Brad Pye Jr. Campaign Collection
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http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8639v6v No online items Guide to the Brad Pye Jr. Campaign Collection Special Collections & Archives University Library California State University, Northridge 18111 Nordhoff Street Northridge, CA 91330-8326 URL: https://library.csun.edu/SCA Contact: https://library.csun.edu/SCA/Contact © Copyright 2020 Special Collections & Archives. All rights reserved. Guide to the Brad Pye Jr. URB.BPJ 1 Campaign Collection Contributing Institution: Special Collections & Archives Title: Brad Pye Jr. Campaign Collection Creator: Pye, Brad, Jr. Identifier/Call Number: URB.BPJ Extent: 4.70 linear feet Date (inclusive): 1960-1992 Date (bulk): 1988-1991 Abstract: Brad Pye, Jr. was the first African-American sportscaster in Los Angeles, California. He worked to establish racial equality in American sports throughout his distinguished career as a sports journalist, broadcaster, and community advocate. The Brad Pye Jr. Campaign Collection highlights aspects of Pye's involvement in American athletics and in the Los Angeles community, including his race for the District 9 seat of the Los Angeles City Council in 1991. Records in the collection include campaign documentation, political proposals, candidate advertisements, press releases, press clippings, correspondence, and photographs. Language of Material: English Biographical Information: Brad Pye, Jr. was born June 11, 1931 in Plain Dealing, Louisiana. He moved to Los Angeles at the age of twelve and lived on Central Avenue where he looked after himself without family support until his mother joined him four years later. During that time he made a living as a gas station attendant, shoe shiner, and garment factory worker. Pye enjoyed athletics and became interested in sports writing while attending Thomas Jefferson High where he was recognized with a journalism award in 1949 for his contributions to the school newspaper. After graduation, Pye went on to play center position with the 1949 undefeated football team of East Los Angeles College where he studied journalism and wrote for the school's newspaper. He was the college's first African-American student public relations director and its first Black member of Beta Phi Gamma, the honorary journalism society. Pye completed his Associate of Arts degree at Compton College and served two years in the United States Marine Corps before enrolling at California State University, Los Angeles where he served as sports editor for the school's award-winning newspaper. Pye led a distinguished career as a sports journalist and broadcaster. He was the sports editor of the Los Angeles Sentinel for nearly thirty years and wrote sports columns for the L.A. Watts Times, Compton Bulletin, Inglewood Today, and Inland Valley News. He also worked for twenty-one years as the sports director of radio stations KGFJ, KJLH, KACE, and KDAY. Pye was the first African-American sportscaster in Los Angeles and over the course of his career he worked to establish racial equality in the field of sports not only for athletes, but also for officials and other sports-related professionals. Alongside Brock Brockenbury, Pye helped obtain press box accommodations for Black journalists at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. He also led a successful campaign at the University of Southern California to recognize the school's first All-American football player, Brice U. Taylor (class of 1925), who, as an African-American, was never recorded in the university's media guide. Pye promoted young African-American athletes in Southern California through his sports columns, radio broadcasts, and by organizing corporate sponsorships. He recruited Black athletes for the University of California, Los Angeles, the University of Southern California, the Los Angeles (later San Diego) Chargers, and the Oakland Raiders. He became the first African-American public relations staffer in Major League Baseball while working for the Los Angeles Angels in 1961 and was the first African-American administrator in the American Football League while serving under Commissioner Al Davis. In addition to his work as a sports journalist, Pye was a dedicated community advocate active throughout the City of Los Angeles and greater Los Angeles County. He hosted mentoring sessions for local youth and was involved with the Watts-Willowbrook Boys and Girls Club, the Greater Los Angeles Poverty Agency, the Los Angeles Urban League, the Brotherhood Crusade, and the Board of Economic and Youth Opportunities Agency of Greater Los Angeles, among many other