Ron Unz
Encyclopedia
Ronald Keeva Unz, is a former businessman and political activist, best known for an unsuccessful race in 1994 for the governor
ship of California
, and for sponsoring propositions promoting structured English
immersion education. In March 2007, The American Conservative
named him its new publisher. Unz has also been a large financial supporter of Wikipedia.
at the Summer Science Program
.
Unz attended Harvard University
, earning a bachelor of science
in physics
, then went to Stanford University
to do doctoral work in theoretical physics, which he never completed.
.
nomination for Governor of California
in 1994. He received 707,431 votes (34.3 percent), most of which was considered protest vote against the incumbent
Pete Wilson
, who won the primary with 1,266,832 (61.4 percent).
Newspapers referred to Unz's candidacy as a Revenge of the Nerds and often quoted his claim of a 214 IQ.
In 1994, Unz opposed California Proposition 187 to deny social services to illegal immigrants, passed by 58.8% of the voters but later overturned by a federal court.
Unz said at the time that "Silicon Valley ... is absolutely dependent upon immigrant professionals to maintain its technological edge. If they left or their future inflow were cut off, America's computer industry would probably go with them."
Four years later, in 1998, he sponsored California Proposition 227
, which aimed to change the state's bilingual education
to an opt-in structured English language educational system and which was approved by the voters despite opposition from language education researchers. Ostensibly, Proposition 227 did not end bilingual education, as special exemptions were made for students to remain in an English immersion class if a parent so desires. However, there were limits (such as age restrictions) for such an exemption, and moreover, there were provisions for punishing teachers that refused to teach solely or predominantly in English.
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
ship of 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...
, and for sponsoring propositions promoting structured English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
immersion education. In March 2007, The American Conservative
The American Conservative
The American Conservative is a monthly U.S. opinion magazine published by Ron Unz. Its first editor was Scott McConnell, his successors being Kara Hopkins and the present incumbent, Daniel McCarthy....
named him its new publisher. Unz has also been a large financial supporter of Wikipedia.
Education
While in high school in 1977, Unz studied astronomyAstronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
at the Summer Science Program
Summer Science Program
The Summer Science Program is an intense six-week summer program for intellectually talented high school students. The program is based on a collaborative research project in celestial mechanics. Students study astronomy, physics, spherical trigonometry, and calculus while working to take...
.
Unz attended Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, earning a bachelor of science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
, then went to Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
to do doctoral work in theoretical physics, which he never completed.
Career
Unz worked in the banking industry writing software for mortgage securities during his studies, and founded a company called Wall Street Analytics in Palo Alto, CA. In 2006 his company was acquired by the ratings firm Moody'sMoody's
Moody's Corporation is the holding company for Moody's Analytics and Moody's Investors Service, a credit rating agency which performs international financial research and analysis on commercial and government entities. The company also ranks the credit-worthiness of borrowers using a standardized...
.
Politics
Unz made an unsuccessful bid for the RepublicanRepublican 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...
nomination for 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...
in 1994. He received 707,431 votes (34.3 percent), most of which was considered protest vote against the incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
Pete Wilson
Pete Wilson
Peter Barton "Pete" Wilson is an American politician from California. Wilson, a Republican, served as the 36th Governor of California , the culmination of more than three decades in the public arena that included eight years as a United States Senator , eleven years as Mayor of San Diego and...
, who won the primary with 1,266,832 (61.4 percent).
Newspapers referred to Unz's candidacy as a Revenge of the Nerds and often quoted his claim of a 214 IQ.
In 1994, Unz opposed California Proposition 187 to deny social services to illegal immigrants, passed by 58.8% of the voters but later overturned by a federal court.
Unz said at the time that "Silicon Valley ... is absolutely dependent upon immigrant professionals to maintain its technological edge. If they left or their future inflow were cut off, America's computer industry would probably go with them."
Four years later, in 1998, he sponsored California Proposition 227
California Proposition 227 (1998)
Proposition 227 was a California ballot proposition passed in the June 2, 1998 ballot. It effectively ended bilingual education programs in the state and replaced them with the Structured English Immersion model. The bill's intention was to educate Limited English Proficiency students in a rapid,...
, which aimed to change the state's bilingual education
Bilingual education
Bilingual education involves teaching academic content in two languages, in a native and secondary language with varying amounts of each language used in accordance with the program model.-Bilingual education program models:...
to an opt-in structured English language educational system and which was approved by the voters despite opposition from language education researchers. Ostensibly, Proposition 227 did not end bilingual education, as special exemptions were made for students to remain in an English immersion class if a parent so desires. However, there were limits (such as age restrictions) for such an exemption, and moreover, there were provisions for punishing teachers that refused to teach solely or predominantly in English.
External links
- Wall Street Analytics – Official Website
- One Nation bio
- Milken Institute bio
- Encyclopædia Britannica references