Dymally was the first Trinidadian to serve California as State Senator and Lieutenant Governor. He was one of the first persons of Dougla (mixed African and Indian) origin to serve in the U.S. Congress.
Edward W. Brooke III (R-MA) had been elected Attorney General of Massachusetts in 1962 and 1964, and was elected to the United States Senate from Massachusetts in 1966 and 1972. Dymally was the second African-American to hold statewide office in California, following Wilson Riles who served as California Superintendent of Public Instruction starting in 1971.
In the tightly contested race for Lt. Governor in 1978, Dymally's bid for re-election was derailed when Michael Franchetti, an aide to State Senator George Deukmejian, floated a false rumor that Dymally was about to be indicted. The story, coming days before the election, harmed the Dymally campaign, and Dymally lost to Republican Mike Curb.
Franchetti later said that the source of the rumor was a Los Angeles Times reporter, who called the Justice Department trying to confirm its authenticity. Franchetti could not substantiate the rumor but included it in a report.[7] The report was passed to Curb's office with the rumor part erased, after which it moved to broadcaster Bill Stout who announced it as fact on Los Angeles radio station KNX (AM) and its CBS affiliates. (Stout's wife worked for Curb.)[8] Then-Attorney General Younger filed a letter of reprimand in Franchetti's personnel records, accusing him of a breach of responsibility.[7]
In the 1990s, Dymally served as a paid lobbyist for the country of Mauritania, attempting to present the country as engaged in abolishing every remnant of slavery.[11]
Dymally came out of retirement and returned to the California State Assembly in 2002 when Assemblyman Carl Washington was term limited. He served for six years and then ran for the State Senate in 2008. However, he was defeated in the Democratic primary for State Senate election by Rod Wright. He died in Los Angeles and is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City.[12][13]
^Mervyn Dymally profile, JoinCalifornia.com; accessed September 23, 2021.
^"George L. Brown, 79; First Black to Hold Statewide Office in U.S." Los Angeles Times. 2006-04-05. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
^ abc . Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Archived from the original on 2012-12-11. Retrieved 2012-10-08.
^Carr, Elston L. (1997), Oral History Interview with Mervyn M. Dymally, Volume 1, California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, p. 7, retrieved July 5, 2020
^ "A Brief History..." The Upsilon of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated. Retrieved 2012-10-08.
^Merl, Jean (2012-10-08). "Mervyn M. Dymally dies; former California congressman was 86". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
^ abStewart, Jocelyn Y. (February 22, 2007) "Obituaries: Michael Franchetti, 64; financial advisor to former Gov. Deukmejian", Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 12, 2009.
^Carr, Elston L. (1997). "Oral History Interview with Mervyn M. Dymally". California State Archives. State Government Oral History Program, Volume 1.
^ abcFlynn, Daniel (2011-11-17) The Original Kool-Aid Drinkers, The American Conservative. Accessed September 5, 2022.
^ John Nichols (2016). "The Genius of Impeachment: The Founders' Cure for Royalism". The New Press. ISBN9781595587350. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
^Elinor Burkett, "'God Created Me To Be a Slave,'" The New York Times Magazine, October 12, 1997, pg. 58.
^. Archived from the original on 2012-12-11. Retrieved 2012-10-08.
^Yardley, William (October 9, 2012). "Mervyn M. Dymally, Who Broke Racial Barriers in California, Dies at 86". The New York Times.
mervyn, dymally, mervyn, malcolm, dymally, 1926, october, 2012, american, politician, from, california, served, california, state, assembly, 1963, 1966, california, state, senate, 1967, 1975, 41st, lieutenant, governor, california, 1975, 1979, house, represent. Mervyn Malcolm Dymally May 12 1926 October 7 2012 was an American politician from California He served in the California State Assembly 1963 1966 and the California State Senate 1967 1975 as the 41st Lieutenant Governor of California 1975 1979 and in the U S House of Representatives 1981 1993 Dymally returned to politics a decade later to serve in the California State Assembly 2003 2008 1 Mervyn DymallyMember of the California State Assembly from the 52nd districtIn office December 7 2002 December 1 2008Preceded byCarl WashingtonSucceeded byIsadore Hall IIIMember of the U S House of Representatives from California s 31st districtIn office January 3 1981 January 3 1993Preceded byCharles H WilsonSucceeded byWalter R Tucker III redistricted 41st Lieutenant Governor of CaliforniaIn office January 6 1975 January 8 1979GovernorJerry BrownPreceded byJohn L HarmerSucceeded byMike CurbMember of the California Senate from the 29th districtIn office January 2 1967 January 6 1975Preceded byVernon SturgeonSucceeded byBill GreeneMember of the California State Assembly from the 53rd districtIn office January 7 1963 January 2 1967Preceded byMontivel BurkeSucceeded byBill GreenePersonal detailsBornMervyn Malcolm Dymally 1926 05 12 May 12 1926Cedros Trinidad and TobagoDiedOctober 7 2012 2012 10 07 aged 86 Los Angeles California U S Resting placeHoly Cross CemeteryPolitical partyDemocraticSpouse s Amentha WilkesAlice GuenoChildren2EducationCalifornia State University Los Angeles BA California State University Sacramento MA Alliant International University San Diego PhD Dymally was the first Trinidadian to serve California as State Senator and Lieutenant Governor He was one of the first persons of Dougla mixed African and Indian origin to serve in the U S Congress In 1974 he and George L Brown became among the first African Americans elected to statewide state office since Oscar Dunn did so during Reconstruction 2 Edward W Brooke III R MA had been elected Attorney General of Massachusetts in 1962 and 1964 and was elected to the United States Senate from Massachusetts in 1966 and 1972 Dymally was the second African American to hold statewide office in California following Wilson Riles who served as California Superintendent