Sam Yorty facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sam Yorty
Yorty in 1970
37th Mayor of Los Angeles
In office July 1, 1961 – July 1, 1973
Preceded by	C. Norris Poulson
Succeeded by	Tom Bradley
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California
In office January 3, 1951 – January 3, 1955
Preceded by	Helen Gahagan Douglas
Succeeded by	James Roosevelt
Constituency	14th district (1951–53) 26th district (1953–55)
Member of the California State Assembly from the 64th district
In office January 4, 1937 – January 6, 1941
Preceded by	John D. McCarthy
Succeeded by	Roger Alton Pfaff
Personal details
Born	October 1, 1909 Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S.
Died	June 5, 1998(1998-06-05) (aged 88) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Political party	Democratic (until 1973) Republican (from 1973)
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army Air Corps
Rank	Captain
Unit	Intelligence Corps
Battles/wars	World War II Pacific Theater

Samuel William Yorty (October 1, 1909 – June 5, 1998) was an American politician, lawyer, and radio host. He was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, and later moved to Los Angeles, California. Yorty is best known for serving three terms as the 37th Mayor of Los Angeles from 1961 to 1973.

Before becoming mayor, he was a member of the United States House of Representatives and the California State Assembly. Yorty was a member of the Democratic Party for most of his career. In 1973, he changed to the Republican Party.

Early Life and Political Beginnings

Yorty as a California State Assemblyman in 1940.

Sam Yorty grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska. His family later moved to Southern California. He studied at Southwestern University and the University of California at Los Angeles. In 1939, he became a lawyer.

In 1936, Yorty was elected to the California State Assembly as a Democrat. He supported public services and strong labor unions. During this time, he faced false accusations of being a communist, but these claims were proven wrong. This experience began to change his political views.

Yorty left politics during World War II to serve in the United States Army Air Corps. He was a captain in the Intelligence Branch in the Pacific. After the war, he returned to his Assembly seat. He was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1950 and 1952.

Becoming Mayor of Los Angeles

Yorty, left, and newspaper publisher Chester L. Washington during a discussion in Los Angeles in 1965.

In 1961, Sam Yorty ran for mayor of Los Angeles against the current mayor, Norris Poulson. Yorty won the election. He promised to improve the city and make it easier for people to live there.

He worked to expand the city's freeway system. He also ended the old system where residents had to sort their trash into different bins. This was a popular change. Yorty helped Los Angeles grow into a major city. He supported projects like the Los Angeles Music Center and the Los Angeles Zoo. He also appeared on TV shows, which made him more well-known.

However, Yorty was also a strong opponent of communism. He was critical of the Civil Rights Movement and opposed efforts to integrate schools.

Challenges During His Time as Mayor

In 1965, Yorty was reelected as mayor. He won against James Roosevelt, the son of former President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Yorty focused on his achievements, like cutting city taxes and improving city services.

Despite having a diverse staff, Yorty faced challenges with the city's African-American population. In August 1965, the Watts Riots occurred in Los Angeles. Yorty's administration was criticized for not doing enough to help improve conditions in neighborhoods like Watts. He believed the unrest was caused by outside agitators.

After the riots, Yorty ran for governor of California in 1966 but lost. His political views began to shift more to the right. He even supported Republican Ronald Reagan, who won the governor's race. Yorty also traveled to Vietnam to support American troops, earning him the nickname "Saigon Sam."

In 1969, Yorty ran for mayor again. His opponent was Los Angeles City Council member Tom Bradley. The campaign was very tough. Yorty won the election, securing another four years as mayor.

Yorty during his campaign for re-election in 1973.

Even though he won, Yorty seemed less interested in his mayoral duties. He ran for governor again in 1970 but lost. He also tried to become the Democratic candidate for president in 1972. He didn't gain much support and ended his campaign early. After this, Yorty started to support Republican candidates more often.

In 1973, Tom Bradley defeated Yorty in the mayoral election. This ended Yorty's long time as mayor of Los Angeles.

Later Life and Retirement

After leaving office, Sam Yorty hosted a talk show on TV for five years. He tried to return to politics a few times. In 1980, he ran for the U.S. Senate as a Republican but lost. In 1981, he tried to unseat Tom Bradley as mayor but was unsuccessful.

After these attempts, Yorty retired from public life. He passed away on June 5, 1998, in Los Angeles, California.

See also

• Eighty-second United States Congress
• Eighty-third United States Congress
• Membership discrimination in California social clubs
• Norris Poulson
• Marguerite P. Justice, the second woman, and the first black woman to be named to the Los Angeles Police Commission, appointed by Yorty.
• Tom Bradley
• Watts Riots
• City Council President L.E. Timberlake, often the acting mayor while Yorty was away from the state