Hahn’s Career Highlights

Kenneth Hahn has represented the 2nd Supervisorial District in central Los Angeles County since 1952. Before that, from 1947 to 1952, he served on the Los Angeles City Council. Some of the highlights of his career: 1947: Wins Los Angeles City Council election, at age 26, making him the youngest person ever to serve on the council.

1952: Wins election to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors at age 32, becoming the youngest person ever to serve on the board. Begins a record 29-year tenure as a Coliseum commissioner.

1955: Leads the drive to finance construction of the Sports Arena through revenue bonds; the arena opened in 1959.

1957: Authors a bill requiring all school buses to undergo state safety inspections.

Designs the County Seal.

1958: Helps arrange Dodgers’ move to Los Angeles.

1961: Initiates the first free Christmas Music Program sponsored by the Board of Supervisors.

1962: Originates the idea for the freeway emergency call box system in Los Angeles County, which now has about 3,500 call boxes.

1968: Unveils the official county flag designed by Hahn.

1970: Spearheads development of the county’s paramedic training program for firefighters.

1972: Leads the push for building the Martin Luther King Jr. General Hospital. Calls for an end to plastic trees on county streets.

1974: Helps negotiate end to bus drivers’ strike. Major advocate in the RTD temporary 25-cent bus fare during the gasoline crisis.

1979: Succeeds in banning shakes or wood shingles on roofs unless pressure treated with fire retardant and installed over foil sheeting.

1980: Authors Proposition A, which established a 1/2-cent sales tax to provide funding for rail transit and bus fare subsidies.

1981: Arranges with the state for land--which is presently being used as an unauthorized trash dump, to develop Willowbrook State Recreation Area, in the heart of Watts.

1982: Pushes for establishment of the Baldwin Hills State Recreation Area.

1988: Wins his 10th four-year term. Deukmejian signs bill renaming the Baldwin Hills State Recreation Area the Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area.

1990: Proposed construction of a 1,700-mile pipeline to bring water from Alaska to California.