Ralph C. Dills ’31

---

 

Senator Ralph Dills has served in the California Legislature or nearly 30 years as senator and assemblyman. Embarking upon an impressive career of public service in 1934 as a secondary school instructor, he was elected to the California State Assembly in 1938 and was reelected for six consecutive terms. In 1949, Senator Dills was appointed judge of the South Los Angeles Justice Court and served concurrently as police judge of the City of Lynwood. In 1966, Dills won election to the state senate and has subsequently served in the Legislature’s Upper House.

Senator Dills led the legislation effort to establish a course of professional legal education on the Westwood campus; he is affectionately regarded as the ‘father’ of the UCLA School of Law for his involvement in its creation. A champion of higher education, Dills sponsored legislation creating California State University, Long Beach and El Camino College. He is the vice chairman of the Senate majority caucus and chairman of the Senate Governmental Organization Committee.

Senator Dills received his bachelor’s degree in history from UCLA in 1931 and later received his law degree from Loyola University. In 1981, he lectured on the subject of state and federal government systems while visiting major universities in the People’s Republic of China.