U.S. senator from 1943 to 1955 and 38th district California State Assembly member from 1936 to 1942. Head of the California Senate Factfinding Subcommittee on Un-American Activities ("Tenney Committee") and leader of anti-communist investigations.
General booking manager of the Lincoln Motion Picture Company and lifelong collector of materials on African Americans in motion pictures. Founder of the Pacific Coast News Bureau.