# Billy Ray White

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**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](/source/Menlo_Park,_California).

## Biography

White was born on June 29, 1936, in [Shelby County, Texas](/source/Shelby_County,_Texas), the son of to Amanda (née Mattlock) and Q.W. White.[1] He attended [Prairie View A&M University](/source/Prairie_View_A%26M_University) in [Prairie View, Texas](/source/Prairie_View,_Texas), for two years.[1] In 1965, he moved to [Menlo Park, California](/source/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]

## See also

- [List of first African-American mayors](/source/List_of_first_African-American_mayors)
- [African American mayors in California](/source/African_American_mayors_in_California)

## References

1. Mibach, Emily (February 13, 2018). ["Billy Ray White, Menlo Park’s first black mayor, dead at 81"](https://padailypost.com/2018/02/13/billy-ray-white-menlo-parks-first-black-mayor-dead-81/). *[Palo Alto Daily Post](/source/Palo_Alto_Daily_Post)*

1. ["Some view Menlo election as most crucial in history"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108810005/the-peninsula-times-tribune/). *[The Peninsula Times Tribune](/source/The_Peninsula_Times_Tribune)*. April 3, 1972. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. ["Menlo Park commissioner seeks City Council seat"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108817988/the-peninsula-times-tribune/). *[The Peninsula Times Tribune](/source/The_Peninsula_Times_Tribune)*. November 9, 1977. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. ["Menlo Park Districting Project Approved Five-District Map"](https://www.menlopark.org/DocumentCenter/View/18069/Approved-City-Council-Districts-map). *menlopar.org*. Retrieved September 1, 2022.

1. ["Decennial Census data - Menlo Park"](https://web.archive.org/web/20060922222441/http://www.bayareacensus.ca.gov/cities/MenloPark70.htm). *bayareacensus.ca.gov*. Archived from [the original](http://www.bayareacensus.ca.gov/cities/MenloPark70.htm) on September 22, 2006. Retrieved September 2, 2022.

1. ["The Time Recommends"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108815683/the-peninsula-times-tribune/). *[The Los Angeles Times](/source/The_Los_Angeles_Times)*. April 8, 1972. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. ["The Midpeninsula's lusty elections"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108816202/the-peninsula-times-tribune/). *[The Peninsula Times Tribune](/source/The_Peninsula_Times_Tribune)*. April 13, 1972. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. Honig, Joseph (April 13, 1972). ["Population densities, high-rise development issues at Menlo meeting"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108816615/the-peninsula-times-tribune/). *[The Peninsula Times Tribune](/source/The_Peninsula_Times_Tribune)*. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. MacKay, Ned (March 6, 1974). ["Mrs. Bigelow Captures Menlo Council Post"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108817363/the-peninsula-times-tribune/). *[The Peninsula Times Tribune](/source/The_Peninsula_Times_Tribune)*. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. Eggleston, Emmett (March 8, 1978). ["Big Election Upset In Menlo Park"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108818616/the-peninsula-times-tribune/). *[The Peninsula Times Tribune](/source/The_Peninsula_Times_Tribune)*. pp. [1](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108818616/the-peninsula-times-tribune/), [2](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108819857/the-peninsula-times-tribune/). – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. ["Doug Dupen Elected Menlo Park Mayor"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108820708/the-peninsula-times-tribune/). *[The Peninsula Times Tribune](/source/The_Peninsula_Times_Tribune)*. March 14, 1979. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. Bradshaw, Kate (February 12, 2018). ["Remembering Billy Ray White"](https://almanacnews.com/news/2018/02/12/remembering-billy-ray-white). *[The Almanac](/source/The_Almanac_(Menlo_Park))*

1. Lewis, Jim. ["The Mayors of Menlo Park"](https://sites.google.com/site/mphistorical/home/local-govt/mp-mayors/the-mayors-of-menlo-park). *Menlo Park Historical Association*. Retrieved September 2, 2022.

1. ["Douglas William Dupen Sept. 9, 1928 - October 7, 2012"](https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/sfgate/name/douglas-dupen-obituary?id=19125693). *[San Francisco Chronicle](/source/San_Francisco_Chronicle)*. October 15, 2012. – via [Legacy.com](/source/Legacy.com)

1. ["San Mateo Mostly Elects Incumbents"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108822913/the-san-francisco-examiner/). *[The San Francisco Examiner](/source/The_San_Francisco_Examiner)*. November 3, 1982. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. West, Don (June 29, 1983). ["Councilwoman Spared Jail After Cutting Down Tree"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108824230/the-san-francisco-examiner/). *[The San Francisco Examiner](/source/The_San_Francisco_Examiner)*. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. ["Five Seek Three Seats"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108816923/the-times/). *[San Mateo County Times](/source/San_Mateo_County_Times)*. February 19, 1974. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Billy Ray White](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Ray_White) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Ray_White?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.