Roy Hampton (c. 1901–1953) was an attorney, ex-Marine and former journalist who was a member of the

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

, California, City Council from 1939 to 1943. Sheriff's deputies said he killed himself in a Malibu motel in 1953.

Biography

Hampton, who moved to Los Angeles about 1904, was a graduate of the

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8.1 ...

and of its Law School and had worked as a journalist as well as an attorney. He was a Marine during World War II and was a member of the American Legion. Other memberships included the

Echo Park Echo Park is a neighborhood in the east-central region of Los Angeles, California. Located to the northwest of Downtown, it is bordered by Silver Lake to the west and Chinatown to the east. The culturally diverse neighborhood has become known f ...

and

Elysian Park Elysian Park is one of the largest parks in Los Angeles at 600 acres (240 ha). Most of Elysian Park falls in the neighborhood of the same name, but a small portion of the park falls in Echo Park. The park was created by city ordinance on April 5, ...

improvement associations. He lived in the 2400 block of Echo Park Avenue and then at 2354 Kenilworth Avenue."Roy Hampton, Ex-Councilman, Found Dead," ''Los Angeles Times,'' April 17, 1953, page 2
/ref>"Roy Hampton Services Set," ''Los Angeles Times,'' April 20, 1953, page A-28
/ref> Hampton's body was found in a motel at 19355 Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu on April 16, 1953. "A revolver lay at his side and Sheriff's deputies said he had taken his own life." A note blamed ill health for the act.

Masonic Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

funeral services were conducted. He was survived by his wife, Elizabeth; a son, Dirk; and his mother, Sadie Hampton.

City Council

Elections

Hampton first ran for the

Los Angeles City Council District 13 Los Angeles City Council District 13 is one of the 15 districts of the Los Angeles City Council, in Central Los Angeles. Hugo Soto-Martinez is the current council member. Geography Present district The district flanks the 101 freeway as it pas ...

seat in 1931, when he finished eighth in a field of 11 candidates. He was elected in the same district in 1939 and again in 1941, but he lost to

Ned R. Healy Ned Romeyn Healy (August 9, 1905 – September 10, 1977) was a member of the Los Angeles, California, City Council in 1943 and 1944 and a member of Congress from 1945 to 1947. Biography Healy was born August 9, 1905, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, w ...

in 1943. In those years, the 13th District was essentially bounded on the east by Sheffield Street, the south by Valley Boulevard, the west by

Vermont Avenue Vermont Avenue is one of the longest running north–south streets in City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County, California. With a length of , is the third longest of the north–south thoroughfares in the region. For most of its length be ...

and the north by an irregular line from Pullman Street to Fountain Avenue.

Controversies

In Hampton's obituary, the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...

'' said that the councilman "gained some note as a stormy petrel," speaking out against the Los Angeles Housing Authority, street railway operations, the Police and Civil Service Commissions and Mayor Bowron. He was among the early proponents of broadcasting City Council sessions."

Healy and Healy

In 1940 Hampton was the leader of an unsuccessful fight to have Mayor Fletcher Bowron remove Don R. Healy from a

city charter A city charter or town charter (generically, municipal charter) is a legal document ('' charter'') establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the Middle Ages. Traditionally the granting of a charte ...

revision committee on the grounds that Healy had been "an active member of the

Communist party A communist party is a political party that seeks to realize the socio-economic goals of communism. The term ''communist party'' was popularized by the title of ''The Manifesto of the Communist Party'' (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. ...

" since 1936. Healy told a three-member committee chaired by Hampton that he had indeed registered as a Communist in 1936 "but said he did so nlyto vote for a Communist candidate." The chief opponent to Hampton's demand was Councilman Arthur E. Briggs who said it was a "dirty and contemptible procedure, all too common in this community." Hampton retorted that Briggs, who had moved to California from

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...

in 1923, was a "self-confessed ward-heeler of the Pendergast political machine in Kansas City," a statement that Briggs called "absolutely false.""Los Angeles Casts Ballots Tuesday," ''Los Angeles Times,'' April 30, 1939, page A-1
/ref> Three years later, in 1943, Hampton made a charge in 30,000 campaign fliers circulated "on the eve of the municipal primary" that

, his opponent in the 13th District race, had been at one time a registered member of the Communist Party. Ned Healy went to the city attorney's office and demanded issuance of a complaint against Hampton on a charge of

criminal libel Criminal libel is a legal term, of English origin, which may be used with one of two distinct meanings, in those common law jurisdictions where it is still used. It is an alternative name for the common law offence which is also known (in order ...

, and Hampton soon made an "unequivocal retraction" of his charge. Healy went on to win the runoff election. The record does not show if Don and Ned R. Healy were related or if Hampton had confused the two.

Subversion

Hampton was the sponsor of Charter Amendment No. 12, approved by the voters in 1941, that forbade members of "subversive organizations" from working for the city. The authority was later used to discharge several employees of the city's Department of Water and Power.

Wire-tapping

In 1941, Hampton charged that Wallace N. Jamie, an investigator for Mayor Bowron, had established a

wire-tapping Telephone tapping (also wire tapping or wiretapping in American English) is the monitoring of telephone and Internet-based conversations by a third party, often by covert means. The wire tap received its name because, historically, the monitorin ...

"listening post" in the City Hall. Bowron called Hampton a "liar", and Hampton thereupon asked Attorney-General Earl Warren for an investigation because, he said, members of the mayor's and district attorney's offices were collaborating in a scheme of wire-tapping espionage in Los Angeles.

Police

He called for the ousting of Police Chief C.B. Horrell and the entire Police Commission in 1943 after the death of Stanley H. Beebe, a mortally injured accountant who made a deathbed statement that he had been beaten and kicked by policemen in the Central Jail."Ouster of Police Chief Sought by Councilman," ''Los Angeles Times,'' January 19, 1943, page 3
/ref>

References

''Access to the ''Los Angeles Times'' links requires the use of a library card.'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Hampton, Roy 1900s births 1953 suicides 1953 deaths Year of birth uncertain Los Angeles City Council members University of Southern California alumni USC Gould School of Law alumni American politicians who committed suicide Suicides by firearm in California United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II 20th-century American politicians American anti-communists