George Livingston

{{Short description|American politician (c. 1933–2012)}} {{about||the military officer|George Livingston, 3rd Earl of Linlithgow}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = | image = George Livingston, mayor of Richmond.jpg | birth_name = George Livingston | birth_date = c. 1933 | birth_place = | death_date = January 7, 2012 | death_place = | party = | other_party = | office = Mayor of Richmond, California | predecessor = Thomas Corcoran | successor = Rosemary Corbin | term_start = 1985 | term_end = 1993 | predecessor1 = J.J. Sheridan | successor1 = Donald Wagerman | term_start1 = 1969 | term_end1 = 1970 | office2 = | term_start2 = | term_end2 = | term_start3 = | term_end3 = | spouse = | relations = | children = | alma_mater = | occupation = | profession = | signature = | website = | footnotes = }}

'''George Livingston''' (c. 1933 – January 7, 2012) was an American politician who served as the first elected African American Mayor of Richmond, California, from 1985 to 1993.<ref name=cct>{{cite news|first=Gary|last=Peterson|title=Richmond's first elected black mayor dies |url=http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_19696351 |work=Contra Costa Times |date=2012-01-07 |accessdate=2012-01-20}}</ref> Livingston was appointed Mayor in 1985 by the city council. He won election as Richmond's first elected African American mayor in 1989 for a full term.<ref name=cct/><ref name=sfc>{{cite news|first=Carolyn|last=Jones |title=George Livingston, Richmond's 1st black elected mayor |url=https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/George-Livingston-Richmond-s-1st-black-elected-2461076.php |work=San Francisco Chronicle |date=2012-01-11 |access-date=2012-01-20}}</ref>

==Biography==

===Early life=== Livingston was born and raised in rural Oklahoma.<ref name=cct/><ref name=sfc/> In 1952, he moved with his family to Richmond, California, where members of his family found employment in the East Bay shipyards.<ref name=cct/><ref name=sfc/>

Livingston graduated from Berkeley High School in Berkeley, California.<ref name=sfc/> He received his bachelor's degree in political science from Antioch University, which had a now defunct satellite campus in neighboring San Francisco.<ref name=sfc/> Livingston said that his interest in politics began in the early 1960s, when he met Martin Luther King Jr. at a speech at Contra Costa College.<ref name=sfc/><ref name=bcitizen>{{cite news |first=Robert |last=Rogers |title=On MLK Day: Remembering Former Richmond Mayor George Livingston |url=http://www.baycitizen.org/obituaries/story/life-former-richmond-mayor-george/ |work=The Bay Citizen |date=2012-01-16 |accessdate=2012-01-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120126144003/http://www.baycitizen.org/obituaries/story/life-former-richmond-mayor-george/ |archive-date=2012-01-26 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Livingston earliest jobs included positions at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard.<ref name=sfc/> and at Continental Paper Co. in Richmond as a Salesman. He later worked in the regulatory department of the Pacific Gas and Electric Company for the majority of his nonpolitical career.<ref name=sfc/>

===Political career=== Before entering local politics, Livingston became active in neighborhood and church groups.<ref name=sfc/>

Livingston was first elected to the Richmond City Council in 1965, becoming the second African American ever elected to the council (The first was George Carroll).<ref name=bcitizen/> Livingston served three consecutive terms beginning in 1965, before leaving office.<ref name=cct/> In 1973, Livingston was elected again to the city council, where he remained until his appointment to the mayor's office in 1985.<ref name=cct/>

===Mayor=== The position of Mayor rotated between city council members until 1981, when it became a popularly elected office.<ref name=sfc/> Thomas Corcoran was elected the first elected mayor.<ref name=sfc/>

Richmond Mayor Tom Corcoran died in office in 1985.<ref name=cct/> According to city law, the city council needed to choose Corcoran's successor from the sitting members of the council.<ref name=cct/> The city council appointed Livingston, a member of the council, to serve out the remainder of Cochran's unexpired term.<ref name=cct/> Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia explained the council's decision to appoint Livingston to the mayor's office, "They thought George would be the best person to unite the council and the communities in Richmond...If you look at his legacy, he really worked hard at trying to find common ground among City Council members."<ref name=cct/>

In 1989, Livingston announced his candidacy for a full term as mayor. He won the 1989 mayoral election, becoming Richmond's first elected African American mayor.<ref name=cct/> As mayor, Livingston oversaw the construction of the city's 23rd Street overpass and the early redevelopment of the Port of Richmond.<ref name=cct/> Livingston was able to attract new offices and businesses to Richmond, including a U.S. Social Security office, a U.S. Postal Service bulk mail facility, and the Hilltop shopping center.<ref name=sfc/>

In 1993, Livingston was defeated for re-election by Rosemary Corbin.<ref name=cct/>

George Livingston died from complications of diabetes at Doctors Hospital in San Pablo, California, on January 7, 2012, at the age of 78.<ref name=cct/> He was survived by his wife, Eunice Livington; daughter, Grace Livingston-Nunley; and son, George Jr.<ref name=cct/> U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-California) called Livingston "...a leader and also a coalition builder," saying, "He was able to work across the entire community. His goal was the development and growth of Richmond."<ref name=cct/>

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Livingston, George}} Category:2012 deaths Category:Mayors of Richmond, California Category:Richmond City Council members (California) Category:Antioch College alumni Category:Berkeley High School (Berkeley, California) alumni Category:Year of birth uncertain Category:Deaths from diabetes in California Category:1930s births Category:African-American mayors in California Category:20th-century African-American politicians Category:21st-century African-American politicians