Stephen W. Cunningham

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Stephen W. Cunningham (July 29, 1886 – July 28, 1956) was the first graduate manager at the Southern Branch of the University of California, later

Cunningham was born July 29, 1886, in San Bernardino, California, the son of Reuben F. Cunningham of Nova Scotia and Annie B. Magee of Ohio. He was educated in the San Bernardino and Riverside public schools and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1910. He was president of the student body there.^[1]

Cunningham was married to Frances Lippincott Flint of Los Angeles in 1919. They had three children, John Stephen, Donald Edward and Frances Ann (Mrs. Ann Bauman).^[1][2]

Early career

After graduating from Berkeley in 1910, he worked in advertising for three years, then as a broker for five, all in San Francisco.^[1] He had attempted to enlist in the Army in World War I but was rejected as underweight. Later he got in under a special classification and served as a sergeant in the Air Service.^[2] From 1921 to 1924 he was secretary for the Southern California Canning Association.^[1]

Graduate manager

In 1925, Cunningham was named graduate manager for the

He was credited with bringing William H. Spaulding to the campus as a football coach and starting improvements that landed the university in the Pacific Coast Conference. He oversaw the transition of the Associated Students organization when the university moved from the old Vermont Avenue campus to the new campus in Westwood in 1929.^[1]

In 1931 a move began at UCLA to bring in a manager who had actually graduated from the Los Angeles campus, with tennis coach William C. Ackerman as the favorite. Cunningham was offered a one-year extension on his contract, but a student protest resulted in the term being extended to two years, with Ackerman to take over at the end of that time.^[5]

In one of his final acts as graduate manager, Cunningham told a City Council session in December 1932 that UCLA would not approve a council decision to give the

Elections

In 1933,

That was the year that Cunningham ran against the incumbent 3rd District councilman

Cunningham was reelected in 1935 over the End Poverty in California candidate, James M. Carter; in 1937 and 1939 he had no opponents. In 1941 Republican Cunningham ran for mayor against Democrat Fletcher Bowron, and was defeated, by 149,195 votes against Bowron's 181,582.

Controversies

In 1934, Cunningham introduced a council resolution that would outlaw the use of

I reported the matter to the Police Commission. The police went out there but could find only a punchboard operating, for which an arrest was made. The place is still operating as a bookmaking establishment. Word was brought to me by a friend who got it from someone connected with the bookmaking business, and I was told that I would not live much longer if I kept on monkeying with bookmaking.^[10]

In 1937, Introducing a resolution to rewrite Los Angeles's

When men like Harry Bridges and Dave Beck come into Los Angeles and attempt by show of force to intimidate workers and force them to join some organization or not work, then we must . . . do what we can to see that men can go about their normal pursuits in a peaceful way without interference.^[11]

Council Member

In 1940, when he was considered an authority on the street and highway development,[2] Cunningham was instrumental in lobbying Governor Culbert Olson for approval of a Hollywood Express Highway from downtown.^[12]

Cunningham succeeded in killing a Federally subsidized public housing program in Sawtelle in 1940, by a 9–6 vote in the City Council.^[13]

A recording device was found in 1941 at the Biltmore Apartments at 330 South Grand Avenue, with the wiring leading to Cunningham's mayoralty campaign headquarters at 1031 South Broadway. A "complete log" of Cunningham's telephone calls was left on a table. Police investigation followed.^[14]

Later life

After he left the City Council, Cunningham continued to be "very well known at City Hall" as the head of Stephen W. Cunningham and Associates, zoning consultants and land use specialists, with offices at 3233 Wilshire Boulevard.^[2] In 1948 he was on a Los Angeles committee against "featherbedding" in the railroad industry, a practice requiring extra employees on freight trains.^[15] He died in his home in Brentwood on July 28, 1956, the day before his 70th birthday, and was buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Riverside, California.^[2]

References