Karl L. Rundberg
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Karl L. Rundberg (30 January 1899 – 2 April 1969) was an American businessman and politician. He was notable as a
Los Angeles City Council The Los Angeles City Council is the legislative body of the City of Los Angeles in California. The council is composed of 15 members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The president of the council and the president pro tem ...
member between 1957 and 1965. He was convicted of accepting a bribe in 1967 when a member of the city's Harbor Commission and was placed on probation. The conviction was reversed by a higher court.


Early life and education

Rundberg was born in Kansas City,
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, on January 30, 1899. He attended public schools there. Later he took classes in commercial and industrial illumination at
Washington University in St. Louis Washington University in St. Louis (WashU or WUSTL) is a private research university with its main campus in St. Louis County, and Clayton, Missouri. Founded in 1853, the university is named after George Washington. Washington University is r ...
.


Career before politics

He became a businessman in that city specializing in commercial and industrial lighting and was general manager of Modern Lighting Company there. He moved to Pacific Palisades to retire. In 1953 he was named assistant director of the city's civil defense organization. He was a member of the American Legion, Westwood Shrine Club, and a director of Richland Avenue Youth House. He was president of the
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in Jefferson City, Missouri.


City Council


Elections

Rundberg was elected to a four-year term to represent Los Angeles City Council District 11 in 1957, ousting fellow conservative
Harold Harby Harold Harby (September 8, 1894 – November 24, 1978) was elected to the Los Angeles, California, City Council in 1939, but he had to leave office in 1942 when he was convicted of using a city car for a trip out of the state. He was reelected in ...
, the incumbent, by 17,524 votes to 10,193. He was easily reelected in the primary election of 1961, but in 1965 he was beaten in the general election by
Marvin Braude Marvin Braude (11 August 1920 – 7 December 2005) was a member of the Los Angeles City Council for 32 years, between 1965 and 1997—the third-longest-serving council member in the history of the city. He was “a champion of bike paths,” advoc ...
.


Highlights


Beach noise

Rundberg, a conservative Republican, was known for his antipathy toward
beatniks Beatniks were members of a social movement in the 1950s that subscribed to an anti-materialistic lifestyle. History In 1948, Jack Kerouac introduced the phrase "Beat Generation", generalizing from his social circle to characterize the undergr ...
, Bohemians and others with non-conformist lifestyles living in the
Venice beach Venice is a neighborhood of the city of Los Angeles within the Westside region of Los Angeles County, California. Venice was founded by Abbot Kinney in 1905 as a seaside resort town. It was an independent city until 1926, when it was annexed by ...
area of his district. In a "resounding" City Council session in May 1957, he called them "scum" and "animals" just before the council passed an ordinance, 11-2, to restrict the noise from their bongo and
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by forbidding the playing of any musical instruments on beaches or parks within 750 feet of a residence between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. Only former policeman Tom Bradley and musician Ernani Bernardi were opposed. A Police Department spokesman said that officers would take a noise-maker into custody, but only if a citizen made the arrest for disturbing the peace because officially an officer's peace cannot be disturbed. "It's sickening to me," replied Rundberg, "when I hear that a policeman has to stand by . . . because of some legal hair-splitting." He added: "Our people are afraid to come out after dark because of these animals—and that's what they are."


Mayor Yorty

Rundberg was a foe of Mayor
Sam Yorty Samuel William Yorty (October 1, 1909 – June 5, 1998) was an American radio host, attorney, and politician from Los Angeles, California. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives and the California State Assembly, ...
, on one occasion in 1963 accusing the mayor's office of investigating Rundberg's background with the purpose of recalling him from office. "The whole tribe is not fit to be in public office," Rundberg said of the mayor's staff.


Mountains

The "blunt-speaking" councilman tangled with actors Steve McQueen and
James Garner James Garner (born James Scott Bumgarner; April 7, 1928 – July 19, 2014) was an American actor. He played leading roles in more than 50 theatrical films, including ''The Great Escape (film), The Great Escape'' (1963) with Steve McQueen; Paddy ...
on successive days in July 1964 as the City Council debated a controversial master plan for the
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, with McQueen angrily telling Rundberg "Don't close the door in my face!" at one council meeting, and Garner and Rundberg, with their fists clenched, trading "more harsh words at the top of their voices, their faces less than a foot apart," at the next day's meeting, until they were separated by a police officer.


Conviction

After his City Council term ended, Rundberg was appointed by Mayor
Sam Yorty Samuel William Yorty (October 1, 1909 – June 5, 1998) was an American radio host, attorney, and politician from Los Angeles, California. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives and the California State Assembly, ...
to the city Harbor Commission. In August 1968 Rundberg and fellow commissioner Robert (Nick) Starr were convicted of receiving bribes in return for their help in getting a $12 million city contract for
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Keith Smith at the harbor. Superior Judge William B. Keene sentenced Starr to a year in jail but placed Rundberg on
probation Probation in criminal law is a period of supervision over an offender, ordered by the court often in lieu of incarceration. In some jurisdictions, the term ''probation'' applies only to community sentences (alternatives to incarceration), such ...
because of the latter's ill health. The conviction was reversed by the State Court of Appeal, which held the jury had not been properly instructed on whether the crime of bribery had been committed.


Later years

After having a history of heart problems, he died on April 2, 1969, leaving his wife, Margaret; a son, Karl, Jr., and a daughter, Marie Pohle. He was 70 years old.


References

---- {{DEFAULTSORT:Rundberg, Karl L. Los Angeles City Council members 1899 births 1969 deaths Politicians from Kansas City, Missouri California Republicans 20th-century American politicians Businesspeople from Kansas City, Missouri People from Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles 20th-century American businesspeople Washington University in St. Louis alumni