Douglas F. Dollarhide witnessed first hand the transformation of
Compton, California from a predominantly white Los Angeles suburb into one of the most heavily concentrated
African American communities in the
United States. He was elected to the City Council in 1963, becoming its first
African American member. In 1969, Dollarhide made history again, when he became the first black mayor of
Compton. After his election crime rose and property values declined throughout Compton. He was defeated for reelection in 1973 by Doris Davis. Compton's Dollarhide Neighborhood Center is named after him. Dollarhide died on June 28, 2008, aged 85, at his home in
Northridge in the
San Fernando Valley. ==See also==