Laurance L. Cross (April 13, 1892–August 27, 1966) was a

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

minister and Mayor of

Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and Emer ...

from 1947 to 1955. Cross was born in Gastonburg, Alabama. His father and two brothers were also pastors. One of his nephews is Frank M. Cross of

Harvard Divinity School Harvard Divinity School (HDS) is one of the constituent schools of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school's mission is to educate its students either in the academic study of religion or for leadership roles in religion, gov ...

, a member of the team which interpreted the

Dead Sea Scrolls The Dead Sea Scrolls (also the Qumran Caves Scrolls) are ancient Jewish and Hebrew religious manuscripts discovered between 1946 and 1956 at the Qumran Caves in what was then Mandatory Palestine, near Ein Feshkha in the West Bank, on the nor ...

. From 1924 to his death in 1966, Cross headed the Northbrae Community Church located on The Alameda between Los Angeles and

Solano Avenue Solano Avenue in Berkeley and Albany, California is a two-mile (3.2 km) long east-west street. Solano Avenue is one of the larger shopping districts in the Berkeley area. Businesses along Solano Avenue cover a wide range, including grocery ...

s. As Mayor, Cross was noted for his solid support of

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...

. On May 23, 1952, for example, he spoke out on behalf of

Paul Robeson Paul Leroy Robeson ( ; April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976) was an American bass-baritone concert artist, stage and film actor, professional football player, and activist who became famous both for his cultural accomplishments and for his p ...

's right to appear on

Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Gov ...

stages, a position which put him at odds with San Francisco Mayor

Elmer Robinson Elmer Edwin "Rob-Rob" Robinson (October 3, 1894 – June 9, 1982) was the 33rd mayor of San Francisco, California. A Republican, he served as San Francisco's mayor from January 1948 until January 1956. Robinson was born in the Richmond ...

. In 1954, he was suggested as a Democratic candidate for

Governor of California The governor of California is the head of government of the U.S. state of California. The governor is the commander-in-chief of the California National Guard and the California State Guard. Established in the Constitution of California, the g ...

, but narrowly lost the nomination to Richard Graves at the state party convention.California Democrats in the Earl Warren Era
/ref> Cross married Erma Gilbert in 1920. They had six children. He died in 1966 and was interred in his family's burial plot in

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...

. His wife died at the age of 99 on April 22, 1990.

References

* ''Berkeley Gazette'', August 29, 1966 * US Census, California, Alameda County, 1930

External links

Laurence L. Cross Memorial Chapel, Northbrae Community Church
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cross, Laurance L. American Presbyterian ministers Mayors of Berkeley, California People from Wilcox County, Alabama 1892 births 1990 deaths 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American clergy