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List of mayors of Oxnard, California

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Mayor of Oxnard
Flag of Oxnard
Term length4 years
Formation1903
First holderRichard Barrett Haydock

This is a list of mayors of Oxnard, California.

The city's first mayor was Richard B. Haydock[1] who led the effort to build the city's Carnegie library, now known as the Carnegie Art Museum.

The city's longest-serving mayor was Manuel M. Lopez who was mayor for 12 years from 1992 to 2004.[1]

The current mayor is Luis McArthur, voted into office in November 2024 after retiring as an Oxnard Police Commander. He served 35 years on the police force.

# Image Name Term Notes Sources
1 Richard Barrett Haydock 1903–1906 Born 1857 in Smithland, Kentucky. Oxnard's first mayor. He led the effort to build the city's Carnegie library, now known as the Carnegie Art Museum. [1][2][3]
2 S. B. Bagnall 1906–1910 [3]
3 Joseph Sailer 1910–1920 Born in Austria c. 1867. [4][3]
4 Hubert H. Eastwood 1920–1926 Born in England c. 1870. [5][3]
5 E. Gerrie Driffill 1926–1928 [6][3]
6 A. B. Westfield 1928–1929 [3]
7 E. Roy Gill 1929–1937 [3]
8 Fred Snodgrass 1937–1938 Born in Ventura in 1887. Played Major League Baseball as an outfielder for the New York Giants and Boston Braves from 1908 to 1916. Best known for having dropped a fly ball that cost the Giants the final game of the 1912 World Series. After retiring from baseball, he returned to California, bought a ranch in the El Rio area of Oxnard where he grew lemons and apricots, sold iceless refrigerators and other home appliances for Kelvinator, served as mayor of Oxnard in 1937, and moved to Ventura in 1938. Died in 1974 in Ventura. [7][8][9][3]
9 W. Roy Guyer 1938–1942 Born 1885 in Michigan [10][3]
10 Hubert H. Eastwood
(2nd term)
1942–1944 See above [11][3]
11 Edwin L. Carty 1944–1950 Born 1897 in Santa Barbara. Worked as a real estate broker and developer. He was credited with leading many of the city's developments, including Channel Islands Harbor. He served as mayor from 1944 to 1950. Later served as a county supervisor 1950–1965. Died 1990. [12][13][3]
12 A. Elliott Stoll 1950–1951 Born in South Dakota in 1916. A dentist by profession, he left position as mayor for military service; returned to the post in 1954. Died in 1996. [14][3]
13 Rudolph Beck 1951–1954 [3]
14 A. Elliott Stoll
(2nd term)
1954–1956 See above [3]
15 Carl E. Ward 1956–1960 [3]
16 C. E. Davidson 1960–1962 [3]
17 Robert F. Howlett 1962–1966 Born 1902, died January 27, 1990, in Oxnard. [3]
18 William "Bill" Soo Hoo 1966–1970 First Chinese-American mayor in California. He was also the first Oxnard native to serve as mayor. He died in 1990 in Oxnard. [15][3]
19 Salvatore Sanchez Jr. 1970–1971 Born c. 1927 in Los Angeles. A teacher by profession. The first Latino to serve as Oxnard's mayor. Died in 2014 at his home in Oxnard. [16][3]
20 R. H. "Bud" Roussey 1971 Born 6 November 1912 in Oxnard. Died in Oxnard on 9 May 2005. [17][3]
21 Donald H. Miller 1971–1972 [18][3]
22 E. "Al" Jewell 1972–1973 [3]
23 Jane Tolmach 1973–1974 Born in Havre, Montana, and moved to Ventura County at age two. A social worker and community activist for many years. The first and still only woman mayor of Oxnard, serving from 1973 to 1974. She also served on City Council starting in 1970. Died in 2015. [19][3]
24 E. "Al" Jewell
(2nd term)
1974–1976 [3]
25 Tsujio Kato 1976–1982 Born in Oxnard in 1938. He spent World War II with his family at the Gila River internment camp. He became a dentist and opened a practice in Oxnard in 1965. He served on City Council 1972-1976 and as mayor 1976–1982. He is credited with having led Oxnard's California Strawberry Festival to national prominence. [20][3]
