William Stephens
Encyclopedia
William Dennison Stephens (December 26, 1859 – April 25, 1944) was an American
federal and state politician. A three-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1911 to 1916, Stephens was also the 24th Governor of California
from 1917 to 1923.
on December 26, 1859. He was the third child out of a total of nine children born to Martin and Alvira Stephens. With ambitions to become a lawyer
, Stephens studied earnestly in law to become a lawyer, yet family fortunes required all of his earnings to go to his family instead.
Following his graduation from Eaton High School in 1876, Stephens worked for three years as a school teacher before joining the railroad business to become an engineer. Between 1880 and 1887, Stephens helped survey the construction of railroads in Ohio
, Indiana
, Iowa
and Louisiana
. His days in the railroads came to an end in 1887 when his mother, Alvira, now falling ill, sought a hot and drier climate to improve her health. The Stephens family, including William, relocated to Los Angeles, California
that year, though Alvira would be dead within a year.
After relocating to Los Angeles, Stephens began to work as a traveling salesman and later as a grocery manager. In 1891, Stephens married Flora Rawson, whom he would remain married to until her death in 1931. In 1902, he became a partner in Carr and Stephens Groceries, giving Stephens wide name recognition throughout Los Angeles. Increasingly, Stephens became involved in business and municipal politics, serving on the board of directors of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce
from 1902 to 1911, as well as being elected to the Los Angeles Board of Education from 1906 to 1907. Stephens further served on the Los Angeles Board of Water Commissioners, working alongside William Mulholland
in an advisory committee for the construction of the Los Angeles Aqueduct
.
In 1906, Stephens served briefly as a Major in the California Army National Guard
during the San Francisco Earthquake
as part of the First Brigade. In 1909, he became vice president of the American National Bank.
Following Los Angeles Mayor Arthur C. Harper's resignation from office shortly before a crucial recall election
, Stephens was appointed Acting Mayor of the city on March 15, 1909, becoming the city's 37th mayor. Stephens' mayoralty lasted for less than two weeks before George Alexander, the winner of the election, assumed the office.
After his brief stint as Mayor of Los Angeles, Stephens entered the realm of federal politics. In the 1910 elections, Stephens was elected as a Republican for the 7th congressional district
to the U.S. House of Representatives. Due to redistricting, Stephens changed constituencies to the newly-created 10th congressional district
for the 1912 elections, which he also successfully won. During this time period, Stephens increasingly identified himself as a member of the Progressive movement, becoming a member of the Progressive Party
, led by former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt
and California Governor
Hiram Johnson
. Stephens was one of the 13 Progressives to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in the 1910s, four of which (including himself) came from California. He successfully defended his seat again the 1914 elections, winning a consecutive third term to the House. Stephens would continue to identify himself as a member of the Progressive Party until the party’s dissolution in 1916, when he rejoined the Republican Party.
Following Lieutenant Governor
John Morton Eshleman's
death from tuberculosis
on February 28, 1916, Governor Hiram Johnson sought a replacement for his subordinate. By mid-year, Johnson had selected Stephens as Eshleman's successor, forcing him to resign his seat from the federal House and assume the position of lieutenant governor on July 22.
Stephens position as lieutenant governor was short lived. Governor Johnson himself was elected to the U.S. Senate in the 1916 elections, leaving the governorship open to the recently installed lieutenant governor. Johnson submitted his resignation
to take his Senate seat on March 15, 1917, with Stephens, fulfilling his duties as lieutenant governor, to assume the governorship, making him the state's 24th governor.
, a terrorist attack that had occurred on July 22, 1916 in San Francisco
during the city's Preparedness Day parade. The attack was blamed on left wing radicals, in particular union
leader and former Industrial Workers of the World
member Thomas Mooney
, and his alleged accomplice, Warren Billings. Both Mooney and Billings were convicted by trial, though the trial was later accused of being conducted in an enraged lynch mob atmosphere. Governor Stephens supported both of their convictions. However, international sympathy for Mooney quickly spread, making him one of the United States'
most famous political prisoner
s. National and international pressure was pressed onto Stephens; among those who pressured the governor included President Woodrow Wilson
, who telegraphed Stephens to personally ask the governor to review the state's legal case against Mooney. Stephens bowed to pressure, but only slightly, commuting Mooney's death sentence
to life imprisonment
.
