David S. Cunningham Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David S. Cunningham Jr.
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Cunningham Jr. in 1973
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| Member of the Los Angeles City Council from the 10th District | |
| In office 1973–1987 |
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| Preceded by | Tom Bradley |
| Succeeded by | Nate Holden |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
David Surmier Cunningham Jr.
June 24, 1935 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | November 15, 2017 (aged 82) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses | Bessie Marie (divorced) La Fern (divorced) Sylvia Kapel (m. 1977) |
| Children | 6, including David III |
David Surmier Cunningham Jr. (born June 24, 1935 – died November 15, 2017) was an important business leader and politician. He was chosen to be a member of the Los Angeles City Council. He took over the seat from Tom Bradley, who became the mayor of Los Angeles that same year. David Cunningham Jr. represented the 10th district from 1973 until 1987.
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Biography
David S. Cunningham Jr. was born in Chicago, Illinois. His parents were Eula Mae Lawson Cunningham and David S. Cunningham Sr. He went to Stowe Teachers College in St. Louis, Missouri, where he earned an associate degree. After that, he served in the U.S. Air Force until 1960. In the Air Force, he worked as a cartographer, which means he made maps.
He continued his education at the University of California, Riverside. There, he earned a bachelor's degree in political science and economics in 1962. The next year, he joined the Coro Foundation internship program, which helps people learn about public affairs. He then worked for Assemblyman Charles Warren while also studying at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.
Later, David Cunningham Jr. moved to Lagos, Nigeria. He became the West Africa regional manager for the DuKane Corporation. After two years, he returned and worked as the manager of community relations for Hughes. In 1968, he started a consulting firm in Los Angeles called Cunningham Short and Associates with Ted Short. In 1969, Ron Berryman joined, and the firm became Cunningham Short Berryman and Associates. In 1972, David Cunningham earned a master's degree in urban studies from Occidental College. Urban studies is about how cities work and grow.
David Cunningham Jr. had six children. With his first wife, Bessie Marie, he had a son named David III. With his second wife, LaFern, he had two daughters, Leslie June and Robyn Elaine. He lived in Baldwin Hills before moving into the 10th District for his City Council campaign in 1973. In 1977, he married Sylvia Kapel.
Before being elected to the City Council, he was the vice president of Cunningham, Short, Berryman and Associates. This company helped solve problems related to government and economics.
A community center on west Washington Boulevard is named the David S. Cunningham Jr. Multi-service Senior Center in his honor. He also served as the president of the board of directors for the UC Riverside Alumni Association from 2010 to 2011.
David Cunningham Jr. passed away on November 15, 2017, in Los Angeles. He was survived by his wife, Sylvia; one brother, Ronald; three sons, David Surmier III, Sean Kingsley, and Brian Alexander; and three daughters, Leslie June, Robyn Elaine, and Amber Brittany.
City Council
What was the 10th District like?
In the early 1970s, the 10th District of Los Angeles was a diverse area. It included parts of neighborhoods like Leimert Park, Crenshaw, Wilshire, West Adams, and Fairfax.
The district stretched from Olympic Boulevard in the north to Rodeo Road and Jefferson and Adams Boulevards in the south. On the west, it reached La Cienega Boulevard and Cattaraugus Avenue, and on the east, it went to the Harbor Freeway. The people living in the district were from many different backgrounds. About 50 percent were Black, 12 percent were Asian-American, 12 percent were Mexican-American, 20 percent were Jewish, 5 percent were Caucasian, and less than 1 percent were American Indian.
How were the elections?
In 1973, David Cunningham, who was 38 years old, ran for the City Council. Mayor Tom Bradley supported him for his old seat. This was a special election held on September 18, 1973. His main opponents were Herbert Carter and actor George Takei, who many knew as Sulu from the TV show "Star Trek."
In the election, Cunningham won with 8,199 votes. Takei received 6,552 votes. Cunningham's campaign spent about $62,766.
When he ran for re-election in 1975, David Cunningham was seen as a very progressive leader on the City Council. He supported groups that worked for clean air. He also publicly fought for fluoridated water (adding fluoride to water for dental health) and for stopping oil drilling in Santa Monica Bay. He even suggested that the city should stop giving money to the Los Angeles Unified School District if they did not work to desegregate their schools. Desegregation means ending separation based on race. He won re-election with 3,571 votes.
In 1978, Cunningham ran for a seat in the U.S. Congress. He lost the Democratic primary election to Julian C. Dixon.
In 1979, Nate Holden challenged Cunningham again for his 10th District City Council seat. Cunningham won this election with 9,116 votes (51.6 percent) compared to Holden's 7,505 votes (42.5 percent).
What did he do on the City Council?
In March 1976, David Cunningham and Councilman Arthur K. Snyder had a very heated disagreement during a debate. The debate was about helping small and minority businesses in the city. The two council members argued strongly but were separated by the council's security officer.
In March 1977, Cunningham had another strong disagreement with Councilman Louis R. Nowell. This happened after the council voted against "forced busing" in Los Angeles. Forced busing was a practice of transporting students to different schools to help with racial desegregation. Cunningham was a strong supporter of desegregation.
In December 1977, Cunningham agreed to pay $1,178 to the city. This was because it was found that a publicist had made phone calls for a fundraising dinner using Cunningham's City Hall phone number. Cunningham said he had not given permission for this.
David Cunningham gained more influence when the City Council adopted a new policy. This policy gave his committee, which he chaired, the power to oversee how millions of dollars in federal and state housing grants were given out. This showed his growing importance in the council. He was also able to host a successful fundraising dinner, which helped him raise money for his political work. He later gave $60,000 from his campaign funds to Mayor Bradley's campaign.
In August 1986, a newspaper report from the Los Angeles Times showed that Cunningham had received campaign donations from investment bankers and bond lawyers. He received $29,200 from them. The Times pointed out a growing connection between city politics and the bond business. David Cunningham resigned from the City Council on September 30, 1986. He then started working for Cranston Securities Company as a vice president on October 15.
Images for kids
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Cunningham with his predecessor Tom Bradley in 1978.
