Oral Histories

Interview of Thomas Bradley (1984)

Mayor of Los Angeles from 1973 to 1993.
Subtitle:
The Impossible Dream
Topic:
Politics and Government
African American History
Biographical Note:
Mayor of Los Angeles from 1973 to 1993.
Interviewer:
Galm, Bernard
Interviewee:
Bradley, Thomas
Persons Present:
Bradley and Galm.
Place Conducted:
Mayor's office of Los Angeles City Hall in Los Angeles, California.
Supporting Documents:
Records relating to the interview are located in the office of the UCLA Library's Center for Oral History Research.
Interviewer Background and Preparation:
The interview was conducted by Bernard Galm, director, Oral History Program; B.A., English, St. John's University, Minnesota, Fulbright Scholar, Free University, Berlin, Germany, 1957-58; Graduate study, School of Drama, Yale University, and Department of Theater Arts, UCLA. Galm prepared for the interview by researching newspaper articles and studying biographical material and press releases supplied by the mayor's office. He also interviewed key members of Bradley's staff for possible insight into subjects that could be addressed in the interview. Maurice Weiner, former deputy mayor and chief of staff, was interviewed at length and gave much information on important issues that arose during Bradley's years as councilman and later as mayor. "Tom Bradley, Los Angeles's First Black Mayor," an unpublished dissertation by James Lee Robinson, Jr., provided important background on Bradley's political life.
Processing of Interview:
Editing was done by Rebecca Andrade, assistant editor, Oral History Program. She checked the verbatim transcript against the original tape recordings editing for punctuation, paragraphing, spelling, and verification of proper nouns. Words and phrases inserted by the editor have been bracketed. The final manuscript remains in the same order as the taped material. In September 1980, the edited transcript, along with a list of queries and names requiring verification, was returned to Lisa Janti (Special assistant to the mayor), who coordinated the interview project in the mayor's office. The approved transcript was returned by Janti in December 1983. Bradley made few changes or deletions, but further verification of names was necessary. Mitch Tuchman, principal editor, reviewed the manuscript before it was typed in final form. He discovered that Andrade's editing was not always faithful to the taped material, so he did an audit-review and made the necessary changes to assure the accuracy of the final manuscript. The index was compiled by Richard Smith, principal editor, and the front matter was prepared by program staff. The introduction was written by Jack Tenner.
Length:
9.5 hrs.
Language:
English
Copyright:
Regents of the University of California, UCLA Library.