The Founding of CIVIC

Clifford Clinton placed his hand on a Bible on Feb. 16, 1937, to swear an oath to root out public corruption as a member of the Los Angeles County grand jury.

Attorney A. Brigham Rose (left), Clifford, and Harry Ferguson
Photo: USC Special Collections

"It was a serious and rather awesome occasion and left me deeply impressed," he would later write in his memoirs. "When the citizens were represented by such a powerful body, serving each and every year, solely charged with protecting them from corruption and malfeasance in public office, why did so much exist?"

Gambling, payoffs on pinball and marble games, "one armed bandits," bookmaking, and prostitution may have been illegal, but these criminal activities went on unchecked in 1930s Los Angeles. Once seated on the 19-member grand jury, Clifford found three other members with a similar dedication to uncovering this illegal activity. This Minority Group included John Bogue, a Baptist minister; Harry L. Ferguson, a retired architect; and E.H. Kelly, a retired businessman.

Citizen Clinton Enters Politics

By publicizing waste and graft in the Los Angeles County Hospital's food budget in 1936, Clifford poked a beehive of municipal and county corruption. The report saved the county $120,000, and also drew the ire of city officials and the Los Angeles Times that called him a meddler.

Radio broadcasts began at Clifton's in 1936.
CC_Flickr: jschneid

"We were very confused by this strange attack, but when we inquired we were told 'you have stepped on a lot of toes, bigger than you realize,'" Clifford later wrote in his memoirs. "A new city and county election was near however, and the more we saw and heard, the more convinced we became that the city and county needed some replacements in the ranks of its officials."

In September of 1936, District Attorney Buron Fitts faced reelection. A year later, Mayor Frank Shaw would defend his seat against challenger and County Supervisor John Anson Ford, who had recruited Clifford to investigate food service at the county hospital.

Clifford would set his sights on both races. To defeat Fitts, Clifford backed Harlan Palmer, a county judge and publisher of the Hollywood Citizen-News. Time Magazine described Palmer as a "pious progressive from Minnesota."

1937 House Bombing

Shortly after midnight on Oct. 29, 1937, a thunderous explosion ripped through the kitchen floor of Clifford Clinton's Los Feliz home as his three children slept in second-floor bedrooms. A tin can pineapple-type bomb attached to a floor joist blew a large hole in the outside wall of the house. Luckily, no one was hurt.

Clifford Clinton: A Life of Service

Clifford Clinton operated Clifton's Cafeteria as a respite for the weary souls of Depression-era Los Angeles. It became known as the cafeteria of the Golden Rule: treat others as you would like to be treated.

Clifford extended his philosophy not only to customers (he called them "guests"), but to employees (called "associates"). He also felt a sense of responsibility to the community that supported his business. Clifford was my grandfather, and hopefully this blog will help tell the story of a man who had a lasting influence on the development of the city of Los Angeles.