{{Short description|American politician}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Bill Greene | image = Bill Greene, 1975.jpg | image_size = | caption = Official portrait, 1975 | birth_name = William Bradshaw Greene Jr. | birth_date = {{birth date|1930|11|15}} | birth_place = Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2002|12|2|1930|11|15}} | death_place = Sacramento, California, U.S. | death_cause = | office = Member of the California Senate | constituency = 27th district | term = December 3, 1984 – November 30, 1992 | preceded = Robert G. Beverly | succeeded = Robert G. Beverly | constituency1 = 29th district | term1 = April 7, 1975 – November 30, 1984 | preceded1 = Mervyn Dymally | succeeded1 = Robert G. Beverly | office2 = Member of the California State Assembly | constituency2 = 47th district | term2 = December 2, 1974 – April 7, 1975 | preceded2 = Frank D. Lanterman | succeeded2 = Teresa Patterson Hughes | constituency3 = 53rd district | term3 = January 2, 1967 – November 30, 1974 | preceded3 = Mervyn Dymally | succeeded3 = Paul Bannai | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = | other_names = | known_for = | education = University of Michigan | employer = | occupation = Politician | title = | salary = | networth = | party = Democratic | boards = | spouse = Yvonne LaFargue | children = 2 daughters | parents = | relatives = | branch = {{flag|United States Air Force}} }}
'''William Bradshaw Greene Jr.''' (November 15, 1930 – December 2, 2002) was an American politician. He served as a Democratic member of the California State Assembly and the California State Senate, representing South Central Los Angeles, Watts, Bell, Compton, Cudahy, Huntington Park and South Gate for twenty-five years.
==Early life== Greene was born on November 15, 1930, in Kansas City, Missouri.<ref name="billgreene72servedinthelatimes">{{cite news|last1=Ingram|first1=Carl|title=Bill Greene, 72; Served in the State Legislature for 25 Years|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-dec-03-me-greene3-story.html|access-date=March 5, 2016|work=Los Angeles Times|date=December 3, 2002}}</ref>
Greene attended the University of Michigan.<ref name="billgreene72servedinthelatimes"/> During the Civil Rights Movement, he demonstrated alongside Julian Bond, Stokely Carmichael and James Farmer, and he was jailed in Mississippi and Louisiana for his activism.<ref name="billgreene72servedinthelatimes"/>
==Career== Greene started his career as an assistant to Jesse M. Unruh.<ref name="billgreene72servedinthelatimes"/> He was the first African American to work as an assistant in the California State Assembly.<ref name="billgreene72servedinthelatimes"/> He was also a lobbyist for the Service Employees International Union.<ref name="billgreene72servedinthelatimes"/>
Greene served as a Democratic member of the California State Assembly from 1967 to 1975.<ref name="billgreene72servedinthelatimes"/> He served as a member of the California State Senate from 1975 to 1992.<ref name="billgreene72servedinthelatimes"/> He succeeded Mervyn M. Dymally, another African-American politician, in both houses.<ref name="billgreene72servedinthelatimes"/> In the Senate, he represented "South-Central Los Angeles, Watts, Bell, Compton, Cudahy, Huntington Park and South Gate".<ref name="latimesstatesengreene"/> He served as the chairman of the Senate Industrial Relations Committee.<ref name="latimesstatesengreene"/> However, in 1989-1991, he "missed more than 50% of Senate votes" due to poor health, which led to his retirement.<ref name="latimesstatesengreene">{{cite news|last1=Gladstone|first1=Mark|title=State Sen. Greene, Citing Health Problems, Will Retire : Legislature: He has missed more than 50% of votes in recent sessions. He has been treated for alcoholism, a heart attack and pneumonia.|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-09-10-me-2359-story.html|access-date=March 5, 2016|work=Los Angeles Times|date=September 10, 1991}}</ref>
The Bill Greene Sports Complex in Cudahy was named in his honor in 1991.<ref name="latimescudahygroundwillbebroken">{{cite news|title=Cudahy : Ground Will Be Broken for Bill Greene Sports Complex|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-03-21-hl-1067-story.html|access-date=March 5, 2016|work=Los Angeles Times|date=March 21, 1991}}</ref>
==Personal life== Greene married Yvonne LaFargue.<ref name="billgreene72servedinthelatimes"/> They had two daughters, Alisa Rochelle and Jan Andrea.
==Death== Greene died on December 2, 2002, at the Kaiser South Sacramento Medical Center in Sacramento, California.<ref name="billgreene72servedinthelatimes"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.joincalifornia.com/candidate/5744 Join California Bill Greene] {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Greene, Bill}} Category:1930 births Category:2002 deaths Category:Politicians from Kansas City, Missouri Category:Politicians from Los Angeles Category:University of Michigan alumni Category:Democratic Party members of the California State Assembly Category:Democratic Party California state senators Category:American lobbyists Category:African-American state legislators in California Category:20th-century African-American politicians Category:21st-century African-American politicians Category:20th-century members of the California State Legislature