Tom Bradley, first black mayor of Los Angeles, succumbs to heart attack

Jet, Oct 19, 1998

Tom Bradley, the Texas sharecropper's son who went on to make Los Angeles a world-class city while serving an unprecedented 20 years as mayor, recently died of a heart attack. He was 80.

Bradley was also the city's first Black mayor. He had been hospitalized for several days suffering from gout. His personal physician, Dr. Fred Alexander, told reporters that Bradley's death was a complete surprise. "I can tell you he was doing fine," Alexander said. "This was totally unexpected."

But, Bradley had been in declining health for several years. In 1996, he suffered a heart attack, followed a day later by a stroke that left him unable to speak clearly.

He was hailed by many state, local and national political and entertainment figures as a man who forged racial and economic coalitions and governed a massive, sprawling city with quiet effectiveness. Under his watch, the city's population grew by almost a million people to 3.3 million.

Rev. Jesse Jackson said of Bradley: "He was a giant statesman who served with honor. We saw in him dignity, never shame. In today's media-driven society, highly competitive politics can be the light for a fiery furnace. Yet, Tom was elected again and again, because he walked through the fire and was never even singed by the smoke . Tom was believable; he made us better."

Vice President Al Gore released a statement that said: "As mayor of Los Angeles, Tom Bradley broke so many barriers and achieved a highly distinguished record. Tom Bradley was a truly historic and effective mayor. Both a coalition builder and a role model, Tom Bradley made America a better place."

Congresswoman Maxine Waters was equally as complimentary. "Tom Bradley took over as mayor and reduced the polarization and suspicion caused by years of neglect and marginalization of the minority communities ... Tom Bradley brought people together to work for the good of the city." She said he opened the door for people of color. "Tom Bradley changed Los Angeles," she said in her statement.

Bradley's family moved to Los Angeles in 1924 when he was only 7 years old. He won an athletic scholarship to UCLA. But, he dropped out his junior year to enroll into the L.A. Police Academy. In 1961, he rose to the rank of lieutenant, the highest-ranking Black in the department at that time. Speaking of firsts, Bradley also became the first Black to serve on the L.A. City Council in 1963.

He made national and international news when, in 1969, he took on Los Angeles' powerful and incumbent mayor Sam Yorty. He lost, however, in a racially-charged runoff. Four years later, he won after he built a coalition of Latinos, Blacks and liberal Whites. He served a record five terms, stepping down in 1993.

Bradley became such a nationally-known figure that in 1976 he was asked to serve in the Jimmy Carter administration in a Cabinet-level position.

In 1982, he made national news again when he ran for the office of California's governor against George Deukmejian. He fell short by 52,295 votes out of almost 8 million cast.

His crowning achievement was that he brought the 1984 Summer Olympic Games to Los Angeles, still the most financially successful Games of all time. He made certain that the city would not lose any money by making sure that not one penny of city money was at stake in the undertaking. Now, corporate sponsorship has become a mainstay of the Olympic Games.

Residents of Los Angeles quickly point out that physically, the most impressive and lasting accomplishment Bradley made was in transforming the city's skyline which went from small and insignificant to large and majestic. He convinced many business leaders to invest in the downtown core of the city instead of fleeing to the suburbs.

International investments in the city soared under his administration, making Los Angeles the capital of the Pacific Rim that stretches from Japan, Korea and China to Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.

He received recognition in his lifetime when the international terminal of the Los Angeles International Airport was renamed after him.

In 1989, he almost lost his bid for a fifth term over concerns about the environment, congestion and nonstop traffic. Some Black and Latino groups openly complained that Bradley cared more about downtown than the city's neighborhoods. But, he was able to hold on and defeat Black City Council member Nate Holden.

Part of Bradley's legacy was that he encouraged minority youngsters to believe they could make significant achievements even in an atmosphere where they weren't the majority. When he was elected in 1973, Los Angeles was only 17 percent Black.

He is survived by Ethel, his wife of 57 years, and daughters Lorraine and Phyllis.