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Local Political Legend Roz Wyman, Who Helped Lure Dodgers to L.A., Dies at 92

Roz Wyman descends stairs from a Dodgers-branded plane, with Walter O'Malley tossing a baseball behind her
Roz Wyman stands in front of Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley, who is tossing a baseball from the Dodgers-branded plane, marking the arrival of the formerly Brooklyn-based baseball team to Los Angeles on October 22, 1957. | University of Southern Californi/Corbis via Getty Images
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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Funeral services were pending Thursday for Rosalind "Roz" Wiener Wyman, who was the youngest person ever elected to the Los Angeles City Council and is credited with playing a key role in luring the Dodgers to Los Angeles from Brooklyn.

"I'm heartbroken at the passing of Roz Wyman, one of my friends and someone who made a real difference for Los Angeles and for Democratic politics," Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, said in a statement. "... Roz was a real force of nature whenever she set her mind to something. Whether it was politics or dragging a baseball team 3,000 miles across the country, Roz had a passion that was infectious and she really got things done."

Whether it was politics or dragging a baseball team 3,000 miles across the country, Roz had a passion that was infectious and she really got things done.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein

Wyman died Wednesday at her Los Angeles home at age 92, her family announced in a statement to the Los Angeles Times.

Earlier this month, on Wyman's 92nd birthday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to name the fountain overlook in Grand Park the "Roz Wyman Court." It also agreed to install a plaque at the Music Center to honor her.

In 1953, at 22 years old, Wyman won a seat at the Los Angeles City Council, becoming the youngest person ever elected to serve on the council, and only the second woman.

A black and white photo of Roz Wyman wearing a polka-dot dress, surrounded by her (L-R) mother, brother and father.
A black and white photo of Roz Wyman wearing a polka-dot dress, surrounded by her (L-R) mother, brother and father.
1/6 Then Rosalind Wiener (later Mrs. Eugene Wyman) celebrates her Los Angeles City Council win at City Hall with her parents and brother in 1953. | s Angeles Herald Examiner Photo Collection, LAPL
Roz_Wyman_Dodger_contract_sign_1957
Roz_Wyman_Dodger_contract_sign_1957
2/6 Roz Wyman with then-Mayor Norris Poulson, Kenneth Hahn, Ransom Callicott Charles Navarro. John S Gibson. L.E Timberlake, James Corman and Everett Burkhalter as the Dodgers sign a contract with the City of Los Angeles on October 8, 1957. | University of Southern Californi/Corbis via Getty Images
Roz Wyman raises her right hand as the takes the oath of office with her two toddlers sitting on the desk in front of her.
Roz Wyman raises her right hand as the takes the oath of office with her two toddlers sitting on the desk in front of her.
3/6 Then-Councilwoman Rosalind Wyman being sworn in by then-City Clerk Walter E Peterson for a 3rd term to serve on Los Angeles City Council on June 23, 1961. She is joined by her children Betty (3 years old) and Bobby (18 months old). | University of Southern Californi/Corbis via Getty Images
Roz Wyman stands behind a trophy while she receives a framed certificate and a plaque in her honor.
Roz Wyman stands behind a trophy while she receives a framed certificate and a plaque in her honor.
4/6 USC honors alumna Roz Wyman "for bringing glory to their alma mater" in 1964. | Los Angeles Herald Examiner Photo Collection, LAPL
A color photo of Roz Wyman standing in Dodger Stadium with Peter O'Malley standing to her right.
A color photo of Roz Wyman standing in Dodger Stadium with Peter O'Malley standing to her right.
5/6 Roz Wyman at Dodger Stadium in 2005 with Peter O'Malley, who was president (1970-1998) and owner (1979-1998) of the Los Angeles Dodgers. | Gary Leonard, Los Angeles Photographers Photo Collection
Roz Wyman stands in a crowd wearing a Dodger-blue suit with a red collar
Roz Wyman stands in a crowd wearing a Dodger-blue suit with a red collar
6/6 Roz Wyman listens to the USC Marching Band perform during a 2021 ceremony to unveil a plaque honoring her at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, where Dodgers called home from 1958-61. | MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Dail/MediaNews Group via Getty Images

On the council, Wyman worked to lure the Dodgers to move to Los Angeles from Brooklyn and the Lakers to move from Minneapolis.

