News Release| PBI; Cal State L.A.

December 6, 2013

PBI executive director garners honorary lifetime membership award 

Sonenshein to be honored at L.A. City History’s Society annual holiday gala

Los Angeles, CA — For actively supporting the pursuit of local history, Raphael J. Sonenshein, executive director of the Edmund G. “Pat” Brown Institute (PBI) of Public Affairs at Cal State L.A., will be presented an Honorary Life Member Award during the Los Angeles City Historical Society’s Annual Holiday Gala on Tuesday, Dec. 10.

The gala, which takes place in the Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles, will open with a reception and tour at 6 p.m. followed by a dinner program at 7 p.m. 

“Raphe’s earlier books on politics in Los Angeles would warrant his receiving our award,” said City Records Management Officer Todd Gaydowksy. “But, in addition to his scholarly endeavors, Raphe’s work with the Charter Reform Commission, with Neighborhood Councils, and now with the Pat Brown Institute put into practice his belief in the importance of learning how to reform government for the better. For this, we believe Raphe is an ideal candidate for our Honorary Life Membership Award.”

Sonenshein began his tenure as executive director of the PBI in February 2012. Located on the CSULA campus, the institute is a non-partisan public policy center dedicated to sustaining the vision and legacy of former California Governor Pat Brown.

As an author, he has written three books on Los Angeles politics and government. His book, Politics in Black and White: Race and Power in Los Angeles (Princeton U. Press 1993), won the 1994 Ralph J. Bunche Award from the American Political Science Association.

Sonenshein received his B.A. in public policy from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from Yale University.

For event tickets or info regarding the L.A. City History’s Society: http://www.lacityhistory.org/blog/2013/11/rsvp-for-the-lachs-annual-holiday-gala-december-10-2013/.  

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