C. Lemoine Blanchard
Encyclopedia
C. Lemoine Blanchard was a businessman who was a member of the Los Angeles City Council from 1959 until 1963 and a board member of the national YMCA..
when he was a year old, was educated locally and, after graduating from high school, he joined his father's North Hollywood firm, Blanchard Lumber Company, of which he later became owner. He was a "lifelong supporter" of the East Valley YMCA
and president of the North Hollywood Kiwanis
and the Al Malaikah Shrine
Temple. In 1967 he was named to the national board of the YMCA.
He died August 13, 1986, in North Hollywood. He was survived by his wife, Frances; two children, Carol Sanders and Ross Lemoine Blanchard; a brother, Roscoe W. Blanchard, Jr., and two sisters, Dorothy Camp and Maude Humm. Funeral services were held in the First Christian Church of North Hollywood.
In the 1950s, Los Angeles City Council District 2 covered Hollywood and a "sizable portion" of the San Fernando Valley
, generally west of Ventura Boulevard
and extending north to Encino.
Blanchard ran for election there in 1959, and he ousted incumbent Earle D. Baker
in the final vote. The next year, the 2nd District was divested of its Hollywood area, which was instead attached to the 13th District. Blanchard was defeated for reelection in 1963 by challenger James B. Potter, Jr.
: Mayor Sam Yorty supported Potter and opposed Blanchard.
Zoo, 1959. He voted in favor of a contract with a nonprofit organization called Friends of the Zoo to operate a "Los Angeles world zoo" for fifty years, at the end of which time the Friends would turn it over to the city.
Monorail, 1962. Blanchard urged the City Council to recognize "in principle" the concept of monorail
to serve Los Angeles. He had just returned from a visit to Seattle, Washington
, to inspect the Alweg
Seattle Center Monorail
system there. He suggested appointment of "an outstanding Los Angeles civic leader" to serve as a negotiator in the council's dealings with the Metropolitan Transit Authority
.
Housing, 1962. He called on the council to oppose a state ballot proposition that would give the city Housing Authority permission to build homes for the aged and physically handicapped. He described it as "another scheme to establish state-financed public housing in California."
Control, 1962. He proposed a plan to eliminate citizens commissions that had control over municipal departments, thereby increasing the power of the City Council at the expense of the mayor, who appointed the commission members.
, a Democrat, 48.9% to 51.1%.
.
Biography
Blanchard was born on October 16, 1910, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Roscoe W. Blanchard, Sr. He was brought to the San Fernando ValleySan Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
when he was a year old, was educated locally and, after graduating from high school, he joined his father's North Hollywood firm, Blanchard Lumber Company, of which he later became owner. He was a "lifelong supporter" of the East Valley YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
and president of the North Hollywood Kiwanis
Kiwanis
Kiwanis International is an international, coeducational service club founded in 1915. It is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Current membership is 240,000 members in 7,700 clubs in 80 nations...
and the Al Malaikah Shrine
Shriners
The Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, also commonly known as Shriners and abbreviated A.A.O.N.M.S., established in 1870, is an appendant body to Freemasonry, based in the United States...
Temple. In 1967 he was named to the national board of the YMCA.
He died August 13, 1986, in North Hollywood. He was survived by his wife, Frances; two children, Carol Sanders and Ross Lemoine Blanchard; a brother, Roscoe W. Blanchard, Jr., and two sisters, Dorothy Camp and Maude Humm. Funeral services were held in the First Christian Church of North Hollywood.
Los Angeles County
Blanchard was a member of the Los Angeles County Housing Authority for fifteen years until elected to the City Council in 1959.Elections
See also List of Los Angeles municipal election returns, 1959–63.In the 1950s, Los Angeles City Council District 2 covered Hollywood and a "sizable portion" of the San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
, generally west of Ventura Boulevard
Ventura Boulevard
Ventura Boulevard is one of the primary east–west thouroughfares in the San Fernando Valley, USA; as it was originally a part of the El Camino Real , Ventura Boulevard is one of the oldest routes in the San Fernando Valley. It was also U.S...
and extending north to Encino.
