Los Angeles
County
Biographies
ALLEN
BRICE STEPHENSON
Allen
Brice Stephenson has been City Manager of Alhambra since September 1,
1958. A man with varied interests, he is
well known in southern California in the field of public administration.
He
is the son of Jerome S. and Mary S. (Avery) Stephenson. Born in Versailles, Illinois, on December 7,
1907, Mr. Stephenson lived on a cattle ranch and in a small town in Nebraska
before coming to California in 1922. Proud
of his ancestry, the Stephenson family has been traced back to
post-Revolutionary times in Pennsylvania, New York and Virginia.
He
received most of his elementary school education in Oshkosh, Nebraska, but
graduated from Jefferson High School, Los Angeles, in 1927. While in high school, he was interested in
dramatics and other student activities, was a member of the Scholarship
Society, and was one of seven honor graduates of a class of 275.
Mr.
Stephenson is a graduate of the University of Southern California, receiving
his Bachelor’s Degree (Cum laude) in 1949 and a Master’s Degree in Public
Administration in 1956. All of his
college work was done in night classes.
Serving
the public for over 33 years, Mr. Stephenson started as a messenger in the service
of the City of Los Angeles in 1928. Over
the years he has held positions of junior and senior clerk, license inspector,
junior budget investigator, administrative analyst, senior analyst, and
departmental executive officer prior to becoming Alhambra’s first Assistant
City Manager in April, 1958. During
1952-53 while on the staff of the City Administrative Officer, he served as
technical advisor to the Los Angeles Commission for Reorganization of City
Government (Little Hoover Commission).
Mr.
Stephenson was inducted into the United States Army on Armistice Day, November
11, 1942, and was discharged from the military service (Air Force) on September
27, 1945, with the rank of Staff Sergeant.
While in the service, he was selected to attend the Inspector General’s
School at Fort Logan, Colorado, and also the AAF Personal Affairs School in New
York City from which he graduated with honors in 1945 as a counselor.
He is a member of the Alhambra Lions Club,
having served as chairman of the finance committee and as a member of the board
of directors. He is also a member of the
Hollywood American Legion Post No. 43, of which he was Vice Commander in
1957-58. A Life Member of the General
Alumni Association of the University of Southern California, he holds
memberships in the Trojan Club, the Public Administration Alumni Association,
and Scapa Praetors. Mr. Stephenson
attends Granada Park Methodist Church.
Having
a great personal interest in Alhambra, he is a member of the YMCA and the
Alhambra Chamber of Commerce. He is a
member of the board of directors of the United Fund of Alhambra and of A. I.
D. Other organizations to which he
belongs are the International City Managers’ Association, Commonwealth Club of
San Francisco, American Society for Public
Administration, Western Government Research Association, and the Speakers’ Club
of Los Angeles. He is a life member and
past president of the Ephebian Society of Los Angeles.
On
October 24, 1942, Mr. Stephenson married Miss Odile
Mary Weber in the Mission at Santa Barbara, California. They have two daughters, Ann Louise, age 14,
who attends Alhambra High School, and Nancy Anita, age 13, who graduates in
June from Marguerita Grammar School. Ann and Nancy are active in Girl Scouts, of
which Mrs. Stephenson served as an assistant troop leader.
When
taking time out from his busy schedule, Mr. Stephenson enjoys playing golf at
nearby courses, particularly Montebello where he is a member of the Players’
Club. He usually shoots in the low 90s
or high 80s. He also is a long-time
amateur photographer, specializing in still color slides, and occasionally
plays the piano for his own enjoyment.
Transcribed by
V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
Historical Volume & Reference Works Including Alhambra, Monterey Park,
Rosemead, San Gabriel & Temple City, by Robert P. Studer,
Pages 620-622, Historical Publ., Los Angeles, California. 1962.
© 2013 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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