of Public Instruction starting in 1971 Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Career 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksEarly life and education EditBorn in Cedros Trinidad and Tobago Dymally first received his secondary education at Naparima College before transferring to Saint Benedict s College both in San Fernando He is of Dougla mixed African and Indian descent 3 4 He moved to the United States to study journalism at Lincoln University in Jefferson City Missouri After a semester there he moved to the greater Los Angeles area to attend Chapman University and completed a Bachelor of Arts in education at California State University Los Angeles in 1954 3 Dymally became a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity in 1949 5 Dymally became a U S citizen in 1957 6 In 1969 while serving in the California State Legislature he earned a master s degree in government from California State University Sacramento Dymally earned his doctorate in human behavior from United States International University in San Diego now Alliant International University 3 Career EditIn the tightly contested race for Lt Governor in 1978 Dymally s bid for re election was derailed when Michael Franchetti an aide to State Senator George Deukmejian floated a false rumor that Dymally was about to be indicted The story coming days before the election harmed the Dymally campaign and Dymally lost to Republican Mike Curb Franchetti later said that the source of the rumor was a Los Angeles Times reporter who called the Justice Department trying to confirm its authenticity Franchetti could not substantiate the rumor but included it in a report 7 The report was passed to Curb s office with the rumor part erased after which it moved to broadcaster Bill Stout who announced it as fact on Los Angeles radio station KNX AM and its CBS affiliates Stout s wife worked for Curb 8 Then Attorney General Younger filed a letter of reprimand in Franchetti s personnel records accusing him of a breach of responsibility 7 Dymally was an old friend of Peoples Temple founder Jim Jones 9 When Jones decided to move his congregation to Jonestown Guyana Dymally wrote the Guyanese prime minister to reassure him that Jones was an upstanding citizen 9 The Jonestown compound would be the site of the mass suicide of over 900 people on November 18 1978 9 In 1983 he joined with seven other Congressional Representatives to sponsor a resolution to impeach Ronald Reagan over his sudden and unexpected invasion of Grenada 10 In the 1990s Dymally served as a paid lobbyist for the country of Mauritania attempting to present the country as engaged in abolishing every remnant of slavery 11 Dymally came out of retirement and returned to the California State Assembly in 2002 when Assemblyman Carl Washington was term limited He served for six years and then ran for the State Senate in 2008 However he was defeated in the Democratic primary for State Senate election by Rod Wright He died in Los Angeles and is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City 12 13 Mervyn M Dymally Senior High School at 88th street and San Pedro in South Central Los Angeles part of the Los Angeles Unified School District is named in his honor See also Edit nbsp California portal nbsp Politics portalList of African American United States representatives List of Asian Americans and Pacific Islands Americans in the United States Congress List of minority governors and lieutenant governors in the United StatesReferences Edit Mervyn Dymally profile JoinCalifornia com accessed September 23 2021 George L Brown 79 First Black to Hold Statewide Office in U S Los Angeles Times 2006 04 05 Retrieved 2008 09 15 a b c Black Americans in Congress Mervyn Malcolm Dymally Office of the Clerk U S House of Representatives Archived from the original on 2012 12 11 Retrieved 2012 10 08 Carr Elston L 1997 Oral History Interview with Mervyn M Dymally Volume 1 California State Archives Office of the Secretary of State Sacramento p 7 retrieved July 5 2020 A Brief History The Upsilon of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated Retrieved 2012 10 08 Merl Jean 2012 10 08 Mervyn M Dymally dies former California congressman was 86 Washington Post ISSN 0190 8286 Retrieved 2020 06 26 a b Stewart Jocelyn Y February 22 2007 Obituaries Michael Franchetti 64 financial advisor to former Gov Deukmejian Los Angeles Times Retrieved January 12 2009 Carr Elston L 1997 Oral History Interview with Mervyn M Dymally California State Archives State Government Oral History Program Volume 1 a b c Flynn Daniel 2011 11 17 The Original Kool Aid Drinkers The American Conservative Accessed September 5 2022 John Nichols 2016 The Genius of Impeachment The Founders Cure for Royalism The New Press ISBN 9781595587350 Retrieved 2021 01 23 Elinor Burkett God Created Me To Be a Slave The New York Times Magazine October 12 1997 pg 58 Obituary Archived from the original on 2012 12 11 Retrieved 2012 10 08 Yardley William October 9 2012 Mervyn M Dymally Who Broke Racial Barriers in California Dies at 86 The New York Times External links EditUnited States Congress Mervyn Dymally id D000592 Biographical Directory of the United States Congress Voting record from the Washington Post Appearances on C SPAN Join California Mervyn M Dymally Mervyn Dymally at Find a GraveCalifornia AssemblyPreceded byMontivel Burke Member of the California Assemblyfrom the 53rd district1963 1967 Succeeded byBill GreenePreceded byCarl Washington Member of the California Assemblyfrom the 53rd district2002 2008 Succeeded byIsadore Hall IIICalifornia SenatePreceded byVernon Sturgeon Member of the California Senatefrom the 29th district1967 1975 Succeeded byBill GreenePolitical officesPreceded byJohn L Harmer Lieutenant Governor of California1975 1979 Succeeded byMike CurbU S House of RepresentativesPreceded byCharles H Wilson Member of the U S House of Representativesfrom California s 31st congressional district1981 1993 Succeeded byMatthew G MartinezPreceded byMickey Leland Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus1987 1989 Succeeded byRon Dellums Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mervyn Dymally amp oldid 1177473195, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
