Stephen W. Cunningham
Encyclopedia
Stephen W. Cunningham was the first graduate manager at the Southern Branch of the University of California, later UCLA, and a member of the Los Angeles City Council from 1933 to 1941.
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Cunningham was born July 29, 1886, in San Bernardino, California
, the son of Reuben F. Cunningham of Nova Scotia
and Annie B. Magee of Ohio
. He was educated in the San Bernardino and Riverside
public schools and earned a bachelor of science
degree from the University of California, Berkeley
, in 1910. He was president of the student body
there.
He was married to Frances Lippincott Flint of Los Angeles in 1919. They had three children, John Stephen, Donald Edward and Frances Ann (Mrs. Ann Bauman).
He died in his home at 210 Chadbourne Avenue, Brentwood, on July 28, 1956, the day before his 70th birthday.
for three years, then as a broker
for five, all in San Francisco.
From 1921 to 1924 he was secretary for the Southern California Canning Association.
. As such, he accomplished tasks like arranging for the Grizzlies, as the athletics teams were known, to play against the Oregon State
Aggies in the basketball pavilion
at the University of Southern California and with Occidental College in the Olympic Auditorium. In 1928 he was secretary of the Coaches' and Managers' Association of the Pacific Coast Conference
.
He was credited with bringing Bill Spalding to the campus as football coach and starting improvements that landed the university in the Pacific Coast Conference
. He oversaw the transition of the Associated Students organization when the university moved from the old Vermont Avenue campus to the new campus in Westwood in 1929.
In 1931 a move began at UCLA to bring in a manager who had actually graduated from the Los Angeles campus, with tennis coach William C. Ackerman as the favorite. Cunningham was offered a one-year extension on his contract, but a student protest resulted in the term being extended to two years, with Ackerman to take over at the end of that time.
In one of his final acts as graduate manager, Cunningham told a City Council session in December 1932 that UCLA would not approve a council decision to give the University of Southern California Trojans
eight preferred dates at the Los Angeles Coliseum for the succeeding ten years while the UCLA Bruins
were to receive only five. The matter was eventually settled by agreement.
In 1933, Los Angeles City Council District 3 was bounded on the south by Pico Boulevard
, east by Highland Avenue, north by Hollywood Hills
, extending west to the ocean and Santa Monica Canyon." It included the Westside and the UCLA campus.
That was the year that Cunningham ran against the incumbent 3rd District councilman James Stuart McKnight and was elected almost 3–1, with 15,698 votes against McKnight's 5,582. In December 1934, McKnight was found guilty of four counts of mailing "defamatory and libelous matter" about Cunningham through the mail and was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge [Paul John] McCormick
to six months in jail, suspended for two years.
Cunningham was reelected in 1935 over the End Poverty in California candidate, James M. Carter; in 1937 and 1939 he had no opponents. In 1941 Republican Cunningham ran for mayor against Democrat Fletcher Bowron
, and was defeated, 149,195 votes against Bowron's 181,582.
pipes in sanitary (street) sewers in favor of vitrified clay pipe
, noting that the concrete piping disintegrated rapidly from the effects of sewer gas
.
1936 He made repeated efforts to rid Westwood Village, just south of the UCLA campus, of bookmakers who were doing business with university students. He told the City Council:
1937 Introducing a resolution to rewrite Los Angeles's anti-picketing ordinance, Cunningham said that
Council Member Parley Parker Christensen lauded Bridges and Beck and a recent seamen's strike
as a "magnificent demonstration" and questioned Cunningham's patriotism, to which the latter replied that he would challenge his patriotism against that of Christensen "to any proof."
1940 Considered an authority on street and highway development, Cunningham was instrumental in lobbying Governor Culbert Olson
for approval of a Hollywood Express Highway
from downtown.
1940 He succeeded in killing a Federally subsidized public housing
program in Sawtelle by a 9–6 vote in the City Council.
1941 A recording device was found in the Biltmore Apartments at 330 South Grand Avenue, with wiring leading to Cunningham's mayoralty campaign headquarters at 1031 South Broadway. A "complete log" of Cunningham's telephone calls was left on a table. Police investigation followed.
, at Vermont. In 1948 he was on a Los Angeles committee against "featherbedding
" in the railroad industry, a practice requiring extra employees on freight trains as a safety measure — favored by unions but opposed by conservatives.
Biography
Cunningham was born July 29, 1886, in San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...
, the son of Reuben F. Cunningham of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
and Annie B. Magee of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. He was educated in the San Bernardino and Riverside
Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...
public schools and earned 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...
degree from the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, in 1910. He was president of the student body
Student governments in the United States
In the United States, these groups are often known as student government, associated students, student senate, or less commonly a student's union...
there.
