Bill Greene
American politician
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William Bradshaw Greene Jr. (November 15, 1930 – December 2, 2002) was an American politician. He served as a Democratic member of the California State Assembly and the California State Senate, representing South Central Los Angeles, Watts, Bell, Compton, Cudahy, Huntington Park and South Gate for twenty-five years.
Bill Greene | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 1975 | |
| Member of the California Senate | |
| In office December 3, 1984 – November 30, 1992 | |
| Preceded by | Robert G. Beverly |
| Succeeded by | Robert G. Beverly |
| Constituency | 27th district |
| In office April 7, 1975 – November 30, 1984 | |
| Preceded by | Mervyn Dymally |
| Succeeded by | Robert G. Beverly |
| Constituency | 29th district |
| Member of the California State Assembly | |
| In office December 2, 1974 – April 7, 1975 | |
| Preceded by | Frank D. Lanterman |
| Succeeded by | Teresa Patterson Hughes |
| Constituency | 47th district |
| In office January 2, 1967 – November 30, 1974 | |
| Preceded by | Mervyn Dymally |
| Succeeded by | Paul Bannai |
| Constituency | 53rd district |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Bradshaw Greene Jr. November 15, 1930 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | December 2, 2002 (aged 72) Sacramento, California, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Yvonne LaFargue |
| Children | 2 daughters |
| Education | University of Michigan |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service |  United States Air Force |
Early life
Greene was born on November 15, 1930, in Kansas City, Missouri.[1]
Greene attended the University of Michigan.[1] During the Civil Rights Movement, he demonstrated alongside Julian Bond, Stokely Carmichael and James Farmer, and he was jailed in Mississippi and Louisiana for his activism.[1]
Career
Greene started his career as an assistant to Jesse M. Unruh.[1] He was the first African American to work as an assistant in the California State Assembly.[1] He was also a lobbyist for the Service Employees International Union.[1]
Greene served as a Democratic member of the California State Assembly from 1967 to 1975.[1] He served as a member of the California State Senate from 1975 to 1992.[1] He succeeded Mervyn M. Dymally, another African-American politician, in both houses.[1] In the Senate, he represented "South-Central Los Angeles, Watts, Bell, Compton, Cudahy, Huntington Park and South Gate".[2] He served as the chairman of the Senate Industrial Relations Committee.[2] However, in 1989-1991, he "missed more than 50% of Senate votes" due to poor health, which led to his retirement.[2]
The Bill Greene Sports Complex in Cudahy was named in his honor in 1991.[3]
Personal life
Greene married Yvonne LaFargue.[1] They had two daughters, Alisa Rochelle and Jan Andrea.
Death
Greene died on December 2, 2002, at the Kaiser South Sacramento Medical Center in Sacramento, California.[1]