Percival "Percy" James Benbough (April 14, 1884 – November 4, 1942) was an American Republican

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, a ...

from

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. Percy Benbough was born 1884 near

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and came to

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

when he was four. At first he ran a grocery store and men's clothing store. After his father's death he ran and expanded his father's mortuary business. Benbough was elected councilman and served during 1913–1917, where he was also superintendent of the fire department. He ran for mayor in 1927 but lost. In 1931 Benbough was appointed police chief, where he transferred people to break up cliques to help fight corruption then existing in the police department. After only three months as chief he resigned, due to frustration in removing entrenched corruption. Benbough was elected mayor of San Diego in 1935 and reelected 1939. Part of his accomplishments as mayor was to help prepare the city for

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. He died in office on November 4, 1942, the only San Diego mayor to die in office. Benbough is entombed at Cypress View Mausoleum. Benbough and his wife Grace Legler Benbough had two sons. She was born December 8, 1881, and died October 12, 1961, in San Diego. Their son Percy J., Jr. was killed in a plane crash February 20, 1932 at age 25. They also had at least one other son, Lt. (jg) George Benbough, USNR. The San Diego Historical Society's ''Percy Benbough Award for Distinction in Government Leadership'' honors Benbough. The Grace Benbough Room of Sharp Mary Birch Hospital in San Diego honors his wife, and was made possible by their son's legacy, the Legler Benbough Foundation.

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:Don't let your money go to anyone who claims he can fix you at City Hall. We are going to get rid of the chiseler and the rat and we need your help. . . . If you insist on doing an illegal business—and mind you, I am not telling you it is all right—take your chances. . . . It will break you if you have to pay protection money and fines, too. California Pacific International Exposition.

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