Blanchard ran for election there in 1959, and he ousted incumbent Earle D. Baker
Earle D. Baker
Not to be confused with George W. C. Baker, Los Angeles City Council member, 1931–35.Earle D. Baker was a prominent Hollywood food broker who was a member of the Los Angeles City Board of Education from 1949 to 1951 and of the Los Angeles City Council from 1951 until 1959.-Biography:Baker was born...
in the final vote. The next year, the 2nd District was divested of its Hollywood area, which was instead attached to the 13th District. Blanchard was defeated for reelection in 1963 by challenger James B. Potter, Jr.
James B. Potter, Jr.
James B. Potter, Jr. was a Los Angeles, California, City Council member between 1963 and 1971. A sales manager for a tool company, when elected to the City Council he became its youngest member at age 31...
: Mayor Sam Yorty supported Potter and opposed Blanchard.
Highlights
Blanchard was described as an "arch-foe" of Mayor Sam Yorty. Some highlights of Blanchard's term on the City Council:Zoo, 1959. He voted in favor of a contract with a nonprofit organization called Friends of the Zoo to operate a "Los Angeles world zoo" for fifty years, at the end of which time the Friends would turn it over to the city.
Monorail, 1962. Blanchard urged the City Council to recognize "in principle" the concept of monorail
Monorail
A monorail is a rail-based transportation system based on a single rail, which acts as its sole support and its guideway. The term is also used variously to describe the beam of the system, or the vehicles traveling on such a beam or track...
to serve Los Angeles. He had just returned from a visit to Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, to inspect the Alweg
ALWEG
Alweg was a transportation company known for pioneering straddle-beam monorails.-History:Alweg was founded by Swedish industrial magnate Dr. Axel Lennart Wenner-Gren in January 1953 as Alweg-Forschung, GmbH , based in Fühlingen, Germany, a suburb of Cologne...
Seattle Center Monorail
Seattle Center Monorail
The Seattle Center Monorail is an elevated monorail line in Seattle, Washington, that runs a little over one mile along Fifth Avenue from Westlake Center in Downtown to Seattle Center in Lower Queen Anne...
system there. He suggested appointment of "an outstanding Los Angeles civic leader" to serve as a negotiator in the council's dealings with the Metropolitan Transit Authority
Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority
The Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority was a public agency formed in 1951. Its original mandate was to do a feasibility study for a monorail line which would have connected Long Beach with the Panorama City district in the San Fernando Valley via Downtown Los Angeles.The agency's powers...
.
Housing, 1962. He called on the council to oppose a state ballot proposition that would give the city Housing Authority permission to build homes for the aged and physically handicapped. He described it as "another scheme to establish state-financed public housing in California."
Control, 1962. He proposed a plan to eliminate citizens commissions that had control over municipal departments, thereby increasing the power of the City Council at the expense of the mayor, who appointed the commission members.
Congress
Blanchard was the Republican candidate for the U.S. Congress in November 1960. He lost by a slight margin to fellow councilman James C. CormanJames C. Corman
James Charles Corman was a Los Angeles City Council member from 1957 to 1961 and a Democratic Congressman from California between 1961 and 1981.-General:...
, a Democrat, 48.9% to 51.1%.
Airport Commission
In an "anti-Yorty act," Blanchard was appointed to the Los Angeles Airport Commission by City Council President L.E. Timberlake. who was acting mayor while Mayor Yorty was out of town on a European trip. The council confirmed the appointment by a 9-6 vote, leaving the mayor "furious" and promising to stop the appointment on his return. The action, however, was ruled legal by City Attorney Roger ArneberghRoger Arnebergh
Roger Arnebergh was an American politician. He served as Los Angeles City Attorney from 1953 to 1973.-Early life:...
.