Kenneth L. Maddy J.D. ’63

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For almost 25 years, Kenneth Maddy has served the electorate of California. First elected in 1970 as the state assemblyman for the San Joaquin Valley, he held that post until 1978. He won his first state Senate seat in a special election in 1979 and was re-elected to that position four times.

Even before holding elective office, Maddy was involved in public service as chairman of the Fresno Urban Coalition and vice president of the Fresno Philharmonic. In 1969, he was a finalist for the Fresno Volunteer of the Year. He also served on the Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission, the Fresno Unified School District Advisory Committee on School Construction and the City Parking Authority.

The senior Republican member of the state Senate, Maddy served as its Republican leader for eight years, longer than any other in recent history. As such, he distinguished himself by formulating a strong code of ethics for state legislators and supporting the Transportation Improvement Initiative to update the state’s transportation system. His leadership and commitment in resolving California’s annual budget crises brought non-partisan praise as well as editorial recognition. He has also been recognized on the national level, receiving the 1992 Lee Atwater Memorial Minority Leader of the Year Award from the National Republican Legislators Association.

In the state Assembly, Maddy’s breadth of committee service, from criminal justice to medical malpractice to human resources, reflects his concern for people in the community. As senator, his service continued on numerous committees, including chairing the Finance, Investment and International Trade Committee and the Joint Fairs Allocation and Classification Committee.

Maddy is one of the few San Joaquin Valle attorneys to have successfully argued a case before the United States Supreme Court. He was honored as Alumnus of the Year in 1985 by the UCLA School of Law.