Nat Trives facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nat Trives
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| Mayor of Santa Monica, California | |
| In office 1975–1977 |
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| Preceded by | Clo Hoover |
| Succeeded by | Donna O'Brien Swink |
| Santa Monica City Council | |
| In office 1971–1979 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Nathaniel Trives
1934/1935 (age 89–90) Alabama |
Nathaniel Trives (born around 1934 or 1935) is an important American politician. He made history as the first African-American mayor of Santa Monica, California. At that time, Santa Monica was mostly white. Before becoming mayor, Trives was a police officer in Santa Monica. He also served on the Santa Monica City Council from 1971 to 1979.
Contents
About Nat Trives
Early Life and Education
Nathaniel Trives was born in Alabama. When he was about three years old, his family moved to Richmond, Indiana. There, he was the only Black child at his school. Later, they moved to Glendale, Ohio, near Cincinnati. In 1949, his family settled in Santa Monica, California. His father worked in commercial real estate.
Nat Trives went to Santa Monica High School. He then studied at Santa Monica College. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice from Cal State Los Angeles. Later, he received a Master of Public Administration from UCLA.
Career in Public Service
After finishing school, Nat Trives joined the Santa Monica Police Department. He worked his way up to the rank of sergeant. For five years, he was the president of the Santa Monica Police Officers Association. This group represents the police officers.
In 1971, the people of Santa Monica elected him to the Santa Monica City Council. He was re-elected in 1975. From 1973 to 1975, he served as mayor pro tem. This means he was like a vice-mayor, ready to step in if the mayor was absent.
Becoming Mayor of Santa Monica
In 1975, Nat Trives became the mayor of Santa Monica. He served in this role until 1977. He was the first African-American person to be mayor of the city. This was a big step for Santa Monica.
While he was mayor, he worked to make the city government more diverse. He added more people from different backgrounds to city boards and commissions. He also helped save the famous Santa Monica Pier from being torn down. The pier is a popular landmark today.
After his time as mayor, in the late 1970s, he took on another important role. He was named a special master and auditor monitor for a US Federal Court. This job meant he would fly to San Francisco during the week to help oversee legal matters.
Personal Life
In 1955, Nathaniel Trives married Ida Trives. Their wedding took place at the First Baptist Church in Venice, California. They have one daughter named Toni.
See also
- List of first African-American mayors
- African American mayors in California