"If you bleed Dodger blue, you can credit that love to Roz as she helped bring the Dodgers to Los Angeles," Supervisor Hilda Solis said in a statement after the board's Oct. 4 vote. "She was also behind the idea of connecting Los Angeles City Hall up to Grand Avenue through a park where all Angelenos could gather. That idea took 60 years to become a reality, but that is why Roz is a visionary whose dreams changed both this city and county.

"I'm grateful for Roz's friendship, inspired by the legacy she's paved, and honored to move this action forward — especially on her 92nd birthday. Today we celebrate Roz and her love for Los Angeles."

Wyman was also a strong advocate for the arts, advocating for the construction of the Music Center in the 1960s. She was a member of the National Endowment for the Arts and served two terms as president of the Los Angeles County Arts Commission and the Los Angeles City Cultural Affairs Commission.

Rosalind Wiener Wyman, the youngest person ever elected to the L.A. City Council and the second woman to serve there, began pursuing the Dodgers relentlessly when she heard the team was looking for a new home.
Roz Wyman: Without Her, the Dodgers Wouldn’t Be Here

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, issued a statement Thursday calling Wyman "a visionary leader of Los Angeles and godmother to the Democratic Party."

"Roz, then-mayor Dianne Feinstein and I had the privilege of leading the 1984 Democratic National Convention in my hometown of San Francisco as our party nominated the first woman ever for Vice President of the United States.

"Generations of activists and elected officials respected Roz as a godmother of the the Democratic Party because she nurtured young people, mentored candidates and helped elect dozens of women to office," Pelosi said. "She took special pride in electing her dear friend, Dianne Feinstein, to the Senate. Roz had words of advice and wise counsel for everyone, from presidents to precinct workers. She cared deeply about our Democracy, about women's equality and about opening parks, arts and public service to everyone."

Wyman was honored last month at Dodger Stadium, receiving the inaugural Tommy Lasorda I Bleed Dodger Blue Award, recognizing a member of the Los Angeles community that embodies the passion, enthusiasm and love for the Dodgers Lasorda possessed.

The award will annually be presented on or around the anniversary of Lasorda's birth.

"The name Tommy Lasorda is synonymous with the Dodgers, so it's only fitting that we introduce a new award which encompasses his incredible passion for the organization," Dodger President and CEO Stan Kasten said at the time. "For the inaugural award, we have selected Roz Wyman because without her, there might never have been a Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team.

"Her persistent pursuit and dedication to ensuring the team came to Los Angeles embodies the concept of the Tommy Lasorda I Bleed Dodger Blue Award to a tee."

Wyman called being part of Lasorda's legacy "a great honor."

"He was a very dear friend of mine and I'll always remember him for telling me 'If it wasn't for Roz Wyman, I would be a shoe salesman,"' said Wyman, who was a season ticket holder at Dodger Stadium since it opened in 1962.

A color photo of a plaque dedicated with Rosalind "Roz" Wyman, featuring the Los Angeles city seal and a Dodgers logo
A plaque was unveiled honoring former L.A. City Councilwoman Rosalind Wyman at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Court of Honor on Sept 30, 2021. | MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Dail/MediaNews Group via Getty Images

Wyman also has a plaque honoring her at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum's Court of Honor. The Dodgers played at the Coliseum from 1958-61. Wyman also persuaded John F. Kennedy to give his acceptance speech for the 1960 Democratic presidential nomination at the Coliseum. In the speech, Kennedy used the term "The New Frontier" for the first time. It would become a label for his administration's domestic and foreign programs.

She remained on the council until 1965, when she was defeated in a reelection bid by Ed Edelman. She ran for the council again a decade later, but was defeated by Zev Yaroslavsky.

But Wyman remained a powerful figure in local politics.

Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer said Thursday that Wyman "continued to have a tremendous impact on the political scene here and across the country."

"Roz's house was the go-to place for leaders from throughout the United States when they were trying to generate support for their political campaigns," Feuer said. "... I was very privileged to be Roz's friend, to get her counsel to have her support."

Wyman had three children and three grandchildren.

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