Ron Dellums

A Representative from California; born in Oakland, Alameda County, Calif., November 24, 1935; attended the Oakland public schools; A.A., Oakland City College, 1958; B.A., San Francisco State College, 1960; M.S.W., University of California, 1962; served two years in United States Marine Corps, active duty, 1954-1956; psychiatric social worker, California Department of Mental Hygiene, 1962-1964; program director, Bayview Community Center, 1964-1965; associate director, then director, Hunters Point Youth Opportunity Center, 1965-1966; planning consultant, Bay Area Social Planning Council, 1966-1967; director, Concentrated Employment Program, San Francisco Economic Opportunity Council, 1967-1968; senior consultant, Social Dynamics, Inc. (manpower specialization programs), 1968-1970; part-time lecturer, San Francisco State College, University of California, and Berkeley Graduate School of Social Welfare; member, Berkeley City Council, 1967-1970; delegate to Democratic National Convention, 1972; elected as a Democrat to the Ninety-second and to the thirteen succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1971-February 6, 1998); chairman, Committee on District of Columbia (Ninety-sixth through One Hundred Second Congresses), Committee on Armed Services (One Hundred Third Congress); served from January 3, 1971, until his resignation on February 6, 1998; Mayor of Oakland, Calif., 2007 to present. Mr. Dellums and his first wife, Arthurine, who were married while he was in the Marines, had two children, Michael and Pamela. The marriage ended in divorce in 1957. In 1962, he married Leola Higgs, who is known as Roscoe, a lawyer and former broadcaster. They had three children, Piper, Brandon and Erik. That marriage, too, ended in divorce, in 1999. In 2000, he married Cynthia Lewis, who survives him.