Despite the slight clemency sparing Mooney’s life, several militant labor radicals continued to pressure Stephens, resulting in threats, and eventually, actions of violence. On the evening of December 17, 1917, an assassination
attempt was made on Stephens when dynamite
exploded at the foot of the Governor's Mansion in Sacramento
. Although Stephens was uninjured in the attack, the explosion caused considerable damage to the kitchen. Radicals from the IWW were later blamed for the attack. In an unrelated threat, labor radicals also threatened to destroy both the California State Capitol
and the Governor's Mansion if a $50,000 ransom was not met.
The threats from labor radicals, as well as pressure from the ongoing First World War, were responded by Stephens with the successful passage and signing of criminal syndicalism laws, targeting radical labor unionists and their advocacy for violent confrontation with state authorities. Despite numerous threats on his life and state property, Stephens refused to bow to pressure to pardon
Thomas Mooney for the remainder of his administration; it was not until the Democratic governorship of labor-sympathetic Culbert Olson
in 1939 that Mooney would be pardoned.
A Progressive like his predecessor Hiram Johnson
, Stephens chose not to expand on the reforms made by Johnson. Instead, Stephens sought to keep the electoral and bureaucratic reforms already put in place.
In the 1918 state general elections, Stephens won renomination for the Republican Party, campaigning on a platform to solidify Progressive reforms within the state government. He easily won the election, trouncing former Democrat and Independent
candidate Theodore A. Bell
by a 20% margin of the vote. Other candidates included Republican Mayor of San Francisco James Rolph
, who appeared as a write-in candidate
at 3%, and Henry H. Roser of the Socialist Party of America
with 4.2%.
After his successful election to the governorship to a full four-year term, Stephens grew increasingly concerned over the needs of returning veterans from the World War. Stephens argued that the state government had a mandate to provide benefits for returning veterans, such as government-sponsored retraining and allocation of funds to help reemployment. Through his advocacy, a veteran assistance program was established. During the same time period, Stephens also supported state and federal moves towards the prohibition
of alcohol.
Like his predecessor, Hiram Johnson, Stephens remained highly suspicious of Asian immigration to California
, especially from the Japanese Empire, which he viewed as an increasingly belligerent nation. In 1919, Stephens openly advocated to the California State Legislature
the creation of stricter exclusion laws to restrict Japanese immigrants. He declared that the influx of Japanese was a threat not only to California but to the United States
. Through the remainder of his governorship, Stephens sought the aid of other governors and public officials to restrict Japanese immigration. In part, some of his efforts were realized by the federal Immigration Act of 1924
.
Despite threats on his life, Stephens remained publicly visible throughout his governorship. He was part of the general welcoming committee when Edward, Prince of Wales
, arrived aboard the HMS Renown
in San Diego Bay
in 1920, during the future British monarch's first visit to California. Stephens was also present for the launch of the USS California
. His daughter, (Barbara) Mrs. Randolph T. Zane, ceremonially launched the battleship
.
During his governorship, Stephens realized his life-long dream by entering the California Bar to become a certified lawyer.
In the final months of his governorship, Stephens vetoed bills sponsored by the Legislature that would deregulate state utilities, vowing to keep the Progressive reforms put in place by Hiram Johnson
.
In the 1922 general elections, Stephens sought renomination of the Republican Party’s choice for governor. However, Republican ranks had decidedly grown more conservative since 1918. He failed to win the Republican gubernatorial primary election
, losing to California State Treasurer
Friend Richardson
.
to establish a law practice. He would never again hold public office, though he remained active in public affairs.
He died on April 25, 1944 at Santa Fe Hospital in Los Angeles of a heart ailment. He was 84 years old. Coincidentally, Stephens' death was nearly 13 years to the day after the death of his wife, Flora. He is interred in Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery, Los Angeles.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
federal and state politician. A three-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1911 to 1916, Stephens was also the 24th Governor of California
Governor of California
The Governor of California is the chief executive of the California state government, whose responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced...
from 1917 to 1923.
Biography
William Stephens was born in Eaton, OhioEaton, Ohio
Eaton is a city in and the county seat of Preble County, Ohio, United States. The population was 8,407 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
on December 26, 1859. He was the third child out of a total of nine children born to Martin and Alvira Stephens. With ambitions to become a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, Stephens studied earnestly in law to become a lawyer, yet family fortunes required all of his earnings to go to his family instead.
Following his graduation from Eaton High School in 1876, Stephens worked for three years as a school teacher before joining the railroad business to become an engineer. Between 1880 and 1887, Stephens helped survey the construction of railroads in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
and Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. His days in the railroads came to an end in 1887 when his mother, Alvira, now falling ill, sought a hot and drier climate to improve her health. The Stephens family, including William, relocated to Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
that year, though Alvira would be dead within a year.
