Nicholas C. Petris

Nicholas C. Petris (born February 25, 1923) was a California State Senator from 1966 until 1996. A Democrat, he represented the 11th district from 1966 to 1976 and the 9th district from 1976 until he was termed out in 1996. He was previously in the California State Assembly, representing the 15th district from 1958 until 1966.

Personal life and education

Petris was born in Oakland, California. He received his Bachelor's degree from UC Berkeley and his law degree from Stanford University. He was classmates and friends with Warren Christopher,^[1] Secretary of State under President Bill Clinton. During the late '60s and early '70s, when Greece was governed by a Dictatorship, he took a stand against it as an honorary Chairman of the California Committee for Democracy in Greece.

Legislative career

Petris dedicated substantial energy and resources toward expanding the University of California system.^[2] Petris was also the co-author of the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act, which brought changes to the mental health system in California. He was a supporter and advocate of Save The Bay, a nonprofit organization that was successful in restricting and managing land development around the San Francisco Bay. He was a co-sponsor of the McAteer-Petris Act which established and governs operations of the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC).

He introduced bills to ban DDT and to limit cars to one per family, but neither was passed.^[3]

Legacy

Locations named after Petris include:

• The Nicholas C. Petris Center on Health Care Markets & Consumer Welfare at UC Berkeley
• The Nicholas C. Petris Lecture (started in 2001) at San Francisco State University
• The California Department of Transportation Building at 111 Grand Ave., Oakland CA.

Preceded by Milton Marks

California State Assemblyperson 1976 – 1996

Succeeded by Barbara Lee

Preceded by Samuel R. Geddes

California State Senator 1966 – 1976

Succeeded by Al Alquist

References

1. ^ "Brief Biographical Resume". http://demokritos.org/biopetris.htm. 
2. ^ "Brief Biographical Resume". http://demokritos.org/biopetris.htm. 
3. ^ Rumford, William Byron, interviewee; Joyce Henderson, Amelia R. Fry, and Edward France, interviewers (1973). Legislator for fair employment, fair housing and public health : oral history transcript. Berkeley: Bancroft Library. Regional Oral History Office. p. 89. http://content.cdlib.org/xtf/view?docId=hb8n39p2g3&query=&brand=calisphere. 

Persondata
Name	Petris, Nicholas C.
Alternative names
Short description	American politician
Date of birth	February 25, 1923
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death