Mark Alfred Pierce (March 6, 1896 – April 11, 1959) was an American business executive who ran his family's company, Pierce Brothers Mortuary Services, for many years. He was also a one-term California State Assemblyman, and one-term Los Angeles Police Commissioner.

Early life

Pierce was the son of Fred E. Pierce, one of the founders of Pierce Brothers Mortuary Services. He served overseas during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

Political career

In 1924 Pierce ran for Assembly as a Republican candidate and was endorsed by Ralph V. Blakeslee. Pierce served in the

California State Assembly The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature (the upper house being the California State Senate). The Assembly convenes, along with the State Senate, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento, Califor ...

from the 75th district from 1925 to 1927. While in office he earned the ire of the ''Los Angeles Record'' editorial board for his vote opposing the metropolitan water district bill. Pierce was defeated for re-election by George W. Rochester. Pierce was appointed to a seat on the Los Angeles Police Commission in 1928, replacing Harry E. Insley. Pierce resigned in March 1930, and Major

Thomas Walkup Thomas Ryan Walkup (Greek: Τόμας Γουόκαπ, born December 30, 1992) is an American-born naturalized Greek professional basketball player for Olympiacos of the Greek Basketball League (GBL) and the EuroLeague. He also represents the Gre ...

was appointed as his replacement. A week after he had officially resigned, Pierce attended a police commission meeting regarding LAPD Red Squad raids preceding and following an unemployment protest on March 6, 1930. In the course of the verbal conflict between regional ACLU director Clinton J. Taft, ACLU attorney Leo Gallagher, commissioner Edgar Wehn, commissioner

Francis Drake Sir Francis Drake ( 1540 – 28 January 1596) was an English Exploration, explorer and privateer best known for making the Francis Drake's circumnavigation, second circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition between 1577 and 1580 (bein ...

, commissioner Clarence E. Coe, commissioner Willard Thorpe, acting captain Red Hynes, and others, Taft mentioned a raid on a Communist office, at which time Pierce declared: This statement, which came with Pierce "patting Hynes jovially on the back," has been repeatedly quoted in histories of the era as a succinct summary of the lawlessness of the Los Angeles ruling class during this era.

Post-political career

Pierce Brothers funeral directors Flower Street chapel 1920

In 1935, while on a world tour, he was detained by Japanese authorities for 11 days on suspicion of being a spy, after he photographed a Japanese

cruiser A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several operational roles from search-and-destroy to ocean escort to sea ...

and fortified islands in the Strait of Shimonsheki. He was allowed to stay in a hotel and go out for meals but was interrogated via interpreter for hours a day by

Kobe Kobe ( ; , ), officially , is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. With a population of around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's List of Japanese cities by population, seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Port of Toky ...

police the rest of the time. His stay in Japan was apparently extended because his luggage included evidence that he had been appointed a

Kentucky Colonel Kentucky Colonel is the highest title of honor bestowed by the US state of Kentucky. It is the most well-known colonelcy in the United States. A Kentucky Colonel Commission (the certificate) is awarded in the name of the Commonwealth by the go ...

, which the Japanese presumed to be a legitimate military rank rather than a paper-only honorary title. One columnist commented that the experience must have been "a revealing one" to a former member of the police commission. As of 1938 he was general manager of Pierce Brothers mortuary. In 1940 he was appointed to the board of directors of

Chapman College Chapman University is a private research university in Orange, California, United States. Encompassing eleven colleges, the university is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". The school maintains its founding ...

. In 1944 he was again a candidate for State Assembly, this time from the 61st district, Pierce cited his experience being "thrown into a stinking jail" in Japan in 1935 as a qualifying credential for election to office during the

Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War or the Pacific Theatre, was the Theater (warfare), theatre of World War II fought between the Empire of Japan and the Allies of World War II, Allies in East Asia, East and Southeast As ...

. In the 1950s, he ended his career as the company's chairman of the board. When Pierce died in Santa Barbara in 1959, he was principal shareholder of Pierce Brothers Mortuary, which had recently been sold, along with three affiliated companies.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pierce, Mark A. 1896 births 1959 deaths United States Army personnel of World War I Republican Party members of the California State Assembly 20th-century members of the California State Legislature Commissioners of the Los Angeles Police Department American anti-communists Proto-fascists Prisoners and detainees of Japan Anti-Japanese sentiment in the United States

Early life

Political career

Post-political career

See also

References