Los Angeles
County
Biographies
EUGENE
WARREN BISCAILUZ
Eugene
Warren Biscailuz, sheriff of Los Angeles County, was born March 2, 1883, on
Summit Avenue, in Boyle Heights section of the city of Los Angeles. He is the son of Martin Biscailuz, who was
for many years a Los Angeles attorney of high standing, and who enjoyed the
patronage and devotion of many southern Californians. Martin Biscailuz’ clientele, for the most
part, consisted of those southern Californians who were in any way connected
with Basque racial stock. He, himself,
was of French-Basque lineage, while his wife’s ancestry was of Yankee and
Spanish origin. Martin Biscailuz was
also a native son, having been born on a ranch in Los Angeles County in
1860. He was reared and educated in the
county and was graduated valedictorian of his class from St. Vincent’s College,
Los Angeles. After graduating, Martin
Biscailuz spent several years in Europe, particularly in France and Spain, where
he acquired a fluent command of French, Basque, Italian, Spanish and English
and improved his knowledge of law. He
was a member of the California Bar Association, a Knight Templar Mason and
Shriner. His wife, the mother of Eugene
Warren Biscailuz, was Miss Ida Rose Warren.
Ida
Rose Warren was the daughter of Juanita Lopez, a member of the very oldest
Spanish families on the Pacific coast whose progenitors came here with the
early padres. Her father, Billy Warren,
a Yankee, was a famous character in early Los Angeles county history. He came here in 1850 and was one of the first
police marshals of the city of Los Angeles, and was killed in the line of
duty. After marrying Ida Rose Warren,
Martin Biscailuz subsequently became a member of the Los Angeles city
council. He died in the summer of 1898,
at the age of thirty-nine, survived by his one son, Eugene Warren, and his
wife, who later became the wife of Captain J. D. Hunter of Los Angeles, who is
now deceased.
Eugene
Warren Biscailuz received a public school education in Los Angeles and attended
St. Vincent’s College. He was fourteen
when his father died, and was obliged to make his own way after finishing
school. One of his first jobs was in a
book store that was located on First Street, between Main and Spring streets, Los Angeles. At an early age, he had a leaning toward the
study of law, which was probably inspired by his father’s career. In after years, he took up this study in the
law college of the University of Southern California. His first contact with law enforcement work
occurred when he was serving as foreclosure clerk in the civil division of the
Los Angeles County sheriff’s department, under Sheriff William A. Hammel. This was in
the year 1907. Eugene showed a natural
aptitude for handling considerable work in the civil division of the sheriff’s
office, and his knowledge of law was of great value to Sheriff Hammel. Later he was
made assistant chief deputy of the department, which position he held until the
year 1921. At that time William I. Traeger was appointed sheriff of the county by the board of
supervisors, and he, recognizing the executive abilities of Eugene Biscailuz,
appointed him as under-sheriff, which position he held with marked credit up to
August 14, 1929, at which time the governor appointed Mr. Biscailuz
superintendent of the California Highway Patrol. Mr. Biscailuz held this position with honors
until the expiration of the governor’s term of office. On March 12, 1931, Mr. Biscailuz returned to
the Los Angeles sheriff’s office as under-sheriff and was appointed sheriff of Los
Angeles County at the resignation of Mr. Traeger.
By
reason of his being a native son, whose father was also a native son, and
connected with the French, Spanish and Yankee developers and pioneers of
southern California, Eugene Biscailuz has had exceptional opportunity to be
personally well acquainted with the history of Los Angeles County and southern
California generally. He is very widely
known throughout all southern California today for his stories of early
California history. Many of the
thrilling episodes of the early days of the county’s development have been
delivered by him over the great radio stations of Los Angeles and surrounding
cities. Millions of people have heard
him speak and have enjoyed the stories.
In addition to radio talks, he has addressed thousands of organized
groups of men, women and children in southern California. Universally he is respected and loved for his
kindly personality and for his ardent efforts in promoting educational
campaigns to curb crime, particularly juvenile crime. Eugene Biscailuz is a member of the Masonic
fraternity, belonging to Westlake Lodge, No. 392, F. & A. M., Los Angeles
Consistory of the Scottish Rite, and Al Malaikah
Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S. He is a past
president of both Los Angeles and Santa Monica Parlors of the Native Sons of
the Golden West, past exalted ruler of the Benevolent and Protective Order of
Elks, No. 906, Santa Monica, a member of the Law Alumni Association of Southern
California, a member of the honorary fraternity Skull and Dagger and belongs to
the Los Angeles Breakfast Club, the Los Angeles Athletic Club and the Uplifters.
On
August 7, 1902, he married Miss Willette Harrison, a
native of California, and the daughter of ex-sheriff
Henry Harrison of Marin County, California, who was a Civil War veteran. Mrs. Biscailuz is a member of the Santa
Monica Bay Women’s Club and of the Native Daughters of the Golden West, being
past president of both the Los Angeles and the Santa Monica Bay Parlors. Mr. Biscailuz resides with his family at
Santa Monica. They have two daughters,
Carol Willette (Mrs. Albert Lamphear)
and Jean Marie, and one son, Warren, all of whom were born in California. The daughters are graduates of the Venice
high school.
While
serving as under-sheriff of Los Angeles County, Eugene Biscailuz had an active
part in the development of the sheriff’s organization, which is now the largest
sheriff’s office in the United States.
Deputies of the department hold him in the highest esteem for his fair
and impartial management. As a
disciplinarian he is stern without being too severe. As an executive he has the happy faculty of
being able to command by winning service.
He is quick to accept advice and counsel of the technical specialists
with whom he has surrounded himself. At
all times he exhibits a keen sense of personal responsibility as a public
servant. A desire to manage the affairs
of the department with the utmost economy compatible with the practical
problems that have to be met in this vast and growing community is always his
aim. The combination of his good service
to the county, extending over a twenty-five year period, plus his genial
personality, has won for him a caption often mentioned by his introducers at
radio stations and public meetings – “The most popular man in the county.”
Transcribed
by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: California of the South
Vol. V, by John Steven McGroarty, Pages 543-546,
Clarke Publ., Chicago, Los Angeles, Indianapolis. 1933.
© 2012 V.
Gerald Iaquinta.
GOLDEN NUGGET'S LOS ANGELES
BIOGRAPHIES