L. E. Timberlake
Encyclopedia
Leonard E. Timberlake who went by L.E. Timberlake or Lee Timberlake, was a former railroad employee and a travel bureau owner who was a member of the Los Angeles, California, City Council from 1945 to 1969.
at the University of Southern California
. He was a member of the Kiwanis Club and the Los Angeles Breakfast Club. He was a Methodist and a Democrat. He lived in Los Angeles between 1920 and 1923 and also after 1938.
Timberlake began his working career between 1916 and 1920 as a railroad agent for the Canadian National Railway
. His succeeding jobs were passenger agent, Union Pacific Railway, 1920–22; accountant
, Bingham and Garfield Railway, 1922–23; accountant, Union Pacific, 1923; chief clerk
, Nevada Northern Railway
, 1923–27; general auditor, Illinois Terminal Railway system, 1927–32. He next went into the travel industry,with a half interest in the Southern California Tourist Bureau, after 1932. Later he was full owner of the agency, which became the largest independent travel bureau in California. He also worked at times for the Kennecott Copper Company
and Illinois Power and Light.
His first marriage resulted in two daughters, Betty Strebe and Beverly Watson. His second marriage was on May 7, 1933, to Cynthia Wyatt Mitchell of Atlanta, Georgia. They also had two children, Cynthia Lynn and Carole Ann. They lived at 10210 South Hobart Boulevard in Gramercy Park.
He died July 17, 1973. His last address was Hemet, California
.
, who retired July 1, 1967, at [age] 74," Erwin Baker of the Los Angeles Times wrote when Timberlake announced his retirement in May 1969. As City Council president
, Timberlake may have set a record as acting mayor, Baker wrote, because of Mayor Samuel Yorty's extensive travels outside the country.
Timberlake first ran for the Los Angeles City Council District 6
seat against the incumbent, Earl C. Gay
, in 1943 and lost, 8,841 for Gay to 8,404 for Timberlake. In that election, Gay's campaign raised a question as to why Timberlake had waited until 1940 to become an American citizen, to which Timberlake replied that he did not "deem it necessary to dignify these scurrilous attacks by replying thereto."
In his next try, though, in 1945, Timberlake won a narrow victory over Gay. He was reelected in the primary vote in every election thereafter until his retirement in 1969. In that year the 6th district included the Airport area, Westchester, Baldwin Hills, Hyde Park and Leimert Park and Mar Vista-Venice.
over many issues, including a controversial $1 million plan to build public housing
in Los Angeles (Timberlake being the leader of the prohousing bloc and Henry opposing), with Timberlake disputing many of Henry's rulings from the chair
, as council president. One of Timberlake's objections upset Henry so much that in January 1953 he was led to exclaim, "Mr. Timberlake, if you persist in this intolerable situation, there will be ways devised to prevent you!"
FEPC, 1958. He was opposed to establishing a Fair Employment Practices Commission
in the city of Los Angeles. The council vote was a tie, 7-7.
Chavez Ravine, 1958. Timberlake locked horns with fellow Council Member John C. Holland
over the use of Chavez Ravine
as a stadium for the Los Angeles Dodgers, which Timberlake favored and Holland vehemently opposed. Timberlake at one point told Holland in a council meeting that "You are the lowest thing I ever heard of!" He was angry because, he said, Holland had "sent slanted press releases to papers in my district."
Yorty, 1963–65. Timberlake was roundly criticized by Mayor Samuel Yorty when the former, as acting mayor, appointed one of Yorty's bitterest foes, C. Lemoine Blanchard
, to the city Airport Commission while Yorty was out of the country, touring Europe. "It is a tragic thing that Timberlake assumed such action while the duly elected mayor is away on a duty trip," Yorty said. Though Timberlake was described as a Yorty opponent, he was later said to have become "increasingly friendly" with the mayor.
Biography
Timberlake was born May 3, 1896, in Basingstoke, England, the son of F. and Emily Timberlake. After completing high school, Timberlake took a year of industrial engineeringIndustrial engineering
Industrial engineering is a branch of engineering dealing with the optimization of complex processes or systems. It is concerned with the development, improvement, implementation and evaluation of integrated systems of people, money, knowledge, information, equipment, energy, materials, analysis...
at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. He was a member of the Kiwanis Club and the Los Angeles Breakfast Club. He was a Methodist and a Democrat. He lived in Los Angeles between 1920 and 1923 and also after 1938.
Timberlake began his working career between 1916 and 1920 as a railroad agent for the Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
. His succeeding jobs were passenger agent, Union Pacific Railway, 1920–22; accountant
Accountant
An accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.The Big Four auditors are the largest...
, Bingham and Garfield Railway, 1922–23; accountant, Union Pacific, 1923; chief clerk
Clerk
Clerk, the vocational title, commonly refers to a white-collar worker who conducts general office or, in some instances, sales tasks. It is also occasionally used to refer to third-year medical students completing a medical clerkship. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include record...
, Nevada Northern Railway
Nevada Northern Railway
The Nevada Northern Railway was a railroad in the U.S. state of Nevada, built primarily to provide rail access to a major copper producing area in White Pine County, Nevada...
, 1923–27; general auditor, Illinois Terminal Railway system, 1927–32. He next went into the travel industry,with a half interest in the Southern California Tourist Bureau, after 1932. Later he was full owner of the agency, which became the largest independent travel bureau in California. He also worked at times for the Kennecott Copper Company
Kennecott Utah Copper
Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation , a division of Rio Tinto Group, is a mining, smelting, and refining company. Its corporate headquarters are located in South Jordan, Utah, USA. Kennecott operates one of the largest open-pit copper mines in the world in Bingham Canyon, Salt Lake County, Utah. ...
and Illinois Power and Light.
