Mervyn Dymally

Mervyn Malcolm Dymally (May 12, 1926 – October 7, 2012) was an American politician from California. He served in the California State Assembly (1963–66) and the California State Senate (1967–75) as the 41st Lieutenant Governor of California (1975–79) and in the U.S. House of Representatives (1981–93). Dymally returned to politics a decade later to serve in the California State Assembly (2003–08).[1]

Mervyn Dymally
Member of the California State Assembly from the 53rd district
In office December 7, 2002 – December 1, 2008
Preceded by	Carl Washington
Succeeded by	Isadore Hall III
In office 1963–1967
Preceded by	Montivel Burke
Succeeded by	Bill Greene
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 31st district
In office January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1993
Preceded by	Charles H. Wilson
Succeeded by	Walter R. Tucker III (Redistricting)
41st Lieutenant Governor of California
In office January 6, 1975 – January 8, 1979
Governor	Jerry Brown
Preceded by	John L. Harmer
Succeeded by	Mike Curb
Member of the California Senate from the 29th district
In office January 1967 – January 1975
Preceded by	Vernon Sturgeon
Succeeded by	Bill Greene
Personal details
Born	Mervyn Malcolm Dymally (1926-05-12)May 12, 1926 Cedros, Trinidad and Tobago
Died	October 7, 2012(2012-10-07) (aged 86) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Holy Cross Cemetery
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Amentha Wilkes Alice Gueno
Children	2
Education	California 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) 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.

Early life and education

Born 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.[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

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. The report was then passed to Dymally's opponent and later to a television reporter. 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.[8] 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."[8] The Jonestown compound would be the site of the mass suicide of over 900 people on November 18, 1978.[8]

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.[9]

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 tried to return to 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.[10][11]

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

• List of African-American United States Representatives
• List of Asian Americans and Pacific Islands Americans in the United States Congress

References

1. Mervyn Dymally-Join California.com
2. "George L. Brown, 79; First Black to Hold Statewide Office in U.S." Los Angeles Times. 2006-04-05. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
3. "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.
4. Carr, Elston L. (1997), Oral History Interview with Mervyn M. Dymally, Volume 1, p. 7, retrieved July 5, 2020
5. "A Brief History..." The Upsilon of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated. Retrieved 2012-10-08.
6. Merl, Jean (2012-10-08). "Mervyn M. Dymally dies; former California congressman was 86". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
7. Stewart, Jocelyn Y. (February 22, 2007) "Obituaries: Michael Franchetti, 64; financial advisor to former Gov. Deukmejian." Los Angeles Times. (Retrieved 1-12-09.)
8. Flynn, Daniel (2011-11-17) The Original Kool-Aid Drinkers, The American Conservative
9. Elinor Burkett, "'God Created Me To Be a Slave,'" The New York Times Magazine, October 12, 1997, p. 58.
10. "Obituary". Archived from the original on 2012-12-11. Retrieved 2012-10-08.
11. https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/09/us/mervyn-dymally-who-broke-racial-barriers-in-california-dies-at-86.html?_r=0

External links

• United States Congress. "Mervyn Dymally (id: D000592)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• Voting record from the Washington Post
• Appearances on C-SPAN

California Assembly
Preceded by Montivel Burke	Member of the California Assembly from the 53rd district 1963–1967	Succeeded by Bill Greene
Preceded by Carl Washington	Member of the California Assembly from the 53rd district 2002–2008	Succeeded by Isadore Hall III
California Senate
Preceded by Vernon Sturgeon	Member of the California Senate from the 29th district 1967–1975	Succeeded by Bill Greene
Political offices
Preceded by John L. Harmer	Lieutenant Governor of California 1975–1979	Succeeded by Mike Curb
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Charles H. Wilson	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 31st congressional district 1981–1993	Succeeded by Matthew G. Martínez
Preceded by Mickey Leland	Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus 1987–1989	Succeeded by Ron Dellums