Oral History Interview with William B. Ross
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California state Archives state Government Oral History Program Oral History Interview with WILLIAM B. ROSS Political Consultant, 1948 - 1980 April 24, May 2 and 9, 1990 Los Angeles, California By Enid Hart Douglass Claremont Graduate School RESTRICTIONS ON THIS INTERVIEW None LITERARY RIGHTS AND QUOTATION This manuscript is hereby made available for research purposes only. No part of the manuscript may be quoted for pUblication without the written permission of the California State Archivist or the Director, Oral History Program, Claremont Graduate School. Requests for permission to quote for pUblication should be addressed to: California State Archives 1020 0 Street, Room 130 Sacramento, CA 95814 or Director, Oral History Program Harper Hall 155 Claremont Graduate School 150 E. Tenth Street Claremont, CA 91711-6160 The request should include identification of the specific passages and identification of the user. It is recommended that this oral history be cited as follows: William B. Ross, Oral History Interview, Conducted 1990, by Enid H. Douglass, Oral History Program, Claremont Graduate School, for the California State Archives State Government Oral History Program. Information California State Archives (916) 445-4293 March Fong Eu Document Restoration (916) 445-4293 10200 Street, Room 130 Exhibit Hall (916) 445-0748 Secretary of State Legislative Bill Service (916) 445-2832 Sacramento, CA 95814 (prior years) PREFACE On September 25, 1985, Governor George Deukmejian signed into law A.B. 2104 (Chapter 965 of the Statutes of 1985). This legislation established, under the administration of the California State Archives, a State Government Oral History Program "to provide through the use of oral history a continuing documentation of state policy development as reflected in California's legislative and executive history." The following interview is one of a series of oral histories undertaken for inclusion in the state program. These interviews offer insights into the actual workings of both the legislative and executive processes and policy mechanisms. They also offer an increased understanding of the men and women who create legislation and implement state policy. Further, they provide an overview of issue development in California state government and of how both the legislative and executive branches of government deal with issues and problems facing the state. Interviewees are chosen primarily on the basis of their contributions to and influence on the policy process of the state of California. They include members of the legislative and executive branches of the state government as well as legislative staff, advocates, members of the media, and other people who played significant roles in specific issue areas of major and continuing importance to California. By authorizing the California State Archives to work cooperatively with oral history units at California colleges and universities to conduct interviews, this program is structured to take advantage of the resources and expertise in oral history available through California's several institutionally based programs. Participating as cooperating institutions in the state Government Oral History Program are: Oral History Program History Department California state University, Fullerton Oral History Program Center for California Studies California State University, Sacramento Oral History Program Claremont Graduate School Regional Oral History Office The Bancroft Library University of California, Berkeley Oral History Program University of California, Los Angeles The establishment of the California State Archives State Government Oral History Program marks one of the most significant commitments made by any state toward the preservation and documentation of its governmental history. It supplements the often fragmentary historical written record by adding an organized primary source, enriching the historical information available on given topics and allowing for more thorough historical analysis. As such, the program, through the preservation and pUblication of interviews such as the one which follows, will be of lasting value to current and future generations of scholars, citizens, and leaders. John F. Burns State Archivist JUly 27, 1988 This interview is printed on acid-free paper. WILLIAM B. ROSS 1955 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTERVIEW HISTORY .... i BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY iii SESSION 1, April 24, 1990 [Tape 1, Side A] 1 Family moves to California--Attends Glendale High School--Wants to become a journalist--Enrolls at USC--Sells newspaper advertising--Starts W. B. Ross & Associates, a public relations firm--First involvement in politics is a board of education campaign--Meets Herb Baus--Establishes