26 Nao Takasugi 1982–1992 Born 1922 in Oxnard, his parents operated Asahi Market. Spent a portion of World War II at the Gila River internment camp. Served on City Council 1976-1982 and as mayor for 10 years from 1982 to 1992. Later served in the California Assembly 1992–1998. Died in 2009. [21][3]
27 Manuel M. Lopez 1992–2004 Began practice as an optometrist in Oxnard in 1962. Served on City Council starting in 1978. Elected as mayor in 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, and 2002. Later served as a commissioner for the Port of Hueneme. At 12 years, he had the longest tenure as mayor in Oxnard history. [1][22][3]
28 Thomas E. Holden 2004–2012 An optometrist by profession, the second consecutive optometrist to serve as mayor of Oxnard. Served on City Council, 1993–2002. Elected as mayor in 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2010 [23][3]
29 Timothy B. Flynn 2012–2020 Teacher of German and social science in the Oxnard Union High School District and political science at Oxnard College. Elected as mayor in 2012, 2014, and 2016. [24][3]
30 John C. Zaragoza 2020–2024 Former Ventura County Supervisor and former Oxnard City Council member. [3]
31 Luis McArthur 2024–present Retired after 35 years on the Oxnard Police Department to become Mayor. [3]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d Patel, Shivani (June 5, 2020). "Oxnard's Haydock school renamed Dr. Manuel Lopez Academy of Arts and Sciences". Ventura County Star. Retrieved 2020-06-06.
  2. ^ "Richard Barrett Haydock: mayor 1903-1907".
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae "Portrait Gallery of Oxnard: Oxnard's Mayors". City of Oxnard - Oxnard Public Library. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  4. ^ "Joseph Sailer: mayor 1910-1920".
  5. ^ "H.H. Eastwood: mayor 1920-1926 & 1942-1944".
  6. ^ "E.G. Driffill: mayor, 1926-1928".
  7. ^ "Fred C. Snodgrass: A man who lived with a moment". Ventura County Star-Free Press. April 6, 1974. pp. B1, B2 – via The Museum of Ventura County ("Fred Snodgrass" biographical file).
  8. ^ Walt Noon. "Fred Snodgrass: He Swung the Bat". The Ventura County Star-Free Press – via The Museum of Ventura County ("Fred Snodgrass" biographical file).
  9. ^ "He took his heart to the park". Oxnard Press Courier. March 20, 1994. pp. 1, 4 – via The Museum of Ventura County ("Fred Snodgrass" biographical file).
  10. ^ "Roy Guyer: mayor, 1938-1942".
  11. ^ "H.H. Eastwood: mayor 1920-1926 & 1942-1944".
  12. ^ Jim Schultz (November 10, 1990). "Edwin Carty remembered: Friends recall former mayor as major force in shaping Oxnard". Oxnard Press Courier – via The Museum of Ventura County ("Edwin Carty" biographical file).
  13. ^ Julius Gius (November 10, 1990). "Illustrious citizen 'Nick' Carty dies: Former public servant, Oxnard farmer was 92". Ventura County Star-Free Press – via The Museum of Ventura County ("Edwin Carty" biographical file).
  14. ^ "A. Elliott Stoll; Retired Dentist, Former Mayor". Los Angeles Times. March 24, 1996.
  15. ^ Kirsten Lee Swartz (October 26, 1990). "Heart Attack Kills Ex-Mayor Soo Hoo". Los Angeles Times.
  16. ^ "Former educator, Oxnard politician Salvatore Sanchez Jr. dies". Ventura County Star. November 30, 2014.
  17. ^ "R H Roussey: Mayor, 1971".
  18. ^ "Donald Miller: Mayor, 1971-1972".
  19. ^ "Oxnard leader Jane Tolmach dies at 93". Ventura County Star. August 28, 2015.
  20. ^ Fred Alvarez (February 22, 1995). "Former Oxnard Mayor Dr. Tsujio Kato Dies; Guided Strawberry Fest". Los Angeles Times.
  21. ^ "Nao Takasugi, former Oxnard mayor, remembered for his dignity". Los Angeles Times. November 21, 2009.
  22. ^ "Dr. Manuel Lopez". Port of Hueneme. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  23. ^ "On verge of exit, Oxnard mayor reflects on long public career". Ventura County Star. December 1, 2012.
  24. ^ "Timothy B. Flynn". City of Oxnard. Retrieved May 9, 2018.