance to the 18th amendment, which made alcoholic beverages illegal throughout the entire decade; In...
. He was the first person to represent the 5th District under a new city charter effective in 1925. Earlier, as the marriage-license clerk at City Hall, he was given the nickname "Cupid" and, with his wife, ran an informal matchmaking
Matchmaking
Matchmaking is any process of matching two people for the purpose of marriage or a sporting contest.-Practice:In some cultures, the role of the matchmaker was and is quite professionalized...
service throughout Los Angeles County.
Biography
Sparks was born on March 31, 1871, in Anoka, Minnesota
Anoka, Minnesota
At the 2000 census, there were 18,076 people, 7,262 households and 4,408 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,709.0 per square mile . There were 7,398 housing units at an average density of 1,108.7 per square mile...
, the son of Henry Sparks. He graduated with an engineering degree from the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
in Saint Paul and moved to Los Angeles in 1894 to engage in the real-estate business
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
; he was married to Edith McGinty of that city the same year. They had one son, Richard.
Sparks entered the office of the County Clerk as deputy in charge of the marriage-license
Marriage license
A marriage license is a document issued, either by a church or state authority, authorizing a couple to marry. The procedure for obtaining a license varies between countries and has changed over time...
division in December 1912 and there was given the nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
"Cupid." He was ousted as deputy in 1920 after L.E. Lampton was elected clerk., but he retained his interest in matrimony. Having received "thousands of letters from lonely men and women asking for his assistance in securing mates," he said, he and his wife "study the letters, and from the descriptions given we match up the requirements as best we can, and then I put the husband-seekers and wife-seekers in touch with each other by letter. Hundreds of marriages have resulted." He said he would continue the practice after his election to the City Council in 1921 but "out of office hours."
In 1923, on the occasion of his 29th wedding anniversary, he noted that he had issued more than 200,000 marriage licenses and gave this advice to husbands:
Self-preservation and protection is the first law for husbands, and to have a happy married life, such as I have had, remember the anniversaries with gifts for the wives. They expect it. If husbands do this and storm clouds arise, and the matrimonial luteLuteLute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back, or more specifically to an instrument from the family of European lutes....
shows signs of piping some sour notes, the wives recall that their husbands, alone and unaided, did remember the anniversaries, and the difficulties melt away.
Between 1923 and 1925 Sparks returned to the real-estate business and also purchased the Los Angeles Chronicle, a newspaper for city employees. He became a county employee again in December 1931 as assistant chief real-estate appraiser
Appraiser
An appraiser , is one who sets a value upon property, real or personal. In England the business of an appraiser is usually combined with that of an auctioneer, while the word itself has a similar meaning to that of "valuer." In the United States, the most common usage relates to real estate...
in the County Assessor
Assessor (property)
An assessor is a specialist who calculates the value of property. The value calculated by the assessor is then used as the basis for determining the amounts to be paid or assessed for tax or insurance purposes....
's Office.
A Presbyterian, he was a member of the Elks
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is an American fraternal order and social club founded in 1868...
, Knights of Pythias
Knights of Pythias
The Knights of Pythias is a fraternal organization and secret society founded at Washington, DC, on 19 February 1864.The Knights of Pythias was the first fraternal organization to receive a charter under an act of the United States Congress. It was founded by Justus H. Rathbone, who had been...
, Woodmen of the World
Woodmen of the World
Woodmen of the World is a fraternal organization based in Omaha, Nebraska, United States, that operates a large privately held insurance company for its members....
, Masons
Masonic Lodge
This article is about the Masonic term for a membership group. For buildings named Masonic Lodge, see Masonic Lodge A Masonic Lodge, often termed a Private Lodge or Constituent Lodge, is the basic organisation of Freemasonry...
and Union League
Union League
A Union League is one of a number of organizations established starting in 1862, during the American Civil War to promote loyalty to the Union and the policies of Abraham Lincoln. They were also known as Loyal Leagues. They comprised upper middle class men who supported efforts such as the United...
. He was a Republican.
He was living at 2646 South Normandie Avenue when he died on March 25, 1932. He was buried in Rosedale Cemetery.
Elections
In the May 1921 primary election Sparks placed 15th in a citywide field of more than 30 candidates, with the top 18 being nominated for a final round in June. In that election, he placed first and was thus chosen, along with eight other successful candidates, for a two-year term on the council.Sparks placed seventh in the citywide primary of May 1923, with 26,971 votes, and was nominated for re-election. In the June final he came in 11th, with 34,458 votes, and was defeated; only the top nine vote-getters were elected.
Sparks was out of the council for two years, but in 1925 he returned as the first person to represent the 5th District under the new city charter, which replaced the former at-large election system
Plurality-at-large voting
Plurality-at-large voting is a non-proportional voting system for electing several representatives from a single multimember electoral district using a series of check boxes and tallying votes similar to a plurality election...
with one based on single-member constituencies. He was elected 4,379 votes to John Topham's 3,075. In 1925, the 5th District was bounded by Washington Street on the north, the city limits on the west, Exposition Boulevard on the south and Vermont Avenue on the west.
He ran again in the 1927 election but this time he was linked to the unpopular mayoral administration of George E. Cryer, and he was soundly defeated in the final round by Virgil A. Martin
Virgil A. Martin
Virgil A. Martin was a business executive and member of the Los Angeles City Council between 1927 and 1931.-Biography:Martin was born October 15, 1874, in Tecumseh, Nebraska, the son of Judson W. Martin and Ennis C. Smith...
, 7,843-2,889. Before that election he was criticized for having mailed letters on official city stationery to people who were on a tentative list for appointment as election precinct workers, asking them to call on him to "discuss with you some matters in which I am interested."
Council actions
One of the first controversial votes cast by Sparks was in opposition to a proposal by religious groups for a seven-member commission to regulate the showing of motion pictures in Los Angeles. He said he was "flatly opposed" to censorship, and the idea was eventually killed by the City Council amid a storm of protests by both sides. A later resolution defending the film industry, authored by Sparks, was adopted. The "reflections cast upon this industry and its people are the work of a malignant minority," it read.It was Sparks who introduced a successful resolution into the City Council on January 15, 1923, for the formation of a Board of Freeholders that was assigned to develop a new city charter for Los Angeles. The move was supported by the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce
Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce
The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce is southern California's largest not-for-profit business federation, representing the interests of more than 235,000 businesses in L.A...
.
He also called on the city to require private hospitals to give emergency care to accident victims to avoid the "long delays in transporting injured persons to the Receiving Hospital at First and Hill streets."
In 1925 he voted against a request by the Humane Animal Commission for funding of five additional inspectors: "You know how I stand about animals," said Sparks, a former president of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a non-profit animal welfare organization originally founded in England in 1824 to pass laws protecting carriage horses from abuse. SPCA groups are now found in many nations, where they campaign for animal welfare, assist in cruelty to animals...
. "All those inspectors do is to pursue poor people for the measley $2 dog tax. Every child should have a dog. yet many children cannot have dogs because of this tax." The next year he opposed placing on the election ballot a measure that would allow animal-control officers
Animal control officer
Historically, Dog whippers were charged with keeping dogs out of churches in 16th- to 19th- century Europe; they also sometimes filled a general animal-control role in villages, confining strays...
to, as he said, "go on the premises of a dog owner and take away any dog not tied up or on a leash. In other words, the ordinance would permit one's personal property to be seized."