His first marriage resulted in two daughters, Betty Strebe and Beverly Watson. His second marriage was on May 7, 1933, to Cynthia Wyatt Mitchell of Atlanta, Georgia. They also had two children, Cynthia Lynn and Carole Ann. They lived at 10210 South Hobart Boulevard in Gramercy Park.
He died July 17, 1973. His last address was Hemet, California
Hemet, California
Hemet is a city in the San Jacinto Valley in Riverside County, California, United States. It covers a total area of , about half of the valley, which it shares with the neighboring city of San Jacinto. The population was 78,657 at the 2010 census....
.
City Council
Timberlake was one of the longest-serving council members, "The length of service of the 73-year-old council dean is matched only by that of former Councilman John C. HollandJohn C. Holland
John C. Holland was one of the longest-serving Los Angeles City Council members, for 24 years from 1943 to 1967, and was known for his losing fight against bringing the Los Angeles Dodgers to Chavez Ravine and for his reputation as a watchdog over the city treasury.-Biography:Holland was born...
, who retired July 1, 1967, at [age] 74," Erwin Baker of the Los Angeles Times wrote when Timberlake announced his retirement in May 1969. As City Council president
Los Angeles City Council president
This is an incomplete list of presidents of the Los Angeles City Council. Not only does the officer preside over meetings of the council, but he or she also makes assignments to City Council committees and handles parliamentary duties like ruling motions in or out of order...
, Timberlake may have set a record as acting mayor, Baker wrote, because of Mayor Samuel Yorty's extensive travels outside the country.
Elections
See also List of Los Angeles municipal election returns, 1943–65Timberlake first ran for the Los Angeles City Council District 6
Los Angeles City Council District 6
Los Angeles City Council District 6 is one of the 15 districts of the Los Angeles City Council, covering much of the San Fernando Valley. It is represented by Tony Cardenas....
seat against the incumbent, Earl C. Gay
Earl C. Gay
Earl C. Gay was a registered pharmacist who was a member of the Los Angeles City Council between 1933 and 1945.-Biography:Earl C. Gay was a registered pharmacist who was a member of the Los Angeles City Council between 1933 and 1945.-Biography:Earl C...
, in 1943 and lost, 8,841 for Gay to 8,404 for Timberlake. In that election, Gay's campaign raised a question as to why Timberlake had waited until 1940 to become an American citizen, to which Timberlake replied that he did not "deem it necessary to dignify these scurrilous attacks by replying thereto."
In his next try, though, in 1945, Timberlake won a narrow victory over Gay. He was reelected in the primary vote in every election thereafter until his retirement in 1969. In that year the 6th district included the Airport area, Westchester, Baldwin Hills, Hyde Park and Leimert Park and Mar Vista-Venice.
Positions
Housing, 1952–53. Timberlake was in dispute with Council President Harold A. HenryHarold A. Henry
Not to be confused with Harold Harby, Los Angeles City Council member 1943–57.Harold A. Henry was a community newspaper publisher who was elected to the Los Angeles City Council in 1945 and was its president for four terms from 1947 to 1962....
over many issues, including a controversial $1 million plan to build public housing
Public housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
in Los Angeles (Timberlake being the leader of the prohousing bloc and Henry opposing), with Timberlake disputing many of Henry's rulings from the chair
Appeal (motion)
In parliamentary procedure, an appeal from the decision of the chair is used to challenge a ruling of the chair.-Explanation and Use:George Demeter notes that it "protects the assembly against the arbitrary control of the meeting by its presiding officer." The most common occasions for the motion...
, as council president. One of Timberlake's objections upset Henry so much that in January 1953 he was led to exclaim, "Mr. Timberlake, if you persist in this intolerable situation, there will be ways devised to prevent you!"
FEPC, 1958. He was opposed to establishing a Fair Employment Practices Commission
Fair Employment Practices Commission
The Fair Employment Practices Commission implemented US Executive Order 8802, requiring that companies with government contracts not to discriminate on the basis of race or religion. It was intended to help African Americans and other minorities obtain jobs in the homefront industry...
in the city of Los Angeles. The council vote was a tie, 7-7.
Chavez Ravine, 1958. Timberlake locked horns with fellow Council Member John C. Holland
John C. Holland
John C. Holland was one of the longest-serving Los Angeles City Council members, for 24 years from 1943 to 1967, and was known for his losing fight against bringing the Los Angeles Dodgers to Chavez Ravine and for his reputation as a watchdog over the city treasury.-Biography:Holland was born...
over the use of Chavez Ravine
Chávez Ravine
Chavez Ravine is an area in Sulfir Canyon that is the current site of Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California.It was named after Julian Chavez, a Los Angeles Councilman in the 19th century.-History:...
as a stadium for the Los Angeles Dodgers, which Timberlake favored and Holland vehemently opposed. Timberlake at one point told Holland in a council meeting that "You are the lowest thing I ever heard of!" He was angry because, he said, Holland had "sent slanted press releases to papers in my district."
Yorty, 1963–65. Timberlake was roundly criticized by Mayor Samuel Yorty when the former, as acting mayor, appointed one of Yorty's bitterest foes, C. Lemoine Blanchard
C. Lemoine Blanchard
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..-Biography:...
, to the city Airport Commission while Yorty was out of the country, touring Europe. "It is a tragic thing that Timberlake assumed such action while the duly elected mayor is away on a duty trip," Yorty said. Though Timberlake was described as a Yorty opponent, he was later said to have become "increasingly friendly" with the mayor.