Crenshaw Post Office to be named for Tom Bradley

President Obama signed a bill Wednesday to rename the Crenshaw Post Office for former Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Diane Watson (D-Los Angeles).

"I am pleased that the President signed this bill to rename the Crenshaw Post Office in honor of a person who dedicated his life to public service," Watson said in a statement. "The Tom Bradley Post Office will serve as a testament to his unprecedented years of dedication to the city of Los Angeles."

Elected in 1973, Bradley served an unprecedented 20 years as mayor. The grandson of slaves and the son of sharecroppers, he grew up in Los Angeles, breaking color barriers and was the first African American elected to the City Council and the first elected mayor. He died in September 1998 at age 80.

The post office will be officially renamed during a ceremony Nov. 6.

-- Robert J. Lopez

Photo: Former Mayor Tom Bradley in 1992.

Credit: Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Cleo Watts]

As a black man, my take is that Tom Bradley was responsible for the 94 LA Riots. He encouraged the blacks to go out in the streets and show their anger. I find naming anything for this failure of a leader disgusting. But then, this is Los Angeles.

[Brenn]

The main downtown post office deserves Tom Bradley's name because he represented the best interests of the entire city. I hope that if LA gets another freeway that it is named after Tom Bradley.

[kuruc]

all involved are black, racism?

[Steve]

Another building named for corrupt Bradley? I can't think of a recent mayor I'd want any publicly-financed building named after. Not Bradley, certainly not Yorty, not Riordan.