Baus and Ross Campaigns--Early pUblic housing campaigns- Division of labor within Baus and Ross Campaigns. [Tape 1, Side B] 38 Early competition for clients--Expansion and contraction of staff for campaigns--Use of polling as a campaign tool--campaigns for tax exemption for nonprofit schools--Strategy for ballot propositions--Bond issues for municipal utilities. SESSION 2, May 2, 1990 [Tape 2, Side A] 74 Sam Yorty's 1950 congressional campaign- Organizing neigborhood campaign committees- Yorty's assistant, Eleanor Chambers--First Norris Poulson campaign--Early efforts to build the Los Angeles Music Center. [Tape 2, Side B] 106 opposition to the Los Angeles Music Center--Second Poulson campaign--Poulson's loses bid for third term--Manages Yorty's reelection campaign for mayor--Tom Bradley's losing campaign for mayor. [Tape 3, Side A] 136 Manages L.A. school board campaigns--School bond measures--Eugene Debs wins supervisorial seat- Consults on Cox's Pomona mayoralty campaign- Watson runs for county assessor. [Tape 3, Side B] 168 Strategy for a candidate campaign--Preference for issues campaigns rather than candidate campaigns- Eisenhower for president in 1952--Nixon for president in 1962. [Tape 4, Side A] 202 Goldwater presidential primary in 1964--Handles Christopher in Republican primary versus Reagan- Brown political operatives sabotage Christopher campaign--Baus and Ross Campaigns works for Pat Brown. SESSION 3, May 9, 1990 [Tape 4, Side B] 223 Chief competitors for political consulting- Cranston-Kirkwood campaign for state controller- Importance of southern California population in campaigns--Powerful influence of Los Angeles Times in campaigns--Manages Manchester Boddy primary campaign for u.S. Senate--George Christopher for lieutenant governor campaign in 1962--Christopher feuds with Baus over campaign expenditures. [Tape 5, Side A] 254 civil suit brought against Baus and Ross Campaigns--Baus and Ross rebound by winning bond campaigns for police department--Manages Evelle Younger's campaign for attorney general--Cross filing propositions in the fifties--Opposes McLain propositions for the aged and needy--Bonds to improve Los Angeles International Airport--City referendum to send the Dodgers back to Brooklyn. [Tape 5, Side B] 286 Telethon promoting the Los Angeles Dodgers--Senate reapportionment Proposition 15--Works against proposition for cable TV--Extension of daylight saving time to October--Opposes state lottery proposition in the sixties. INDEX OF NAMES 307 INTERVIEW HISTORY Interviewer/Editor Enid Hart Douglass Director, Oral History Program and Lecturer in History Claremont Graduate School B.A., Pomona College [Government] M.A., Claremont Graduate School [Government] Interview Time and Place April 24, 1990 Mr. Ross' office, Los Angeles, California Morning Session of 1 1/2 hours May 2, 1990 Mr. Ross' office, Los Angeles, California Morning and Afternoon Sessions of 3 1/2 hours May 9, 1990 Mr. Ross' office, Los Angeles, California Morning Session of 2 hours Editing The interviewer/editor checked the verbatim manuscript of the interviews against the original tape recordings and verified proper names. Insertions by the editor are bracketed. On May 23, 1990, the edited transcript was forwarded to William B. Ross, who made only minor emendations and added some additional information in writing. He returned the approved manuscript June 1, 1990. The interviewer/editor prepared the introductory materials. Papers The papers of William B. Ross will be deposited in the California State Archives. i Tapes and Interview Records The original tape recordings of the interview are in the Oral History Program Office, Claremont Graduate School, along with the records relating to the interview. Master tapes are deposited in the California State Archives. ii BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY William B. Ross was born on January 29, 1915 in Spokane, Washington. When he was thirteen the family moved to California on account of the poor health of his brother. His father, William G. Ross, was in the banking business and became city treasurer for Bell. His mother, Royala Loomis Ross, was a homemaker. William Ross attended Glendale High School and graduated in 1932. Mr. Ross enrolled in University of Southern California in the fall of 1932 and majored in journalism. He supported himself during his college years by working on several newspapers, including the Daily Trojan, the Huntington Park Advertiser, and the Los Angeles Times. He also sold newspaper advertising. In 1936, he married Virginia K. smith, and they had a family of nine children. After graduating from college in 1937, he established his own public relations firm, W. B. Ross & Associates, in Los Angeles. Mr. Ross became involved in politics when he managed a 1946 school board campaign for three candidates running for the Los Angeles