San Diego
County
Biographies
EDGAR AUGUSTINE LUCE
LUCE, EDGAR AUGUSTINE,
Attorney at Law, San Diego, California, was born in that city May 20,
1881, the son of Moses Augustine Luce and Adelaide (Montania)
Luce.
Mr. Luce attended the public schools of his native city
and was graduated from the High School in the class of 1899. The following year
he entered Leland Stanford, Jr. University, at Palo Alto, California, and was
graduated from the Law Department in 1905 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts.
Immediately after graduating, Mr. Luce was admitted to
the practice of law and began in September, 1905, as a member of the firm of
Luce, Sloane & Luce, of which his father, a leading member of the San Diego
Bar, was the senior member. He was quickly recognized as an unusually capable
attorney, and after four years of practice, was appointed Deputy City Attorney
and City Prosecutor of San Diego.
Mr. Luce was born with the instinct of political reform
and even before he left college had taken an active interest in political
affairs. When he began his professional life in San Diego he immediately
entered into political activity, espousing the cause of the Progressive
Republicans. He was an active factor in the work of the party and one of the
most ardent agents for reform in the city.
It was Mr. Luce’s sincere efforts in this direction which
caused his appointment to the office of City Prosecutor of San Diego and during
the period he held this post, was instrumental, with the city’s efficient
Police Department, in making the city one of the cleanest, from a moral
standpoint, in the United States. He took up the prosecution of illicit liquor
traffic and other social evils, and the result of his work was a permanent
civic reformation, making the city one of the most attractive municipalities in
the country.
Among his other political activities, Mr. Luce was one of
the active leaders in the movement and successful campaign for a charter
amendment that gave to San Diego the Commission form of government. This was
the first city in California to adopt that form of municipal administration.
Mr. Luce was also one of the organizers, in 1906, of the
Roosevelt Republican League of San Diego, which has for its purpose the
overthrow of the local political machine of the city. In 1907 the members of
this club formed themselves into the Lincoln-Roosevelt Republican League of San
Diego and became a part of the State-wide movement bearing that name.
Mr. Luce was elected Secretary of the League, which position he has
occupied ever since. He was a tireless worker in behalf of Hiram Johnson, who
was elected Governor of California in 1910, and who two years later was
nominated for Vice President of the United States on the Progressive Republican,
or “Bull Moose” ticket with Theodore Roosevelt. Mr. Luce took the stump
and made numerous addresses in behalf of his candidate. Possessed of unusual
resourcefulness as a speaker, he was one of the strong men in the Johnson
ranks.
While Mr. Luce has devoted a large part of his time to
political affairs, he has not neglected his professional work and ranks today
among the successful pleaders at the San Diego Bar. He was a candidate for the
nomination for District Attorney at the Republican primaries in 1910, following
his resignation as Deputy City Attorney, but was unsuccessful.
The firm of Luce, Sloan & Luce was changed in May,
1911, to Luce & Luce, with Mr. Luce and his father sharing the duties
of the office. In addition to his legal work, Mr. Luce has become actively
interested in various business concerns in San Diego, as stockholder, officer
or attorney.
He is Secretary and Director of the Progressive Building
Company, Director of the Golden Hill Land and Building Company, Director of the
Land and Investment Company, and a Director of the Frank Turnbull Company. He
also acts as associate legal adviser to several others.
Mr. Luce takes a prominent part in all movements having
for their object the improvement of San Diego and is one of active workers in
the San Diego Civic Association, leading or supporting various progressive
campaigns of a social or economic charater [sic].
Mr. Luce also belongs to a number of fraternal and social
organizations, including the San Diego Country Club, University Club, San Diego
Rowing Club, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Native Sons of
the Golden West, San Diego Parlor.
Transcribed by Marie Hassard
11 October 2010.
Source:
Press Reference Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, Vol. I, Page 527, International News
Service, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Atlanta. 1913.
© 2010 Marie
Hassard .
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