Billy Ray White
Mayor of Menlo Park
In office
December 1985 – December 1986
Preceded byJack Morris
Succeeded byTed Sorensen
In office
December 1982 – December 1983
Preceded byPeg Gunn
Succeeded byPeg Gunn
In office
April 1980 – April 1981
Preceded byDouglas Dupen
Succeeded byPeg Gunn
City Council of Menlo Park
In office
March 1978 – 1990
Personal details
BornJune 29, 1936
DiedJanuary 26, 2018
SpouseZerlene Victor
Children6
Alma materPrairie View A&M University

Billy Ray White (June 29, 1936 – January 26, 2018) was an American politician who served as the first African-American mayor of Menlo Park, California.

Biography

White was born on June 29, 1936, in Shelby County, Texas, the son of to Amanda (née Mattlock) and Q.W. White.[1] He attended Prairie View A&M University in Prairie View, Texas, for two years.[1] In 1965, he moved to Menlo Park, California[2] living in the mostly Black, Belle Haven neighborhood.[3][4] Menlo Park at the time had a minority although declining Black population (17.4% in 1970, 14.2% in 1980, and 12.0% in 1990).[5] In 1970, he was named as a commissioner on the Menlo Park Planning Commission.[3] In the April 11, 1972, election, he ran for a four-year term[6] on the Menlo Park City Council, losing by 27 votes[1] to incumbent Douglas Dupen.[7] He lost again in the March 5, 1974, election for City Council[1][8] in a five-way race for three open seats finishing fifth with 2,203 votes against Ira Bonde (3,610 votes), Jennifer Bigelow (2,924 votes), James Calloway (2,919 votes), and George Liddle (2,844 votes) - which also marked the election of the city's first councilwoman.[9] In the March 7, 1978, election, he ran again for the City Council in an eight-way race for three seats.[10] In an upset victory, with strong support from the Black community, he won election finishing a close third with 2,332 votes, becoming the Menlo Park's first African-American councilmember (Gerry B. Andeen finished first with 2,670 votes and Douglas Dupen finished second with 2,398 votes).[10] In March 1979, he was named in a secret ballot as mayor pro tem with outgoing mayor James Bloch's nomination.[11] In April 1980, he was appointed mayor by the City Council, the first African-American to hold the office in Menlo Park[1][12] since its incorporation in 1927,[13] succeeding Douglas Dupen.[14] In November 1982, he won re-election to the City Council[15] and was named mayor again by the council in December 1983.[12][16] In December 1985, he was again appointed mayor,[12] the first mayor to serve for three terms.[13] In November 1986, he won election to another 4-year term on the City Council. During his government service, he was critical in giving the Black community a voice, securing projects to upgrade and maintain street lights, storm drains, and sidewalks in the segregated Belle Haven neighborhood as well as obtaining redevelopment funds for low-income housing.[12]

Personal life

In 1955, he married Zerlene Victor; they had six children.[1][17] He died on January 26, 2018.[12]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Mibach, Emily (February 13, 2018). "Billy Ray White, Menlo Park's first black mayor, dead at 81". Palo Alto Daily Post.
  2. ↑ "Some view Menlo election as most crucial in history". The Peninsula Times Tribune. April 3, 1972 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 "Menlo Park commissioner seeks City Council seat". The Peninsula Times Tribune. November 9, 1977 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "Menlo Park Districting Project Approved Five-District Map". menlopar.org. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Decennial Census data - Menlo Park". bayareacensus.ca.gov. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  6. ↑ "The Time Recommends". The Los Angeles Times . April 8, 1972 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "The Midpeninsula's lusty elections". The Peninsula Times Tribune. April 13, 1972 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ Honig, Joseph (April 13, 1972). "Population densities, high-rise development issues at Menlo meeting". The Peninsula Times Tribune – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ MacKay, Ned (March 6, 1974). "Mrs. Bigelow Captures Menlo Council Post". The Peninsula Times Tribune – via Newspapers.com.
  10. 1 2 Eggleston, Emmett (March 8, 1978). "Big Election Upset In Menlo Park". The Peninsula Times Tribune. pp. 1, 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Doug Dupen Elected Menlo Park Mayor". The Peninsula Times Tribune. March 14, 1979 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 Bradshaw, Kate (February 12, 2018). "Remembering Billy Ray White". The Almanac.
  13. 1 2 Lewis, Jim. "The Mayors of Menlo Park". Menlo Park Historical Association. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Douglas William Dupen Sept. 9, 1928 - October 7, 2012". San Francisco Chronicle. October 15, 2012 – via Legacy.com.
  15. ↑ "San Mateo Mostly Elects Incumbents". The San Francisco Examiner. November 3, 1982 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ West, Don (June 29, 1983). "Councilwoman Spared Jail After Cutting Down Tree". The San Francisco Examiner – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ "Five Seek Three Seats". San Mateo County Times. February 19, 1974 – via Newspapers.com.
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