Thomas Edwin Caldecott (July 27, 1878 – July 23, 1951) was a

pharmacist A pharmacist, also known as a chemist (Commonwealth English) or a druggist (North American and, archaically, Commonwealth English), is a healthcare professional who prepares, controls and distributes medicines and provides advice and instructi ...

and

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 1923, Caldecott served in politics in

Alameda County, California Alameda County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,682,353, making it the 7th-most populous county in the state and 21st most populous nationally. The county seat is Oakland. Al ...

in the

San Francisco 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 Go ...

until 1951. The Caldecott Tunnel which is a key highway link through the

Berkeley Hills The Berkeley Hills are a range of the Pacific Coast Ranges that overlook the northeast side of the valley that encompasses San Francisco Bay. They were previously called the "Contra Costa Range/Hills" (from the original Spanish ''Sierra de la C ...

is named after him. Caldecott was born in

Chester, England Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

on July 27, 1878. Both of his parents were

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

. The family immigrated to

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

about 1882. Caldecott grew up in Canada, and obtained a pharmacy degree from the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...

in 1900. Thomas and his brother visited

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 ...

, and shortly thereafter in 1903, moved their entire family there. That same year, Caldecott bought a pharmacy at Dwight Way and

Shattuck Avenue Shattuck Avenue is a major city street running north–south through Berkeley, California, and Oakland, California. At its southern end, the street branches from Telegraph Avenue in Oakland's Temescal district, then ends at Indian Rock Park i ...

, later moved to Ashby Avenue and Adeline Street in the Webb Block, a building which was designated a local landmark in 2004. In 1910, Caldecott married Australian-born nurse Eveline Grooms (1888–1977), who worked at Berkeley's

Alta Bates Hospital Sutter Health Alta Bates Summit Medical Center is located in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. Its three hospital campuses are located in Berkeley (Alta Bates Campus, Herrick Campus) and Oakland (Summit Campus). Alta Bates Summit is a non ...

. They had three children: Chester Edwin (1911–1984; an attorney), Thomas William (1914–1994; a judge and state assemblyman), and Elizabeth Fanny ("Betty") (1918–1983; an army nurse and lieutenant). Caldecott was elected to the City Council of Berkeley in 1923. In 1930, he was appointed to fill out the remaining term of Mayor Michael B. Driver. He then successfully ran for the office of Mayor in 1931, serving until December 1932. He was then elected as a supervisor on the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, serving from 1933 until his death in 1951. He was chairman of the board in 1945–46. In 1948, he formed the Alameda County Highway Committee, "to solve sectional differences over highway problems." He was also instrumental in establishing a new Alameda County Juvenile Hall, which was completed after his death. Caldecott served as the president of Joint Highway District 13, which oversaw the construction of the multi-bore Broadway Low Level Tunnel through the

east of San Francisco Bay. When opened in 1937, it was the longest tunnel in the State of California, and accomplished the opening up of the entire region east of the hills as a major suburb of the Bay Area. At an event that year, Caldecott was honored "as the man responsible for the success of the project". In 1941, Caldecott was publicly commended for his "untiring efforts" in bringing the project to a successful completion. In 1960, the tunnel was re-named the "Caldecott Tunnel", in recognition of his leadership on the project.''California Highways and Public Works'', Official Journal of the Division of Highways, Department of Public Works, State of California, Vol.39, Nos.9-10, September-October, 1960, p.60
/ref> Caldecott died of a heart attack at his Berkeley home on July 23, 1951.

References

* ''Berkeley Gazette'', July 24, 1951 (obituary with biography) Mayors of Berkeley, California People from Chester University of Toronto alumni British emigrants to the United States 1878 births 1951 deaths {{California-mayor-stub