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LWV League of Women Voters of California
California State Government October 7, 2003 Election
Smart Voter Full Biography for Peter V. Ueberroth

Candidate for
Recall of Gray Davis; State of California

This information is provided by the candidate

Peter Ueberroth is a man committed to solving the problems that face California and to restoring the State to its glory as the fifth largest economy in the world.

Peter has a proven track record of taking on a crisis and turning it into success.

The Olympic Games: Peter was named the TIME magazine's 1984 Man of the Year in recognition of his efforts to rescue the modern Olympic movement. At the time he joined the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee, the group responsible for putting on the 1984 Olympic Games, it was going bankrupt. For the first time ever, as Peter promised, the Olympics did not run a deficit. In fact, Peter directed the most profitable Olympic Games in history. This global event required true vision and leadership that lead to countless hours of negotiation to achieve important bi-partisan cooperation. The 1984 Olympics left a $222 million surplus that continues to fund youth and sports programs across the country to this day.

Major League Baseball: Peter served as the Commissioner of Major League Baseball from 1984 - 1989. When he began this assignment, 22 of the League's teams were losing money. At the end of his term, all of the baseball teams were profitable.

Council on California Competitiveness: In December 1991, Governor Pete Wilson asked Peter to chair a bi-partisan group of California's business and labor leaders. The assignment was to produce in four months a blueprint for economic reform that would address the state's recession, with a focus on ways to remove barriers to job creation. There were many different philosophies and interests on the Council, and under Peter's leadership, they worked together united by their concern for the people of California.

Rebuild Los Angeles: At the request of the Republican Governor, Pete Wilson, and the Democratic Mayor of Los Angeles, Tom Bradley, Peter led this organization created to develop job opportunities in Los Angeles in the aftermath of the 1992 riots. There was a critical need to get increased corporate support in many of the impacted neighborhoods. It was Peter's responsibility to approach businesses and get commitments for training, scholarship and investment programs that would increase employment.

In addition to these examples of successful crisis management, Peter has led many business activities including the purchase of Pebble Beach and its magnificent coastline from the Japanese corporation which previously owned it. He currently serves as the Co-Chairman of the Pebble Beach Company. He also directed the team that successfully completed the national expansion of the Doubletree Hotel and Embassy Suites chains. Back in 1962, Peter created First Travel Corporation and when he sold it in 1980, it was the second largest travel business, American Express being the only larger one, in North America.

His many awards include 1984 Man of the Year from TIME magazine and 1984 Man of the Year from SPORTING MAGAZINE. He is one of two Americans to receive the Olympics Order-Gold from the International Olympic Committee. In addition, he received the Sports Torch of Learning Award and Scopus Laureate award from the American Friends of Hebrew University.

Peter was a member of the Young Presidents' Organization for 22 years and served as its International President in 1981.

He has received honorary degrees from: Notre Dame Pepperdine Ohio University Holy Cross Claremont-McKenna Lafayette Maryland Loyola-Marymount San Jose State Monterey Institute Rensselaer Polytechnic U.S.C.

A proud graduate of Fremont High School, Peter attended San Jose State University on an athletic scholarship in water polo and earned a degree in business. Peter and his wife, Ginny, have four children and seven grandchildren. They live in Laguna Beach.

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: September 8, 2003 17:12
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