| Office | Minority Leader of the California Assembly |
|---|---|
| Term | 1959–1963 |
| Predecessor | William A. Munnell |
| Successor | Charles J. Conrad |
| State assembly 1 | California |
| District 1 | 58th |
| Term start 1 | December 2, 1953 |
| Term end 1 | January 7, 1963 |
| Preceded 1 | Laughlin Edward Waters Sr. |
| Succeeded 1 | Harvey Johnson |
| Birth name | Joseph Claude Shell |
| Birth date | September 7, 1918 |
| Birth place | La Conner, Washington, U.S. |
| Death date | April 7, 2008 (aged 89) |
| Death place | Bakersfield, California, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Barbara Morton (m. 1940; div. 1968) Mary K. Shell (m. 1970) |
| Education | University of Southern California (B.S.) |
| Branch | United States Navy |
| Battles | World War II |
| Office | First Gentleman of Bakersfield |
|---|---|
| 1blankname | Mayor |
| 1namedata | Mary K. Shell |
| Term start | January 6, 1981 |
| Term end | January 1, 1985 |
| Predecessor | Margaret Hart (as first lady) |
| Successor | Rosa Payne (as first lady) |
Joseph Claude Shell Sr. (September 7, 1918 – April 7, 2008) was a Republican politician from California who served in the California State Assembly from 1953 to 1963 from the 58th district. He later served on the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board. In 1962 he was a failed primary candidate for Governor of California, where he ran to the right of then former Vice President Richard Nixon.[1]
Shell attended the University of Southern California, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and was captain of the 1939 USC football team which won the Rose Bowl that year. He then served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.[1]
His second wife was Mary K. Shell, a former member of the Kern County Board of Supervisors and the first female Mayor of Bakersfield.[2]
References
- ^ Vassar, Alex & Myers, Shane. "Joseph C. Shell". JoinCalifornia.com. JoinCalifornia.com. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
- ^ Price, Robert (June 14, 2018). "Mary K. Shell: Beloved, trailblazing former mayor dies at 91". Bakersfield.com. Bakersfield.com. Retrieved March 3, 2023.