After relocating to Los Angeles, Stephens began to work as a traveling salesman and later as a grocery manager. In 1891, Stephens married Flora Rawson, whom he would remain married to until her death in 1931. In 1902, he became a partner in Carr and Stephens Groceries, giving Stephens wide name recognition throughout Los Angeles. Increasingly, Stephens became involved in business and municipal politics, serving on the board of directors of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce
Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce
The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce is southern California's largest not-for-profit business federation, representing the interests of more than 235,000 businesses in L.A...
from 1902 to 1911, as well as being elected to the Los Angeles Board of Education from 1906 to 1907. Stephens further served on the Los Angeles Board of Water Commissioners, working alongside William Mulholland
William Mulholland
William Mulholland was the head of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, in Los Angeles. He was responsible for building the water aqueducts and dams that allowed the city to grow into one of the largest in the world. His methods of obtaining water for the city led to disputes collectively...
in an advisory committee for the construction of the Los Angeles Aqueduct
Los Angeles Aqueduct
The Los Angeles Aqueduct system comprising the Los Angeles Aqueduct and the Second Los Angeles Aqueduct, is a water conveyance system operated by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power...
.
In 1906, Stephens served briefly as a Major in the California Army National Guard
California Army National Guard
The California Army National Guard is the land force component of the California National Guard, one of the reserve component United States Army and is part of the United States National Guard. The California Army National Guard is composed of about 20,000 soldiers...
during the San Francisco Earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 7.9; however, other...
as part of the First Brigade. In 1909, he became vice president of the American National Bank.
Following Los Angeles Mayor Arthur C. Harper's resignation from office shortly before a crucial recall election
Recall election
A recall election is a procedure by which voters can remove an elected official from office through a direct vote before his or her term has ended...
, Stephens was appointed Acting Mayor of the city on March 15, 1909, becoming the city's 37th mayor. Stephens' mayoralty lasted for less than two weeks before George Alexander, the winner of the election, assumed the office.
After his brief stint as Mayor of Los Angeles, Stephens entered the realm of federal politics. In the 1910 elections, Stephens was elected as a Republican for the 7th congressional district
California's 7th congressional district
California's 7th congressional district is a congressional district located in the U.S. state of California that covers half of Contra Costa County and part of Solano County...
to the U.S. House of Representatives. Due to redistricting, Stephens changed constituencies to the newly-created 10th congressional district
California's 10th congressional district
California's 10th congressional district is a congressional district located in the U.S. state of California in the East San Francisco Bay Area region of Northern California....
for the 1912 elections, which he also successfully won. During this time period, Stephens increasingly identified himself as a member of the Progressive movement, becoming a member of the Progressive Party
Progressive Party (United States, 1912)
The Progressive Party of 1912 was an American political party. It was formed after a split in the Republican Party between President William Howard Taft and former President Theodore Roosevelt....
, led by former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
and California Governor
Governor of California
The Governor of California is the chief executive of the California state government, whose responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced...
Hiram Johnson
Hiram Johnson
Hiram Warren Johnson was a leading American progressive and later isolationist politician from California; he served as the 23rd Governor from 1911 to 1917, and as a United States Senator from 1917 to 1945.-Early life:...
. Stephens was one of the 13 Progressives to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in the 1910s, four of which (including himself) came from California. He successfully defended his seat again the 1914 elections, winning a consecutive third term to the House. Stephens would continue to identify himself as a member of the Progressive Party until the party’s dissolution in 1916, when he rejoined the Republican Party.
Following Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of California
The Lieutenant Governor of California is a statewide constitutional officer elected separately from the Governor who serves as the "vice-executive" of California. The Lieutenant Governor of California is elected to serve a four year term and can serve a maximum of two terms...
John Morton Eshleman's
John Morton Eshleman
John Morton Eshleman was an American lawyer and politician from California. He was Lieutenant Governor of California from 1915 to 1916....
death from tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
on February 28, 1916, Governor Hiram Johnson sought a replacement for his subordinate. By mid-year, Johnson had selected Stephens as Eshleman's successor, forcing him to resign his seat from the federal House and assume the position of lieutenant governor on July 22.
