Harley E. Knox

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Harley Eugene Knox: San Diego Mayor for the People 1943–1951

Harley Eugene Knox (January 26, 1899–September 13, 1956) was an American Independent politician from California.

Knox was born 1899 in Nebraska. He came to San Diego with his parents in 1912. He dropped out of San Diego High School while a junior, and served briefly in the Army. Knox graduated from the old Normal School, which is now San Diego State University.

In 1919, he became a dairyman in southeastern San Diego when he bought his first cow. The same year he married his next-door neighbor Bessie in 1919 and they had three daughters.

Knox was first elected to city council in 1939, unopposed, and served until 1943. He became mayor of San Diego from 1943 until 1951. During his first mayoral campaign, on learning his opponent raised $30,000 to defeat him, he commented: "If it was worth all that money for someone to make you mayor, I don't think they were aiming to buy good government."

While mayor, Knox was active creating new public works projects for the city. He traveled frequently to Washington to lobby for federal aid. After World War II, San Diego faced a housing shortage, as did many U.S. cities. He came up with the novel idea of reusing suplus building material at the Army's Camp Callan at present University of California, San Diego to build 1500 homes. Knox also initiated Mission Bay Park with a bond issue. Knox also had a hand in expanding water and sewage facilities, and Lindbergh Field. To allow for an expanded airport, the city bought land for Montgomery Field and gained a 50-year lease for Naval Air Station Miramar. Unfortunately, the City Council terminated the Miramar lease a year after Knox left office and sold part of Montegomery Field for use by General Dynamics to manufacture missiles. Knox criticized his successors for being sortsighted.

During his term, he was responsible for constructing the San Diego Aqueduct, which joined thd the Metropolitan Water District's Colorado River Aqueduct. Although Knox was accused of promoting this project to benefit his dairy business, he became a local hero for winning the battle against the federal government over the San Diego's right to some of the Colorado River water. Knox also initiated planning for Mission Bay as a recreational area.

Knox was injured in a plane crash in 1944 and subsequently suffered health problems, so declinded to run for re-election in 1951. He returned to his dairy business, but remained active with various civic projects.

Knox died 1956 in San Diego of a heart attack. As mayor was a strong-willed mayor, and much-admired. His biographer Iris Engstrand said "He's kind of like the last of the innocent mayors. He tried to do everything good for the city."

An elementary school in southeastern San Diego is named in his honor.

[edit] Quotes

. . . like a tropical hurricane the war effort swept over San Diego, tearing at its normal way of life, uprooting carefully laid plans, disrupting municipal services. . . . Now the gail has subsided. Around us is the wreckage and debris that must be swept up. [1946]

No encouragement should be given to both parents working and leaving the children in some institution. While it upgrades the standard of the family, it degrades the welfare of the child. [Arguing against day care in Aid to Dependent Children programs]

[edit] See also

Harley Eugene Knox: San Diego Mayor for the People 1943–1951 (2002) by Iris Engstrand and Paul Campuzano. ISBN 0-918740-23-1. Book reviewed by Roger Showley in The San Diego Union-Tribune, January 19, 2003, p. I-2. The book was underwritten by Knox's daughter Donna.