Rosalind “Roz” Wyman, a former Los Angeles City council member who was instrumental in helping bring the Dodgers from Brooklyn to Los Angeles, died on Wednesday at the age of 92.
Wyman was the youngest person ever elected to the Los Angeles City Council when she was 22 years old and became only the second woman to serve there.
“I’m deeply saddened to hear about the passing of my friend Roz Wyman,” U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) said in a statement.
“From her days on the Los Angeles City Council leading efforts to bring the Dodgers to Los Angeles to serving as chair of the 1984 Democratic National Convention and supporting decades of Democratic leaders, she was truly a trailblazing public servant.
“The daughter of an immigrant from Russia, Roz didn’t just embody the spirit of the American Dream, she carved out a path for future generations to achieve it, too. And because of her, young people, women, the children of immigrants, and countless Californians with hopes of making a difference in our country saw engaging with our government more accessible. Because of Roz Wyman’s example, achieving change became more within reach.
“Over the course of her career, Roz forged close friendships with political titans like Senator Dianne Feinstein and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and left an indelible mark on the ethos of California. We’ll be forever grateful for her dedication to fighting for progress in California and across the nation.”
Wyman first took office in 1953 and she quickly introduced a resolution that called on the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission to permit the local American Legion to stage a baseball game in the Coliseum as a demonstration that the venue would be “a proper place to stage major league baseball.”
In 1958, she was named the City Council’s first representative on the Coliseum Commission as a result of a referendum vote by citizens that the council should be represented along with the city Recreation and Parks Department, the county Board of Supervisors and the state’s 6th Agricultural District.
At that time the Dodgers were preparing the stadium to use as a temporary field before Dodger Stadium was ready.
Wyman was re-elected in the primaries in 1957 and 1961, but in 1965 was defeated by Edmund D. Edelman. She then went on to work within the Democratic Party and eventually became California’s oldest Democratic National Convention delegate.
In addition to playing a key role in bringing the Dodgers from Brooklyn, Wyman also helped bring the Lakers to the City of Angels and the San Francisco Giants to their home in the Bay Area.
“Jennifer and I are deeply saddened by the passing of Roz Wyman, a trailblazing icon who inspired generations of women in politics to pursue their dreams,” Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement.
“Elected to the Los Angeles City Council at just 22 years old, Wyman was the city’s youngest Councilmember in history. Surmounting countless barriers, Wyman – as the second-ever woman to serve on the Council and the first Jewish Councilmember in decades – went on to transform Los Angeles through her dynamic leadership. She was a champion for the arts and for sports, playing an instrumental role in bringing the Dodgers, the Lakers and the Giants to the Golden State.
“Wyman continued her tireless political work and activism after leaving office, going on to chair the 1984 Democratic convention and helping to elect dozens of women to powerful positions – including as Senator Feinstein’s Senate campaign Co-Chair and close advisor for decades.
“Roz Wyman’s passion, perseverance and leadership live on as an inspiring example to people everywhere, and the countless ways she enriched California will never be forgotten. Our thoughts are with her family and many friends as they morn this great loss.”
Wyman has been a Dodgers season ticket holder since Dodger Stadium opened on April 10, 1962. When Walter O’Malley died in 1979, his son and former Dodgers owner Peter O’Malley presented Wyman with a “master key” to Dodger Stadium.
Roz Wyman received Inaugural ‘Tommy Lasorda I Bleed Dodger Blue Award’
During the 2022 season, the Dodgers announced the creation of the Tommy Lasorda I Bleed Dodger Blue Award, which will be given to a member of the Los Angeles community that embodies the passion, enthusiasm, and love for the team that the Hall of Fame manager possessed.
The inaugural honor was given to Roz Wyman, who was presented the award by Laura Lasorda, Tommy’s daughter, during a pregame ceremony on Thursday, which would have been his 95th birthday.
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