User:Kuzumel/William Soo Hoo
 | This is not a Wikipedia article: It is an individual user's work-in-progress page, and may be incomplete and/or unreliable. For guidance on developing this draft, see Wikipedia:So you made a userspace draft. Find sources: Google (books · news · scholar · free images · WP refs) · FENS · JSTOR · TWL |
William Soo Hoo (1924–October 25, 1990) was an American politician from California, a member of the Democratic Party, and a veteran of the World War II European front. He is notable as the first American born Asian mayor in California as well the first Oxnard native-son to assume that position.
William "Bill" Soo Hoo | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of Oxnard, California | |
| In office 1966–1970 | |
| Preceded by | Robert F. Howlett |
| Majority | /* 3,304 */ |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Oxnard, California, U.S. |
| Died | Error: Invalid dates for calculating age Oxnard, California |
| Cause of death | Stroke |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Children | Brian Soo Hoo |
| Parent(s) | Soo Hoo Jung Hall and Soo Hoo Yee Tom |
| Residence(s) | Oxnard, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Politician, Business Owner |
Early life
[edit]William Soo Hoo was born in Oxnard, California in 1924 to Soo Hoo Jung Hall (mother) and Soo Hoo Yee Tom (father). The family owned a merchantile store (called Wing Chen Lung Company) and ran a small Chinese restaurant (The Oriental Inn) in the segregated area popularly known as "China Alley".
He attended Haydock School, Roosevelt School, Wilson School and graduated from Oxnard High School. In January 1943, he volunteered with the Army and was assigned to the 788th Field Artillery Battalion [1] which participated in Operation Grenade, the final push into Germany.
After leaving the Army in 1946, Bill Soo Hoo returned back to Oxnard and became co-owner of the family restaurant, The Oriental. As a popular local eatery, Soo Hoo befriended many of Oxnard's political and business leaders. However in the late 1940's, a local ordinance made it illegal for him to live on a property he just purchased. That motivated him to participate in the political arena. The first step was accepting his duty to serve on the 1956 Grand Jury.
Later life
[edit]Army 788th Field Axillary Battalion World War II
Category:1924 births
Category:1990 deaths
Category:People from Oxnard, California
Category:California city council members
Category:California Democrats
Category:Chinese-American mayors
Category:American politicians of Chinese descent
Category:American politicians of Asian descent
Category:Mayors of Oxnard, California
References
[edit]- ^ Staff of the “Bars and Gripes" (1946). History of the 788th Field Artillery Calendar. Ludwigsburg, Germany: Eichhorn-Druckerei-Kallenberg. p. 72.
External links
[edit]