Roger Boas
Encyclopedia
John Roger Boas is a San Francisco businessman and politician, long prominent in the Democratic Party in northern California.
Boas was born August 21, 1921, in San Francisco, California
, the son of Benjamin Boas, a finance company executive of German descent, and Larie Kline Boas. He went to public schools in San Francisco, including Grant Grammar School and Galileo High School and graduated from Stanford University
. He served in Europe during World War II as a member of the 94th Field Artillery Battalion, 4th Armoured Division, and was awarded the Bronze Star, Silver Star and five battle stars. In 1950 he went to work at his father's Pontiac dealership, Boas Motors, and eventually took over as owner in 1965.
In 1958, together with future Mayor and US Senator Dianne Feinstein
and Ron Pelosi
, Boas was a key figure in the 1958 campaign that elected Clair Engle
to the US Senate.
Four years later, Boas was himself elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors
, on which he served until 1973. An avowed liberal, he was quoted in 1968 (when he also chaired the California Democratic Party) as discouraging the influx of "Summer of Love" young people into the city:
In 1963 Boas made history in public television with the début of a weekly program entitled "World Press." The program featured a round table discussion examining national news and abroad, featuring a panel of seventeen experts. "World Press," was the first national network program originating in San Francisco, and was broadcast worldwide on 185 stations.
One of his biggest accomplishments came in 1980 with the Solid Waste Program, a long term program for managing the city's solid waste. This included "reducing waste at the source, separating waste for reuse, continuing mass collection, processing and converting waste to energy, and finding a landfill sitye for sanitary disposal of wastes that could be converted or recycled."
Boas' duties as Chief Administrative Officer included overseeing a 2500 member work force in departments and special projects with combined operating budgets of about $200 million and capital budgets of about $1.8 million.
His political achievements also include leading the South of market revitalization, and spearheading the BART link to San Francisco International Airport. In the 1980s he produced a report discussing infrastructure, in which he correctly predicted that "unless the aging under surface infrastructure is dealt with properly, such street problems would reoccur at an ever-increasing rate."
After running unsuccessfully for Congress in 1972 against Republican incumbent William S. Mailliard
, Boas became Chief Administrative Officer
of San Francisco under Mayors George Moscone
and Dianne Feinstein
from 1977 to 1986. His responsibilities included overseeing San Francisco's sewer system, garbage collection and convention facilities, including the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and the long delayed $128.3 million Moscone Center built in 1981. The action by the Board of Supervisors in approving the construction of the busiest convention center in the country was "a triumph for San Francisco" and one of Boas' biggest accomplishments to date.
In 1987, Boas ran to succeed Feinstein as Mayor, but was defeated by Art Agnos. His campaign posters still "dotted the city" the following year when, during a Police sting operation that broke up a widespread teenage prostitution ring, Boas' face was recognized by one of the prostitutes as "a man who had been soliciting the ring for three years".
Boas pleaded guilty on October 22, 1988, to seven counts of statutory rape involving teenage girls, with twelve more counts dismissed in exchange for his guilty plea. On November 19, 1988, he was fined $100,000 and sentenced to six months of community service.
In the 1990s, he brought his experience to the classroom, teaching an Urban Studies Series at The Fromm Institute at the University of San Francisco. He is the longest serving member on the Friends of the Fromm Institute Board of Directors. In May 2011, he was honored at the 35 year anniversary of the Fromm Institute in which he presented a lecture entitled "The Last 35 Years: Progress or Decline."
In November 2011, The President of France awarded Boas the Legion of Honor at a Veterans Day ceremony in San Francisco honoring his contributions whilst serving his country during WW2.
Boas was born August 21, 1921, in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, the son of Benjamin Boas, a finance company executive of German descent, and Larie Kline Boas. He went to public schools in San Francisco, including Grant Grammar School and Galileo High School and graduated from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. He served in Europe during World War II as a member of the 94th Field Artillery Battalion, 4th Armoured Division, and was awarded the Bronze Star, Silver Star and five battle stars. In 1950 he went to work at his father's Pontiac dealership, Boas Motors, and eventually took over as owner in 1965.
In 1958, together with future Mayor and US Senator Dianne Feinstein
Dianne Feinstein
Dianne Goldman Berman Feinstein is the senior U.S. Senator from California. A member of the Democratic Party, she has served in the Senate since 1992. She also served as 38th Mayor of San Francisco from 1978 to 1988....
and Ron Pelosi
Ron Pelosi
Ronald Pelosi is an American businessman and public figure in San Francisco, California. He is the brother-in-law of House Minority Leader and former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and is the uncle of California Lt...
