David Surmier Cunningham Jr. (June 24, 1935 – November 15, 2017) was a business executive who was elected to the
Los Angeles City Council
The Los Angeles City Council is the legislative body of the Los Angeles, 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 Los Angeles City Counc ...
to replace
Tom Bradley, who had been elected mayor that year. He represented the
10th district until 1987, when he resigned.
Biography
Cunningham was born in
Chicago, Illinois
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, coordinates =
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, to Eula Mae Lawson Cunningham and David S. Cunningham Sr. He received an associate degree from
Stowe Teachers College in
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...
, and was in the
U.S. Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
as a
cartographer
Cartography (; from grc, χάρτης , "papyrus, sheet of paper, map"; and , "write") is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an im ...
until 1960. He earned a bachelor's degree in political science and economics from the
University of California, Riverside
The University of California, Riverside (UCR or UC Riverside) is a public land-grant research university in Riverside, California. It is one of the ten campuses of the University of California system. The main campus sits on in a suburban distr ...
, in 1962; the following year he did an internship with the Coro Foundation intership program in Public Affairs after which he served as Administrative Aide to Assemblyman
Charles Warren
General Sir Charles Warren, (7 February 1840 – 21 January 1927) was an officer in the British Royal Engineers. He was one of the earliest European archaeologists of the Biblical Holy Land, and particularly of the Temple Mount. Much of his mi ...
while attending
Loyola Law School
Loyola Law School is the law school of Loyola Marymount University, a private Catholic university in Los Angeles, California. Loyola was established in 1920.
Academics
Degrees offered include the Juris Doctor (JD); Master of Science in Legal ...
in Los Angeles. Subsequently, he then moved to
Lagos
Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the List of cities in Africa by population, second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national ca ...
,
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
, to become West Africa regional manager for the DuKane Corporation. After leaving Nigeria after 2 years, he was manager of community relations for
Hughes
Hughes may refer to:
People
* Hughes (surname)
* Hughes (given name)
Places Antarctica
* Hughes Range (Antarctica), Ross Dependency
* Mount Hughes, Oates Land
* Hughes Basin, Oates Land
* Hughes Bay, Graham Land
* Hughes Bluff, Victoria La ...
. In 1968 in concert with Ted Short, they founded the Los Angeles consulting firm of Cunningham Short and Associates. In 1969, Ron Berryman join the firm renaming the consulting group Cunningham Short Berryman and Associates. 1972 David Cunningham earned a master's degree in
urban studies
Urban studies is based on the study of the urban development of cities. This includes studying the history of city development from an architectural point of view, to the impact of urban design on community development efforts. The core theoretica ...
from
Occidental College
Occidental College (informally Oxy) is a private liberal arts college in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1887 as a coeducational college by clergy and members of the Presbyterian Church, it became non-sectarian in 1910. It is one of the oldes ...
.
[Narda Z. Trout, "Cunningham Elected to Bradley's Council Seat," ''Los Angeles Times,'' September 19, 1973, pages 3-C and 29-C]
/ref>
/ref>[ ttp://www.thehistorymakers.com/biography/biography.asp?bioindex=1233&category=PoliticalMakers The History Makers (website), interviewed October 5, 2005/ref>
He and his first wife, Bessie Marie, had a son— ]David III
David III Kuropalates (, ''Davit’ III Kurapalati'') or David III the Great (დავით III დიდი, ''Davit’ III Didi''), also known as David II, (c. 930s – 1000/1001) was a Georgian prince of the Bagratid family of Tao, a histori ...
. With his second wife, LaFern, Leslie June and Robyn Elaine were born. He lived in Baldwin Hills Baldwin Hills may refer to:
Places
* Baldwin Hills (mountain range), Los Angeles County, California, U.S.
* Baldwin Hills, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in South Los Angeles, California, U.S.
* Baldwin Village, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in South Lo ...
, which was outside the 10th District, until June before his 1973 campaign for City Council, when he moved into an apartment in the district.[
In 1977, he married Sylvia Kapel.
