Clinton, Clifford E., 1900-1969.

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Clifford E. Clinton was born in 1900; served in WWI; assumed management of father's six restaurants in San Francisco after marrying Nelda Patterson; moved to Los Angeles and founded the "Pacific Seas" Clifton's Cafeteria, 1931; later founded the Brookdale Cafeteria; became involved with Los Angeles politics in 1936 with John Anson Ford; involved with recall of LA mayor Frank Shaw and supported Fletcher Bowron as mayor of LA, 1938; helped organize the Citizen's Independent Vice Investigating Committee (CIVIC) and was active in civic reform movements; published brochure, The clock strikes twelve, 1945; ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 1945; became involved with Community Food Service Centers, the development of multi-purpose food, and the Meals for Millions Foundation during WWII; died, 1969.

From the description of Papers, 1934-1969. (University of California, Los Angeles). WorldCat record id: 37761417

Biography

Clifford E. Clinton was born in 1900; served in World War I; assumed management of father's six restaurants in San Francisco after marrying Nelda Patterson; moved to Los Angeles and founded the "Pacific Seas" Clifton's Cafeteria, 1931; later founded the Brookdale Cafeteria; became involved with Los Angeles politics in 1936 with John Anson Ford; involved with recall of Los Angeles mayor Frank Shaw and supported Fletcher Bowron as mayor of Los Angeles, 1938; helped organize the Citizen's Independent Vice Investigating Committee (CIVIC) and was active in civic reform movements; published brochure, The clock strikes twelve, 1945; ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 1945; became involved with Community Food Service Centers, the development of multi-purpose food, and the Meals for Millions Foundation during World War II; died, 1969.

Biographical Narrative

Clifford E. Clinton was born in 1900 and died in 1969. His father was a restaurant owner and missionary; Clifford Clinton spent part of his childhood in China and early became acquainted with restaurant operations. He served in both World War I and World War II. Upon his discharge from service in World War I, he married Nelda Patterson. Shortly after, he assumed full management of his father's six restaurants in San Francisco.

In 1931, during the depression, Clinton moved to Los Angeles and founded what was to later become the "Pacific Seas" Clifton's Cafeteria. This cafeteria, and the later "Brookdale" Cafeteria, were operated according to his ideas of management, which included allowing guests to voice opinions on the quality of food and service via a publication distributed at the cafeterias, Food for Thot . Perhaps the most famous of the cafeteria slogans was "Dine free unless delighted." And there was a corollary statement to this: "Regardless of the amount of this check our cashier will cheerfully accept whatever you wish to pay--or you may dine free."

Clinton became involved in Los Angeles politics in 1936, when working with County Supervisor John Anson Ford in an investigation of waste in administering County General Hospital. Also in 1936, Ford suggested to Judge Fletcher Bowron that Clinton be nominated for the Grand Jury. It was during this period that Clinton, always a promoter of Los Angeles, decided that it should be cleaned up much the same way that New York was being cleaned up by Dewey and LaGuardia. He began a series of investigations into vice and gambling and prostitution. The Grand Jury refused to accept his findings, so he published a minority report, financed a radio program, "The People's Voice," and helped organize CIVIC, the Citizen's Independent Vice Investigating Committee. The culmination of his efforts through this organization was obtaining the recall of Mayor Frank Shaw. Fletcher Bowron, the man whom Clinton supported, became mayor and remained so from 1938 until 1953. During the next two years, a new district attorney, John Dockweiler, was elected and also a new city council, which was more receptive to the kinds of reforms which Clinton envisioned.

Not even Bowron lived up to Clinton's ideals for Los Angeles, so that in 1945, he published a brochure by Aldrich Blake called "The Clock Strikes Twelve." Clinton decided that he himself would run for mayor. This he did unsuccessfully in 1945. There were 16 candidates in the Primary, out of which Bowron was chosen and Clinton ran second.

His interest in Los Angeles and its politics did not wane. He supported the idea of putting in parking under Pershing Square. He investigated corruption in the administration of the Coliseum. And he organized tours of the city, so as to best present it to newcomers.

During World War II, he became interested in the problems of food waste and shortage and worked on these both during the service and after, when he became interested in Community Food Service Centers and the Meals for Million foundation and the development of Multi-Purpose Food.

The Clinton papers cover this entire range of activities. There are manuscript notes of his childhood experiences in China. There are detailed files and documents relating to CIVIC and its crusades. There are documents and campaign literature from the period of the Shaw recall and Bowron's and Dockweiler's elections. The files from Clinton's mayoralty campaign contain numerous broadcast scripts. There are files of general information about the city of Los Angeles and its history. Finally, there is a large file of materials pertaining to the operations of the cafeterias, including pictures and printed brochures from the now-destroyed Pacific Seas cafeteria, with its neon palm-trees and its rain-hut, where it "rained" every twenty minutes.

From the guide to the Clifford E. Clinton Papers, 1934-1969, (University of California, Los Angeles. Library. Dept. of Special Collections.)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Clinton, Clifford E., 1900-1969. Papers, 1934-1969. University of California, Los Angeles
creatorOf Clifford E. Clinton Papers, 1934-1969 University of California, Los Angeles. Library Special Collections.
referencedIn Clifton's Cafeteria collection of Circulars, 1931-1995 University of California, Los Angeles. Library Special Collections.
creatorOf Clifton's Cafeteria. Collection of circulars, 1931-1995. University of California, Los Angeles
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Citizen's Independent Vice Investigating Committee (Los Angeles, Calif.) corporateBody
associatedWith Clifton's Cafeteria corporateBody
associatedWith Clifton's Cafeteria. corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
California--Los Angeles
Los Angeles (Calif.)
Los Angeles (Calif.)
Subject
Civic improvement
Civic improvement
Restaurateurs
Occupation
Restaurateurs
Activity

Person

Birth 1900

Death 1969

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