, Boas was a key figure in the 1958 campaign that elected Clair Engle
Clair Engle
Clair Engle was an American politician of the Democratic Party and a United States Senator from California.- Early years :Engle was born in Bakersfield...
to the US Senate.
Four years later, Boas was himself elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors
San Francisco Board of Supervisors
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is the legislative body within the government of the City and County of San Francisco, California, United States.-Government and politics:...
, on which he served until 1973. An avowed liberal, he was quoted in 1968 (when he also chaired the California Democratic Party) as discouraging the influx of "Summer of Love" young people into the city:
"My advice to kids around the country is not to come here. There must be hippie havens other than San Francisco."
In 1963 Boas made history in public television with the début of a weekly program entitled "World Press." The program featured a round table discussion examining national news and abroad, featuring a panel of seventeen experts. "World Press," was the first national network program originating in San Francisco, and was broadcast worldwide on 185 stations.
One of his biggest accomplishments came in 1980 with the Solid Waste Program, a long term program for managing the city's solid waste. This included "reducing waste at the source, separating waste for reuse, continuing mass collection, processing and converting waste to energy, and finding a landfill sitye for sanitary disposal of wastes that could be converted or recycled."
Boas' duties as Chief Administrative Officer included overseeing a 2500 member work force in departments and special projects with combined operating budgets of about $200 million and capital budgets of about $1.8 million.
His political achievements also include leading the South of market revitalization, and spearheading the BART link to San Francisco International Airport. In the 1980s he produced a report discussing infrastructure, in which he correctly predicted that "unless the aging under surface infrastructure is dealt with properly, such street problems would reoccur at an ever-increasing rate."
After running unsuccessfully for Congress in 1972 against Republican incumbent William S. Mailliard
William S. Mailliard
William S. Mailliard was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California. He was born in Belvedere, California; attended elementary and secondary schools in the San Francisco Bay Area, and the Taft School, Watertown, Connecticut, 1933–1935...
, Boas became Chief Administrative Officer
Chief administrative officer
A chief administrative officer is responsible for administrative management of private, public or governmental corporations. The CAO is one of the highest ranking members of an organization, managing daily operations and usually reporting directly to the chief executive officer. In some companies,...
of San Francisco under Mayors George Moscone
George Moscone
George Richard Moscone was an American attorney and Democratic politician. He was the 37th mayor of San Francisco, California, US from January 1976 until his assassination in November 1978. Moscone served in the California State Senate from 1967 until becoming Mayor. In the Senate, he served as...
and Dianne Feinstein
Dianne Feinstein
Dianne Goldman Berman Feinstein is the senior U.S. Senator from California. A member of the Democratic Party, she has served in the Senate since 1992. She also served as 38th Mayor of San Francisco from 1978 to 1988....
from 1977 to 1986. His responsibilities included overseeing San Francisco's sewer system, garbage collection and convention facilities, including the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and the long delayed $128.3 million Moscone Center built in 1981. The action by the Board of Supervisors in approving the construction of the busiest convention center in the country was "a triumph for San Francisco" and one of Boas' biggest accomplishments to date.
In 1987, Boas ran to succeed Feinstein as Mayor, but was defeated by Art Agnos. His campaign posters still "dotted the city" the following year when, during a Police sting operation that broke up a widespread teenage prostitution ring, Boas' face was recognized by one of the prostitutes as "a man who had been soliciting the ring for three years".
Boas pleaded guilty on October 22, 1988, to seven counts of statutory rape involving teenage girls, with twelve more counts dismissed in exchange for his guilty plea. On November 19, 1988, he was fined $100,000 and sentenced to six months of community service.
In the 1990s, he brought his experience to the classroom, teaching an Urban Studies Series at The Fromm Institute at the University of San Francisco. He is the longest serving member on the Friends of the Fromm Institute Board of Directors. In May 2011, he was honored at the 35 year anniversary of the Fromm Institute in which he presented a lecture entitled "The Last 35 Years: Progress or Decline."
In November 2011, The President of France awarded Boas the Legion of Honor at a Veterans Day ceremony in San Francisco honoring his contributions whilst serving his country during WW2.