Alan MacGregor Cranston (1914 - 2000)

Born 19 Jun 1914 in Palo Alto, Santa Clara, California, United States

Ancestors

Died 31 Dec 2000 at age 86 in Los Altos, Santa Clara, California, United States

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Preceded by Thomas Kuchel

Alan Cranston US Senator (Class 3) from California 1959—1993

Succeeded by Barbara Boxer

Biography

Alan Cranston is Notable.

Alan MacGregor Cranston was an American politician, journalist and world federalist who served as a United States Senator from California, from 1969 to 1993.

Cranston was born in Palo Alto, California, the son of Carol (née Dixon) and William MacGregor Cranston. He attended Pomona College for one year, studied abroad for a summer at the National Autonomous University of Mexico before graduating from Stanford University, where he was a brother in Sigma Nu fraternity^[1], in 1936 with a degree in English.

Cranston worked as a journalist after graduating from Stanford University. After serving as California State Controller, Cranston won election to the Senate in 1968. He became the Senate Democratic Whip in 1977 and held that position until 1991. In 1984, Cranston sought the Democratic presidential nomination, advocating a nuclear freeze during the later stages of the Cold War. He dropped out after the first set of primaries.

In 1991, the Senate Ethics Committee reprimanded Cranston for his role in the savings and loan crisis as a member of the Keating Five. After being diagnosed with prostate cancer, he decided not to run for a fifth term. After his retirement from the Senate, he served as president of the Global Security Institute and advocated for the global abolition of nuclear weapons.

Around 1940, he married Geneva McMath. They had two sons, Robin, who was killed in a car accident in 1980, and Kim. Mr. Cranston's marriage to Geneva ended in divorce, as did a second marriage to the former Norma Weintraub. Mr. Cranston is also survived by an older sister, R. E. Cameron, and a granddaughter.^[2]

Alan was born in 1914.^[3] Alan married Geneva McMath in 1940.^[4] They divorced in 1976.^[5] He married Norma in Weintraub or Greenbaum in 1978.^[6][7] He passed away in 2000.^[8] Cremated, Location of ashes is unknown.^[9]

Sources

1. ↑ Notable Sigma Nu Members: Alan Cranston, Beta Chi (Stanford University)
2. ↑ "Alan Cranston, Former U.S. Senator, Is Dead at 86". The New York Times. January 1, 2001.
3. ↑ "California Birth Index, 1905-1995," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VL53-RCH : 27 November 2014), Alan M Cranston, 19 Jun 1914; citing Santa Clara, California, United States, Department of Health Services, Vital Statistics Department, Sacramento.
4. ↑ "California, County Marriages, 1850-1952," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8VN-G7J : 8 December 2017), Alan Cranston and Geneva M Mcmath, 06 Nov 1940; citing Los Angeles, California, United States, county courthouses, California; FHL microfilm 2,114,459.
5. ↑ "California Divorce Index, 1966-1984," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VPYY-LQ5 : 15 May 2014), Geneva Mcmath and Alan M Cranston, Jul 1976; from "California Divorce Index, 1966-1984," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2007); citing Los Angeles, California, Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento.
6. ↑ "California Marriage Index, 1960-1985," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V6F6-KXR : 27 November 2014), Alan M Cranston and Norma Weintraub, 19 May 1978; from "California, Marriage Index, 1960-1985," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2007); citing Los Angeles, California, Center of Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento.
7. ↑ "California Marriage Index, 1960-1985," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V6GV-73Q : 27 November 2014), Alan M Cranston and Norma Greenbaum, 19 May 1978; from "California, Marriage Index, 1960-1985," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2007); citing Los Angeles, California, Center of Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento.
8. ↑ "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J5FD-NYM : 20 May 2014), Alan M Cranston, 31 Dec 2000; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
9. ↑ Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/21462), memorial page for Alan Cranston (19 Jun 1914–31 Dec 2000), Find A Grave Memorial no. 21462; Cremated, Location of ashes is unknown.

• Alan Cranston on Wikipedia
• Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• "United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8T6-F4P : 5 December 2014), Alan M Cranston, enlisted 15 Jan 1944, Ft Myer, Virginia, United States; citing "Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938-1946," database, The National Archives: Access to Archival Databases (AAD) (http://aad.archives.gov : National Archives and Records Administration, 2002); NARA NAID 126323, National Archives at College Park, Maryland.