He was married to Frances Lippincott Flint of Los Angeles in 1919. They had three children, John Stephen, Donald Edward and Frances Ann (Mrs. Ann Bauman).
He died in his home at 210 Chadbourne Avenue, Brentwood, on July 28, 1956, the day before his 70th birthday.
Early
After graduating from Berkeley in 1910, he worked in advertisingAdvertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
for three years, then as a broker
Broker
A broker is a party that arranges transactions between a buyer and a seller, and gets a commission when the deal is executed. A broker who also acts as a seller or as a buyer becomes a principal party to the deal...
for five, all in San Francisco.
A frail, slender man, Mr. Cunningham attempted to enlist in the Army in World War I but was rejected as underweight. Later he got in under a special classification and served as a sergeant in the air serviceUnited States Army Air ServiceThe Air Service, United States Army was a forerunner of the United States Air Force during and after World War I. It was established as an independent but temporary wartime branch of the War Department by two executive orders of President Woodrow Wilson: on May 24, 1918, replacing the Aviation...
.
From 1921 to 1924 he was secretary for the Southern California Canning Association.
Graduate manager
In 1925, Cunningham was named graduate manager for the Associated Students at the Southern Branch of the University of California, a position that had generally the same duties and powers as that of an association general managerGeneral manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
. As such, he accomplished tasks like arranging for the Grizzlies, as the athletics teams were known, to play against the Oregon State
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
Aggies in the basketball pavilion
Pavilion
In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...
at the University of Southern California and with Occidental College in the Olympic Auditorium. In 1928 he was secretary of the Coaches' and Managers' Association of the Pacific Coast Conference
Pacific Coast Conference
The Pacific Coast Conference was a college athletic conference in the United States which existed from 1915 to 1959. Though the Pacific-12 Conference claims the PCC's history as part of its own, the older league had a completely different charter and was disbanded in 1959 due to a major crisis...
.
He was credited with bringing Bill Spalding to the campus as football coach and starting improvements that landed the university in the Pacific Coast Conference
Pacific Coast Conference
The Pacific Coast Conference was a college athletic conference in the United States which existed from 1915 to 1959. Though the Pacific-12 Conference claims the PCC's history as part of its own, the older league had a completely different charter and was disbanded in 1959 due to a major crisis...
. He oversaw the transition of the Associated Students organization when the university moved from the old Vermont Avenue campus to the new campus in Westwood in 1929.
In 1931 a move began at UCLA to bring in a manager who had actually graduated from the Los Angeles campus, with tennis coach William C. Ackerman as the favorite. Cunningham was offered a one-year extension on his contract, but a student protest resulted in the term being extended to two years, with Ackerman to take over at the end of that time.
In one of his final acts as graduate manager, Cunningham told a City Council session in December 1932 that UCLA would not approve a council decision to give the University of Southern California Trojans
USC Trojans
The USC Trojans are the athletic teams representing the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. While the men's teams are nicknamed the Trojans, the women's athletic teams are referred to as either the Trojans or Women of Troy...
eight preferred dates at the Los Angeles Coliseum for the succeeding ten years while the UCLA Bruins
UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for University of California, Los Angeles . The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pacific-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation . For football, they are in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I...
were to receive only five. The matter was eventually settled by agreement.
Elections
See also List of Los Angeles municipal election returns, 1933–41In 1933, Los Angeles City Council District 3 was bounded on the south by Pico Boulevard
Pico Boulevard
Pico Boulevard is a major Los Angeles street that runs from the Pacific Ocean at Appian Way in Santa Monica to Central Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles, California, USA...
, east by Highland Avenue, north by Hollywood Hills
Hollywood Hills
The Hollywood Hills is an affluent and exclusive neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, in the southeastern Santa Monica Mountains. It is bound by Laurel Canyon Boulevard to the west, Vermont Avenue to the east, Mulholland Drive to the north, and Sunset Boulevard to the south.-Hollywood Hills...
, extending west to the ocean and Santa Monica Canyon." It included the Westside and the UCLA campus.
That was the year that Cunningham ran against the incumbent 3rd District councilman James Stuart McKnight and was elected almost 3–1, with 15,698 votes against McKnight's 5,582. In December 1934, McKnight was found guilty of four counts of mailing "defamatory and libelous matter" about Cunningham through the mail and was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge [Paul John] McCormick
Paul John McCormick
Paul John McCormick was a United States federal judge.Born in New York, New York, McCormick attended St. Ignatius College, and read law to enter the bar in 1900. He was in private practice in Los Angeles, California from 1900 to 1905. He was an Assistant district attorney of Los Angeles County,...
to six months in jail, suspended for two years.