He was vice president of Cunningham, Short, Berryman and Associates, a consulting firm specializing in governmental and economic problems before his election to the City Council.][
A government center on west Washington Boulevard is named David S. Cunningham Jr. Multi-service Senior Center in his honor.][ He was president of the board of directors of the UC Riverside Alumni Association in 2010–11.
He died on November 15, 2017 at ]Kaiser Permanente Hospital
Kaiser Permanente (; KP), commonly known simply as Kaiser, is an American integrated managed care consortium, based in Oakland, California, United States, founded in 1945 by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and physician Sidney Garfield. Kaiser Pe ...
in Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
.
He was preceded in death by his sisters, Nancy Jane (Cunningham) Freeman and Elnora (Cunningham) Hammond. He was survived by one brother, Ronald, his wife, Sylvia; three sons, David Surmier III, Sean Kingsley, and Brian Alexander, three daughters, Leslie June, Robyn Elaine, and Amber Brittany.
City Council
Geography and population
In the early 1970s, the 10th District included "parts of the Leimert Park
Leimert Park (; ) is a neighborhood in the South Los Angeles region of Los Angeles, California.
Developed in the 1920s as a mainly residential community, it features Spanish Colonial Revival homes and tree-lined streets. The Life Magazine/Lei ...
, Crenshaw Crenshaw may refer to:
Places in the United States
*Crenshaw, Los Angeles
**Crenshaw High School
*Crenshaw County, Alabama
*Crenshaw, Mississippi
*Crenshaw, Pennsylvania
Transportation
*Crenshaw Boulevard
*Crenshaw station (C Line, Los Angeles Met ...
, Wilshire, West Adams
West Adams is a historic neighborhood in the South Los Angeles region of Los Angeles, California. The area is known for its large number of historic buildings, structures and notable houses and mansions throughout Los Angeles. It is a youth ...
, and Fairfax areas." It ran from "Olympic Blvd. on the north, to La Cienega Blvd.
La Cienega Boulevard is a major north–south arterial road that runs between El Segundo Boulevard in Hawthorne, California on the south and the Sunset Strip/Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, California, West Hollywood to the north. It was na ...
and Cattaraugus Ave. on the west, to Rodeo Road and Jefferson and Adams Blvds. on the south, to the Harbor Freeway
A harbor (American English), harbour (British English; see spelling differences), or haven is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is a ...
on the east." The district was 50 percent black, 12 percent Asian-American, 12 percent Mexican-American, 20 percent Jewish, 5 percent Caucasian, and less than 1 percent American Indian.[
]
Elections
In 1973, Cunningham, 38, was endorsed by Mayor Bradley for the latter's old seat on the City Council in a special election held on September 18, 1973, his chief opponents being Herbert Carter, 40, former executive secretary of the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations and actor George Takei
George Takei (; ja, ジョージ・タケイ; born Hosato Takei (武井 穂郷), April 20, 1937) is an American actor, author and activist known for his role as Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the fictional starship USS ''Enterprise'' in the televi ...
, 36, "familiar to many voters through his role of Sulu
Sulu (), officially the Province of Sulu (Tausug language, Tausūg: ''Wilāya sin Lupa' Sūg''; tl, Lalawigan ng Sulu), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines in the Sulu Archipelago and part of the Bangsamoro, Bangsamor ...
on television's 'Star Trek
''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
'" series. Other candidates included Juanita Dudley, 43, former assistant regional director of the Urban League; Jordan Daniels Jr., 48, former administrative assistant to Assemblyman Henry Waxman
Henry Arnold Waxman (born September 12, 1939) is an American politician who served as a U.S. representative from California from 1975 to 2015. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
His district included much of the western part of the city of L ...
