Beverly Joy O'Neill (née Lewis; September 8, 1930) is an American politician. She served as mayor of

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

from 1994 to 2006. She is the only three-term citywide elected mayor of Long Beach, having won her third term as a write-in candidate because of Long Beach's term limits law preventing a two-term mayor from appearing on the ballot.

Life and career

O'Neill is a graduate of

Long Beach Polytechnic High School Long Beach Polytechnic High School, founded in 1895 as Long Beach High School, is a four-year public high school located at 1600 Atlantic Avenue in Long Beach, California, United States. The school serves portions of Long Beach, including Bixby ...

, and an alumnus of both

California State University, Long Beach California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) is a public research university in Long Beach, California. The 322-acre campus is the second largest of the 23-school California State University system (CSU) and one of the largest universities i ...

(B.A. 1952, M.A. 1956) and

USC USC most often refers to: * University of South Carolina, a public research university ** University of South Carolina System, the main university and its satellite campuses **South Carolina Gamecocks, the school athletic program * University of ...

(

Ed.D. The Doctor of Education (Ed.D. or D.Ed.; Latin ''Educationis Doctor'' or ''Doctor Educationis'') is (depending on region and university) a research or professional doctoral degree that focuses on the field of education. It prepares the holder for a ...

1977). O'Neill's parents moved from

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...

to Long Beach before she was born. She married her high school beau, Bill, in 1952. O'Neill spent 31 years at

Long Beach City College Long Beach City College (LBCC) is a public community college in Long Beach, California. It was established in 1927 and is divided into two campuses, the Liberal Arts Campus in Lakewood Village and the Pacific Coast Campus in central Long Beach ...

, beginning as a music instructor and women's advisor, and rising to the level of superintendent-president. From 2005 to 2006, she served as President of the

United States Conference of Mayors The United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) is the official non-partisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. The cities are each represented by their mayors or other chief elected officials. The organization was founded i ...

. The Beverly O'Neill Theater within the

Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center The Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center is a convention center located in Long Beach, California. Built on the former site of the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium, the venue is composed of the Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach Ar ...

is named for her.

References

External links

* 1930 births Living people Mayors of Long Beach, California Women mayors of places in California California State University, Long Beach alumni Presidents of the United States Conference of Mayors 21st-century American women Long Beach Polytechnic High School alumni {{California-mayor-stub