Stephens position as lieutenant governor was short lived. Governor Johnson himself was elected to the U.S. Senate in the 1916 elections, leaving the governorship open to the recently installed lieutenant governor. Johnson submitted his resignation
Resignation
A resignation is the formal act of giving up or quitting one's office or position. It can also refer to the act of admitting defeat in a game like chess, indicated by the resigning player declaring "I resign", turning his king on its side, extending his hand, or stopping the chess clock...
to take his Senate seat on March 15, 1917, with Stephens, fulfilling his duties as lieutenant governor, to assume the governorship, making him the state's 24th governor.
Governorship
Nearly immediately, Stephens faced controversy regarding the Preparedness Day BombingPreparedness Day bombing
The Preparedness Day Bombing was a bombing in San Francisco, California on July 22, 1916, when the city held a parade in honor of Preparedness Day, in anticipation of the United States' imminent entry into World War I. During the parade a suitcase bomb was detonated, killing ten and wounding...
, a terrorist attack that had occurred on July 22, 1916 in San Francisco
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...
during the city's Preparedness Day parade. The attack was blamed on left wing radicals, in particular union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
leader and former Industrial Workers of the World
Industrial Workers of the World
The Industrial Workers of the World is an international union. At its peak in 1923, the organization claimed some 100,000 members in good standing, and could marshal the support of perhaps 300,000 workers. Its membership declined dramatically after a 1924 split brought on by internal conflict...
member Thomas Mooney
Thomas Mooney
Thomas Joseph "Tom" Mooney was an American political activist and labor leader, who was convicted with Warren K. Billings of the San Francisco Preparedness Day Bombing of 1916...
, and his alleged accomplice, Warren Billings. Both Mooney and Billings were convicted by trial, though the trial was later accused of being conducted in an enraged lynch mob atmosphere. Governor Stephens supported both of their convictions. However, international sympathy for Mooney quickly spread, making him one of the United States'
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
most famous political prisoner
Political prisoner
According to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, a political prisoner is ‘someone who is in prison because they have opposed or criticized the government of their own country’....
s. National and international pressure was pressed onto Stephens; among those who pressured the governor included President Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
, who telegraphed Stephens to personally ask the governor to review the state's legal case against Mooney. Stephens bowed to pressure, but only slightly, commuting Mooney's death sentence
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
to life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
.
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
attempt was made on Stephens when dynamite
Dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive material based on nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth , or another absorbent substance such as powdered shells, clay, sawdust, or wood pulp. Dynamites using organic materials such as sawdust are less stable and such use has been generally discontinued...
exploded at the foot of the Governor's Mansion in Sacramento
Sacramento
Sacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...
. Although Stephens was uninjured in the attack, the explosion caused considerable damage to the kitchen. Radicals from the IWW were later blamed for the attack. In an unrelated threat, labor radicals also threatened to destroy both the California State Capitol
California State Capitol
The California State Capitol is home to the government of California. The building houses the bicameral state legislature and the office of the governor....
and the Governor's Mansion if a $50,000 ransom was not met.
The threats from labor radicals, as well as pressure from the ongoing First World War, were responded by Stephens with the successful passage and signing of criminal syndicalism laws, targeting radical labor unionists and their advocacy for violent confrontation with state authorities. Despite numerous threats on his life and state property, Stephens refused to bow to pressure to pardon
Pardon
Clemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
Thomas Mooney for the remainder of his administration; it was not until the Democratic governorship of labor-sympathetic Culbert Olson
Culbert Olson
Culbert Levy Olson was an American lawyer and politician. A Democrat, Olson was involved in Utah and California politics and was elected as the 29th Governor of California from 1939 to 1943.-Personal background:...
in 1939 that Mooney would be pardoned.
A Progressive like his predecessor Hiram Johnson
Hiram Johnson
Hiram Warren Johnson was a leading American progressive and later isolationist politician from California; he served as the 23rd Governor from 1911 to 1917, and as a United States Senator from 1917 to 1945.-Early life:...
, Stephens chose not to expand on the reforms made by Johnson. Instead, Stephens sought to keep the electoral and bureaucratic reforms already put in place.
In the 1918 state general elections, Stephens won renomination for the Republican Party, campaigning on a platform to solidify Progressive reforms within the state government. He easily won the election, trouncing former Democrat and Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
candidate Theodore A. Bell
Theodore A. Bell
Theodore Arlington Bell was a Democratic politician from California.-Biography:Born in Vallejo, California, he began his political career as District Attorney of Napa County, California between 1895-1903. He served on the 58th congress from 1903 to 1905 representing the 2nd district. In the 1904...
by a 20% margin of the vote. Other candidates included Republican Mayor of San Francisco James Rolph
James Rolph
James “Sunny Jim” Rolph, Jr. was an American politician and a member of the Republican Party. He was elected to a single term as the 27th governor of California from January 6, 1931 until his death on June 2, 1934 at the height of the Great Depression...