, and Joseph Evanns, 35, a patent attorney.[Narda Z. Trout, "Takei Moving Up in Council Race," ''Los Angeles Times,'' September 8, 1973, page 25]
/ref>
The results of the election, in which only a plurality was needed to win, were Cunningham, 8,199 votes; Takei, 6,552; Daniels, 2,412, and the others trailing.[ Cunningham reported spending $62,766 in the campaign, compared with Takei's reported $31,228, and Porter's $26,365. His major reported contributor was ]Lloyd Rigler
Lloyd Eugene Rigler (May 3, 1915December 7, 2003) was an American businessman and philanthropist. As a businessman, he and a partner, Lawrence E. Deutsch, made Adolph's Meat Tenderizer a national brand. One of his notable philanthropic efforts wa ...
, whose food company, Adolphs, gave $3,000.
When he ran for re-election in 1975, he was described as "on his way to becoming the City Council's most prominent liberal." He got "consistently high marks from clean-air groups, and he has publicly battled for fluoridated water
Water fluoridation is the controlled adjustment of fluoride to a public water supply solely to reduce tooth decay. Fluoridated water contains fluoride at a level that is effective for preventing cavities; this can occur naturally or by adding ...
and a ban on oil drilling in Santa Monica Bay
Santa Monica Bay is a bight (geography), bight of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, United States. Its boundaries are slightly ambiguous, but it is generally considered to be the part of the Pacific within an imaginary line drawn betwe ...
. He has also suggested the city cut off funding to the Los Angeles Unified School District
Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is a public school district in Los Angeles, California, United States. It is the largest public school system in California in terms of number of students and the 2nd largest public school district in ...
unless it desegregates its schools." He was opposed by Warren Bradley, 49, a businessman, and Douglas MacMillan, a civil engineer. The results were Cunningham, 3,571 votes; Bradley, 1,621, and MacMillan, 648.
Warren Bradley filed petitions with 5,936 signatures seeking Cunningham's recall in December 1975, based, among other things, on Cunningham's backing of fluoridation in city water and "support of neighborhood half-way houses in the district for convicts and drug addicts." Only 2,472 signatures were proved valid, and the recall effort failed.
In 1978, Cunningham ran for the "hotly contested" 28th Congressional District seat against Assemblyman Julian C. Dixon
Julian Carey Dixon (August 8, 1934 – December 8, 2000) was an American Democratic politician from California who was a member of the California State Assembly from 1973 to 1978 and then a member of the United States House of Representative ...
and State Senator Nate Holden
Nathaniel N. "Nate" Holden (born June 19, 1929) is a Los Angeles County politician who served four years in the California State Senate and 16 years on the Los Angeles City Council.
Biography
Upbringing, education and family
Holden was born in ...
. He lost the Democratic primary to Dixon, who had 42,350 votes; Holden, 29,588; Mayor Merle Hergell of Inglewood, 6,457; and Cunningham, 5,255.
Holden and Cunningham again opposed each other in 1979, when Holden challenged the incumbent councilman for his 10th District seat. Cunningham won by 9,116 votes (51.6 percent) to 7,505 (42.5 percent).
Activities
In March 1976, Cunningham and City Councilman Arthur K. Snyder narrowly averted fisticuffs
Bare-knuckle boxing (or simply bare-knuckle) is a combat sport which involves two individuals throwing punches at each other for a predetermined amount of time without any boxing gloves or other form of padding on their hands. It is a regulated ...
"in an explosive climax to a debate over assistance to small
Small may refer to:
Science and technology
* SMALL, an ALGOL-like programming language
* Small (anatomy), the lumbar region of the back
* ''Small'' (journal), a nano-science publication
* <small>, an HTML element that defines smaller text ...
and minority businesses in the city." The two council members swore at each other but were separated by the council's sergeant-at-arms
A serjeant-at-arms, or sergeant-at-arms, is an officer appointed by a deliberative body, usually a legislature, to keep order during its meetings. The word "serjeant" is derived from the Latin ''serviens'', which means "servant". Historically, s ...
.
