US Congressman. He served in the United States House of Representatives from California (7th District 1971-1975, 8th District 1975-1993, and 9th District 1993-1998) from January 3, 1971 to February 6, 1998. He attended both Oakland (Ca.) Technical High School and San Francisco City College before serving in the Marine Corps from 1954 to 1956. He later earned an associate’s degree at Oakland City College in 1958, a bachelor’s degree in psychology at San Francisco State University in 1960, and a master’s degree in social work at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1962. During the next six years he held various social service positions, including as a psychiatric social worker in the California Department of Mental Hygiene from 1962 to 1964. He joined the private sector in 1968, working for two years as a senior consultant for Social Dynamics, Inc., a local consulting firm. From 1967 to 1971, he served on the Berkeley (Ca.) City Council. In 1970, he challenged Democratic Rep. Jeffrey Cohelan on an anti-Vietnam War platform in the party primary and was successful. He later won the general election in November of that year. He went on to serve in the House of Representatives for the next three decades before retiring in February of 1998. During his tenure in the House, he served as chairman of both the District of Columbia and Armed Services committees. He also was a founder of the Congressional Black Caucus in 1971. He was very active on many issues during his tenure including South Africa, the military, District of Columbia statehood, and other urban and social concerns. He was also known for his fiery speeches and unbending liberalism. After leaving the House in 1998, he became president of Healthcare International Management Company, which advised the newly democratic government of South Africa on improving the country’s health care system. In 2001 he founded his own lobbying firm, Dellums & Associates LLC. He returned to politics in 2006 when he was elected mayor of Oakland, California and served in this position from 2007 to 2011. During his career, he received many honors and awards for his work. He also wrote or co-wrote several books during his lifetime. He passed away after a battle with cancer.