Cunningham was reelected in 1935 over the End Poverty in California candidate, James M. Carter; in 1937 and 1939 he had no opponents. In 1941 Republican Cunningham ran for mayor against Democrat 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 was defeated, 149,195 votes against Bowron's 181,582.
Controversies
1934 Cunningham introduced a council resolution that would outlaw the use of concreteConcrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
pipes in sanitary (street) sewers in favor of vitrified clay pipe
Vitrified clay pipe
Vitrified Clay Pipe is pipe made from clay that has been subjected to vitrification, a process which fuses the clay particles to a very hard, inert, glass-like state...
, noting that the concrete piping disintegrated rapidly from the effects of sewer gas
Sewer gas
Sewer gas is a complex mixture of toxic and non-toxic gases produced and collected in sewage systems by the decomposition of organic household or industrial wastes, typical components of Sewage....
.
1936 He made repeated efforts to rid Westwood Village, just south of the UCLA campus, of bookmakers who were doing business with university students. He told the City Council:
I reported the matter to the Police Commission. The police went out there, but could find only a punchboardPunchboardA punchboard is a game board, primarily consisting of a number of holes, which was used once for lottery playings.-Origin:Punchboards were originally used in the 18th century for gambling purposes. A local tavern owner would construct a game board out of wood, drill small holes in it, and fill each...
operating, for which an arrest was made. The place is still operating as a bookmaking establishment. Word was brought to me by a friend who got it from someone connected with the bookmaking business, and I was told that I would not live much longer if I kept on monkeying with bookmaking.
1937 Introducing a resolution to rewrite Los Angeles's anti-picketing ordinance, Cunningham said that
When men like Harry BridgesHarry BridgesHarry Bridges was an Australian-American union leader, in the International Longshore and Warehouse Union , a longshore and warehouse workers' union on the West Coast, Hawaii and Alaska which he helped form and led for over 40 years...
and Dave BeckDave BeckDave Beck was an American labor leader, and president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters from 1952 to 1957...
come into Los Angeles and attempt by show of force to intimidate workers and force them to join some organization or not work, then we must . . . do what we can to see that men can go about their normal pursuits in a peaceful way without interference.
Council Member Parley Parker Christensen lauded Bridges and Beck and a recent seamen's strike
SS California strike
The SS California strike was a strike aboard the ocean liner from 1 March to 4 March 1936 as the ship lay docked in San Pedro, California. The strike led to the demise of the International Seamen's Union and the creation of the National Maritime Union .-Strike:Joseph Curran was a seaman about the...
as a "magnificent demonstration" and questioned Cunningham's patriotism, to which the latter replied that he would challenge his patriotism against that of Christensen "to any proof."
1940 Considered an authority on street and highway development, Cunningham was instrumental in lobbying Governor Culbert Olson
Culbert Olson
Culbert Levy Olson was an American lawyer and politician. A Democrat, Olson was involved in Utah and California politics and was elected as the 29th Governor of California from 1939 to 1943.-Personal background:...
for approval of a Hollywood Express Highway
Hollywood Freeway
The Hollywood Freeway is one of the principal freeways of Los Angeles, California and one of the busiest in the United States. It is the principal route over the Cahuenga Pass, the primary shortcut between the Los Angeles Basin and the San Fernando Valley...
from downtown.
1940 He succeeded in killing a Federally subsidized public housing
Public housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
program in Sawtelle by a 9–6 vote in the City Council.
1941 A recording device was found in the Biltmore Apartments at 330 South Grand Avenue, with wiring leading to Cunningham's mayoralty campaign headquarters at 1031 South Broadway. A "complete log" of Cunningham's telephone calls was left on a table. Police investigation followed.
Later work
After he left the City Council, Cunningham continued to be "very well known at City Hall" as the head of Stephen W. Cunningham and Associates, zoning consultants and land use specialists, with offices at 3223 Wilshire BoulevardWilshire Boulevard
Wilshire Boulevard is one of the principal east-west arterial roads in Los Angeles, California, United States. It was named for Henry Gaylord Wilshire , an Ohio native who made and lost fortunes in real estate, farming, and gold mining. Henry Wilshire initiated what was to become Wilshire...
, at Vermont. In 1948 he was on a Los Angeles committee against "featherbedding
Featherbedding
Featherbedding is the practice of hiring more workers than are needed to perform a given job, or to adopt work procedures which appear pointless, complex and time-consuming merely to employ additional workers. The term "make-work" is sometimes used as a synonym for featherbedding.The term...
" in the railroad industry, a practice requiring extra employees on freight trains as a safety measure — favored by unions but opposed by conservatives.