Andrew Boyle Workman (September 20, 1868 – December 25, 1942) was a Los Angeles
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...
and
businessman
A businessperson, businessman, or businesswoman is an individual who has founded, owns, or holds shares in (including as an angel investor) a private-sector company. A businessperson undertakes activities (commercial or industrial) for the ...
. He served as President of the
Los Angeles City Council
The Los Angeles City Council is the legislative body of the City of Los Angeles in California.
The council is composed of 15 members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The president of the council and the president pro tem ...
and, as such, was acting
Mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
on occasion. He was the first
city council
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...
man to represent District 4 (Wilshire ward), under the new charter of 1925. He was a
candidate
A candidate, or nominee, is the prospective recipient of an award or honor, or a person seeking or being considered for some kind of position; for example:
* to be elected to an office — in this case a candidate selection procedure occurs.
* ...
for mayor in 1929.
Early life
Boyle Workman was born in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
, the son of
William H. Workman (1839–1918) and Maria Elizabeth Boyle (1847–1933). He attended
St. Vincent's College, which then stood at Seventh Street and
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
. From his home in
Boyle Heights
Boyle is an English, Irish and Scottish surname of Gaelic, Anglo-Saxon or Norman origin. In the northwest of Ireland it is one of the most common family names. Notable people with the surname include:
Disambiguation
*Adam Boyle (disambiguation), ...
, he rode horseback to school. In 1884, he entered
Santa Clara College
Santa Clara University is a private Jesuit university in Santa Clara, California. Established in 1851, Santa Clara University is the oldest operating institution of higher learning in California. The university's campus surrounds the historic ...
for a time, but returned to St. Vincent's College and graduated in 1887.
Los Angeles business and politics
After leaving school, Boyle worked as a clerk for his father who was
Mayor of Los Angeles from December 14, 1886, to December 10, 1888. When his father left office, Boyle worked as a clerk in the Farmers & Merchants Bank, and later was local manager for the Home Mutual Fire Insurance Company. In 1891, he worked as a draftsman in the Los Angeles City Engineer's office.
From 1900 to 1907, Workman was Assistant City Treasurer. He was a member of the
Public Service Commission from 1913 until 1917. Two years later, on July 7, 1919, he was elected to the City Council and was chosen president of that body. In 1925, he became the councilman elected to represent the newly formed
District 4 District 4 can refer to:
* District 4, Düsseldorf, in Germany
* District 4, Grand Bassa County, in Liberia
* District 4 (Ho Chi Minh City), in Vietnam
* District 4 (New York City Council), in the United States
*IV District, Turku
The IV Distr ...
, which included
Pico Heights and the
Wilshire ward, where he lived.
Workman served as City Council President, and Councilman of District 4, until 1927. He was also a member of the Finance Committee of the City Council. In 1929, he made a run for the Mayoral seat, losing in a close election. He was also actively involved in business, including ownership of the Monarch Brick Company, the fire insurance firm of Garland and Workman, and the vice-presidency of the American Savings Bank.
Family life
Workman and Martha Frances Widney (June 17, 1874 – July 3, 1971) were married on November 17, 1895, in Los Angeles. Frances was the daughter of
Judge Robert M. Widney (1838–1929) and Mary Barnes (1844–1924). The Workmans had two daughters, Eleanor Workman (March 24, 1897 – February 29, 1972) and Audree Workman (February 3, 1904 – August 1, 1932).
After he retired from official public life, Workman devoted much of his time to collecting data on the history of Los Angeles, a work that culminated in his book ''Boyle Workman's The City That Grew'', a semi-autobiographical narrative that was published in 1936.
Boyle Workman died at age 74 of a brain hemorrhage in Los Angeles. He is interred in
Evergreen Cemetery.
[''Los Angeles Times'', Dec. 29, 1942, "Boyle Workman Laid to Rest --- Civic Notables Attend Funeral Ceremony for Former Official," p. A8.]
See also
*
Boyle-Workman family
*
List of Los Angeles municipal election returns
This is an incomplete list of Los Angeles municipal election returns. In general, they are the semiofficial returns as provided to the public by the city clerk's office. The list does not include Board of Education races, municipal judgeships, b ...
*
Los Angeles City Council presidents
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Workman, Boyle
1868 births
1942 deaths
Businesspeople from Los Angeles
Presidents of the Los Angeles City Council
People from Boyle Heights, Los Angeles
Burials at Evergreen Cemetery, Los Angeles