, who appeared as a write-in candidate
Write-in candidate
A write-in candidate is a candidate in an election whose name does not appear on the ballot, but for whom voters may vote nonetheless by writing in the person's name. Some states and local jurisdictions allow a voter to affix a sticker with a write-in candidate's name on it to the ballot in lieu...
at 3%, and Henry H. Roser of the Socialist Party of America
Socialist Party of America
The Socialist Party of America was a multi-tendency democratic-socialist political party in the United States, formed in 1901 by a merger between the three-year-old Social Democratic Party of America and disaffected elements of the Socialist Labor Party which had split from the main organization...
with 4.2%.
After his successful election to the governorship to a full four-year term, Stephens grew increasingly concerned over the needs of returning veterans from the World War. Stephens argued that the state government had a mandate to provide benefits for returning veterans, such as government-sponsored retraining and allocation of funds to help reemployment. Through his advocacy, a veteran assistance program was established. During the same time period, Stephens also supported state and federal moves towards the prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
of alcohol.
Like his predecessor, Hiram Johnson, Stephens remained highly suspicious of Asian immigration to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, especially from the Japanese Empire, which he viewed as an increasingly belligerent nation. In 1919, Stephens openly advocated to the California State Legislature
California State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
the creation of stricter exclusion laws to restrict Japanese immigrants. He declared that the influx of Japanese was a threat not only to California but to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Through the remainder of his governorship, Stephens sought the aid of other governors and public officials to restrict Japanese immigration. In part, some of his efforts were realized by the federal Immigration Act of 1924
Immigration Act of 1924
The Immigration Act of 1924, or Johnson–Reed Act, including the National Origins Act, and Asian Exclusion Act , was a United States federal law that limited the annual number of immigrants who could be admitted from any country to 2% of the number of people from that country who were already...
.
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
, arrived aboard the HMS Renown
HMS Renown (1916)
HMS Renown was the lead ship of her class of battlecruisers of the Royal Navy built during the First World War. She was originally laid down as an improved version of the s. Her construction was suspended on the outbreak of war on the grounds she would not be ready in a timely manner...
in San Diego Bay
San Diego Bay
San Diego Bay is a natural harbor and deepwater port adjacent to San Diego, California. It is 12 mi/19 km long, 1 mi/1.6 km–3 mi/4.8 km wide...
in 1920, during the future British monarch's first visit to California. Stephens was also present for the launch of the USS California
USS California (BB-44)
USS California , a Tennessee-class battleship, was the fifth ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 31st state. Beginning as the flagship of the Pacific Fleet, she served in the Pacific her entire career. She was sunk in the attack on Pearl Harbor at her moorings in Battleship Row,...
. His daughter, (Barbara) Mrs. Randolph T. Zane, ceremonially launched the battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
.
During his governorship, Stephens realized his life-long dream by entering the California Bar to become a certified lawyer.
In the final months of his governorship, Stephens vetoed bills sponsored by the Legislature that would deregulate state utilities, vowing to keep the Progressive reforms put in place by Hiram Johnson
Hiram Johnson
Hiram Warren Johnson was a leading American progressive and later isolationist politician from California; he served as the 23rd Governor from 1911 to 1917, and as a United States Senator from 1917 to 1945.-Early life:...
.
In the 1922 general elections, Stephens sought renomination of the Republican Party’s choice for governor. However, Republican ranks had decidedly grown more conservative since 1918. He failed to win the Republican gubernatorial primary election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
, losing to California State Treasurer
California State Treasurer
The California State Treasurer is responsible for the state's investment and finance. The post has more narrow responsibilities and authority than the California State Controller...
Friend Richardson
Friend Richardson
Friend William Richardson , was an American newspaper publisher and politician. A member of the Progressive Party and later the Republican Party, Richardson was elected as the California State Treasurer from 1915 to 1923, and shortly afterwards as the 25th governor of California from 1923 to 1927...
.
Post governorship
After failing in his bid for renomination, Stephens returned to Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to establish a law practice. He would never again hold public office, though he remained active in public affairs.
He died on April 25, 1944 at Santa Fe Hospital in Los Angeles of a heart ailment. He was 84 years old. Coincidentally, Stephens' death was nearly 13 years to the day after the death of his wife, Flora. He is interred in Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery, Los Angeles.