Randolph Collier

Randolph Collier
Member of the California Senate
In office
January 2, 1939 – November 30, 1976
Preceded byHenry M. McGuinness
Succeeded byRay E. Johnson
Constituency2nd district (1939–1967)
1st district (1967–1976)
Personal details
Born(1902-07-26)July 26, 1902
Etna, California, U.S.
DiedAugust 2, 1983(1983-08-02) (aged 81)
Sacramento, California, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic (1959–1983)
Republican (before 1959)
Spouse(s)
Aida
​
​
(m. 1945; div. 1970)​

Barbara Ferris Hamoui
Children7
Alma materUniversity of California, Berkeley

Randolph Collier (July 26, 1902 – August 2, 1983) was a member of the California State Senate. He was Senator from California's 2nd State Senatorial district from 1939 to 1967, and from the First District from 1967 to 1976.[1] Initially a member of the Republican Party, he moved to the Democratic Party in 1959.[2][3]

Collier served as chairman of the California Senate Transportation Committee and was the sponsor and co-author of the Collier–Burns Highway Act of 1947, which laid the groundwork for the California Freeway and Expressway System. He was chairman of the Senate Interim Committee on Highways, Streets and Bridges. Collier was an opponent of rapid transit.[4] A rest stop in Siskiyou County, where he lived nearly all of his life, is named after him,[5] as is a tunnel on the Redwood Highway, U.S. Route 199.

In 1976, Collier was defeated for re-election by former state Assemblyman Ray E. Johnson and moved to Sacramento, where he spent the remainder of his life until dying of chronic pulmonary obstruction at the age of 81.[6]

References

  1. ^ "Join California - Randolph Collier". joincalifornia.com.
  2. ^ California Blue Book, 1963
  3. ^ New York Times - Obituary of Randolph Collier
  4. ^ Inventory of the Randolph Collier Papers, bulk 1945-1955
  5. ^ California Rest Stops
  6. ^ Turner, Wallace (3 August 1983). "Randolph Collier, 'Father' of Coast Freeways". The New York Times.
Political offices
Preceded by Member of the California Senate from the 2nd district
January 2, 1939 – January 2, 1967 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the California Senate from the 1st district
January 2, 1967 – November 30, 1976 		Succeeded by


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