organizations. Pye was the first African-American President of the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks Board of Commissioners and paved the way for Black promotions to senior-level positions within the department. He served as the Assistant Chief Deputy for Los Angeles County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn and worked with Yvonne Braithwaite Burke after Hahn retired. Under Burke, Pye created the Aquatics Foundation to promote swimming skills and instruction for local youth. In 1991 he ran for the Los Angeles City Council District 9 to fill the seat vacated by Gilbert Lindsay's death, but ultimately lost to Rita Walters. In 1993 Pye became a Division Chief of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services. He retired from the county in 2011 after twenty-four years of service. Pye received more than 100 awards for community involvement and excellence in journalism over the course of his career and has been hailed the "Dean of Black Sportscasters" for his leadership and pioneering efforts in American sports. Scope and Contents Guide to the Brad Pye Jr. URB.BPJ 2 Campaign Collection The Brad Pye Jr. Campaign Collection documents aspects of the 1991 District 9 race for Los Angeles City Council as well as Pye's community and athletic involvement. The collection spans from 1960-1992, with the majority of records dating from 1988-1991. The collection has been divided into two series: Series I, Administrative Files (1970-1992) and Series II, Events and Presentations (1960-1992). Series I, Administrative Files, consists of campaign documentation, including Pye's political platform, costs and contributions, publicity samples, campaign management proposals and legal reviews, campaign advertisements, volunteer lists, press releases, résumés, and correspondence. Also included are newspaper and magazine clippings related to Los Angeles public agencies, officials, and politicians, prominent African-American leaders and athletes, and American race relations. The series also contains documentation of Pye's involvement with intercollegiate athletics, including correspondence and press clippings related to James McAlister's eligibility to participate in campus sports at the University of California, Los Angeles during the early 1970s. The series dates from 1970-1992 and is arranged alphabetically by subject. Series II, Events and Presentations, consists primarily of photographs featuring Pye with local figures, athletes, celebrities, and prominent African-American leaders at various events from 1960-1992, including events related to Pye's city council campaign. Of particular interest are those photographs featuring Martin Luther King, Jr., Muhammad Ali, Frank Robinson, Don King, Al Sharpton, Michael Jordan, Dionne Warwick, Whoopi Goldberg, and many others. Also included are resolutions from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission and the City of Los Angeles as well as a tribute to President John F. Kennedy composed by Pye entitled, "Good Bye Mr. President." The series is arranged alphabetically by subject. Arrangement of Materials: Series I: Administrative Files, 1970-1992 Series II: Events and Presentations, 1960-1992 Conditions Governing Access: This collection is open for research use. Conditions Governing Use: Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of this collection has been transferred to California State University, Northridge. Copyright status for other materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user. Immediate Source of Acquisition Brad Pye Jr., 09/12/1992 For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style manual, or see the Citing Archival Materials guide. Processing Information: Robert G. Marshall, Lan Voong, 1992 Subjects and Indexing Terms Documents Photographs Series I: Administrative Files, 1970-1992 Box 1, Folder 1 9th District Map Box 1, Folder 2 African American Leaders, Newspaper Clippings, 1990 December 1-1991 January 24 Box 1, Folder 3 Agenda and Calendar Planning Scheduling Sheets, 1991 February 22-April 3 Box 1, Folder 4 Awards and Certificates, 1986 December 5, 1991 February 24 Box 1, Folder 5 Biographical Resume, 1990 February 13, 1991 February 4 Box 1, Folder 6 Bishop, Jim, 1990 December 4, 1991 February 12 Box 1, Folder 7 Bradley, Tom, Campaign Literature, 1986 October 3-1991 April 10 Box 1, Folder 8 Bulk Mail, 1991 February 20-1992 April 1 Box 1, Folder 9 Business Cards Box 1, Folder 10 California Basketball Officials Association Banquet Invitation, 1991 February 1 Guide to the Brad Pye Jr. URB.BPJ 3 Campaign Collection Series I: Administrative Files, 1970-1992 Box 1, Folder 11 Campaign Contributions,