In September 1976, Cunningham withdrew a proposal he had submitted that his press relations and public affairs be handled by a new firm whose members included a former aide of his and two other ex-city employees. City Clerk Rex E. Layton said he had "never seen that type of contract before at City Hall."
Cunningham became involved in a "nose-to-nose confrontation" with Councilman Louis Nowell in the City Council chamber in March 1977 after the council, by a vote of 8-4, passed a resolution against "forced busing
Race-integration busing in the United States (also known simply as busing, Integrated busing or by its critics as forced busing) was the practice of assigning and transporting students to schools within or outside their local school districts in ...
" in Los Angeles, the practice of transporting schoolchildren far from their homes for the purpose of racial desegregation
Desegregation is the process of ending the separation of two groups, usually referring to races. Desegregation is typically measured by the index of dissimilarity, allowing researchers to determine whether desegregation efforts are having impact o ...
. He assailed the majority as "stupid" and called them "white bastards." He called Nowell "the greatest racist in the world" and told the San Fernando Valley councilman, who was campaigning to become city controller
Controller may refer to:
Occupations
* Controller or financial controller, or in government accounting comptroller, a senior accounting position
* Controller, someone who performs agent handling in espionage
* Air traffic controller, a person ...
, that "I'll give you all the trouble you can take if you do get elected. . . . you hate me simply because I'm black." A resolution of censure against Cunningham was proposed by Nowell at a later meeting; it was referred to a committee.
Cunningham agreed to pay $1,178 to the city in December 1977 when it was discovered that Beverly Hills publicist Leonard Herring had been placing telephone calls from his home telephone on behalf of a fund-raising dinner and charging them to Cunningham's City Hall number. Cunningham denied he had given permission.
The councilman was said to have gained new "clout," or influence, when the City Council adopted a "trail-blazing" policy calling for its Grants, Housing and Community Development Committee, chaired by Cunningham, to oversee the distribution of millions of dollars in federal and state housing grants. Cunningham was able to sponsor a $500-a-plate fund-raising dinner, which "gained him entry into an exclusive council club consisting only of Arthur K. Snyder and Zev Yaroslavsky
Zev Yaroslavsky (born December 21, 1948) is a politician from Los Angeles County, California. He was a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors from District 3, which includes the San Fernando Valley, the Westside of Los Angeles and ...
, the only other council members who have charged that much for an event." He later gave $60,000 of his campaign funds to the war chest of his ally, Mayor Bradley.
In August 1986, an investigative report by the ''Los Angeles Times'' listed Cunningham as third on a list of City Council members who had received campaign contributions from investment bankers
Investment banking pertains to certain activities of a financial services company or a corporate division that consist in advisory-based financial transactions on behalf of individuals, corporations, and governments. Traditionally associated with ...
and bond lawyers, a total of $29,200 after $36,600 to Gilbert Lindsay
Gilbert William Lindsay (November 29, 1900 – December 28, 1990), also known as Gil Lindsay, was a Los Angeles, California, politician who worked his way up from City Hall janitor to become the city's first black City Council member and one of i ...
and $31,450 to John Ferraro
John Ferraro (May 14, 1924 – April 17, 2001) was an American politician and businessman who was a Democratic member of the Los Angeles City Council from 1966 until his death in 2001, the longest tenure of any member in the city's history. Befo ...
. The ''Times'' cited a "growing link between city politics and the bond business." Cunningham resigned from the City Council on September 30, 1986, and went to work for Cranston Securities Company as a vice president on October 15.Victor Merina, "Cunningham Joins Securities Firm, Will Work in L.A.,' ''Los Angeles Times,'' October 24, 1986, page B-3
/ref>
References
Access to the ''Los Angeles Times'' links may require the use of a library card.
External links
LinkedIn page
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Cunningham, David S. Jr.
1935 births
2017 deaths
African-American city council members in California
California Democrats
Los Angeles City Council members
People from South Los Angeles
People from Baldwin Hills, Los Angeles
20th-century African-American people
21st-century African-American people