Mervyn M. Dymally

Mervyn M. Dymally
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 31st district
In office January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1993
Preceded by	Charles H. Wilson
Succeeded by	Matthew G. Martinez
41st Lieutenant Governor of California
In office January 6, 1975 – January 8, 1979
Governor	Jerry Brown
Preceded by	John L. Harmer
Succeeded by	Michael Curb
Personal details
Born	Mervyn Malcolm Dymally May 12, 1926 (1926-05-12) Cedros, Trinidad and Tobago
Political party	Democratic

Mervyn Malcolm Dymally (born May 12, 1926 in Cedros, Trinidad and Tobago) is a California Democratic politician of mixed Indian and Afro-Trinidadian heritage. He served in the California State Assembly (1963–1966) and the California State Senate (1967–1975), as the 41st Lieutenant Governor of California (1975–1979), and in the U.S. House of Representatives (1981–1993). After a 10-year retirement, he returned to politics to serve in the California State Assembly (2002–2008).

Dymally was the first Trinidadian to serve as Lieutenant Governor of California. He also served as the first Trinidadian in the California State Senate prior to his time as lieutenant governor. As a member of the House of Representatives, he was one of the first persons of African and Indian origin to serve in the U.S. Congress. Along with George L. Brown of Colorado, who was also elected a lieutenant governor in 1974, Dymally was one of the two first blacks elected to any statewide office in any state since Reconstruction (Oscar Dunn of Louisiana was the first black elected lieutenant governor).

Career

Dymally received his secondary education at Naparima College, San Fernando, Trinidad, his undergraduate education at Lincoln University, Jefferson City, Missouri and Los Angeles State College, his Master's degree from California State University, Sacramento, and his doctorate from United States International University (now Alliant International University), San Diego.

In the tightly contested race for Lt. Governor in 1978, Dymally's bid for re-election was derailed when Michael Franchetti, an aide to State Senator George Deukmejian, floated a false rumor that Dymally was about to be indicted. The story, coming days before the election, harmed the Dymally campaign, and Dymally lost to Republican Mike Curb. Franchetti later said that the source of the rumor was a Los Angeles Times reporter, who called the Justice Department trying to confirm its authenticity. Franchetti could not substantiate the rumor but included it in a report. The report was then passed to Dymally's opponent and later to a television reporter. Then-Atty. Gen. Younger filed a letter of reprimand in Franchetti's personnel records, accusing him of a breach of responsibility.

Dymally was an "old friend" of Peoples Temple founder Jim Jones. When Jones decided to move his congregation to Jonestown, Guyana, Dymally "wrote the Guyanese prime minister to reassure him that Jones was an upstanding citizen." The Jonestown compound would be the site of the mass suicide of over 900 people on November 18, 1978.

Dymally came out of retirement and returned to the California State Assembly in 2002 when Assemblyman Carl Washington was term limited. He served for six years and then tried to return to the State Senate in 2008. However, he was defeated in the Democratic primary for State Senate election by Rod Wright.

Dymally is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.

External links

• Mervyn M. Dymally at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by the Washington Post

Political offices
Preceded by Montivel A. Burke	California Assembly Member 52nd District 1963–1967	Succeeded by Bill Greene
Preceded by Vernon L. Sturgeon	California State Senator 29th District 1967–1974
Preceded by John L. Harmer	Lieutenant Governors of California January 6, 1975–January 8, 1979	Succeeded by Michael Curb
Preceded by Charles H. Wilson	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 31st congressional district 1981–1993	Succeeded by Matthew G. Martínez
Preceded by Carl Washington	California Assembly Member 52nd District 2002–2008	Succeeded by Isadore Hall