Lou Papan

Louis John Papan (August 2, 1928 – April 28, 2007) was a Democratic California politician. He was known as the "Dean of the Assembly" for his 20 years in the California State Assembly.

Early life The son of Greek immigrants from Peloponnesus, he was originally to be named Elias Papandricopoulos ( Ilías Papandrikópoulos), but the doctor did not know how to spell the name, and thus he was named Louis Papan. Lou Papan spoke only Greek when he began elementary school. He served as a Sergeant in the U.S. Army during World War II and a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. He received his BA in Economics in 1951 from Syracuse University in New York. After graduating from Syracuse, Papan was a Special Agent in the FBI in San Francisco and Chicago. Papan was the Chair of the Assembly Banking and Finance Committee. They had a son named John, and two daughters Diane, and Virginia, who goes by Gina. Diane practices law in San Francisco, This district was renumbered in 2011 and 2021, and in January 2022, Diane announced she would join the race for this district, which following the 2021 renumeration became California's 21st State Assembly district.

Papan was nicknamed "Leadfoot Lou" for his fast commutes between Sacramento and his Peninsula home, trips that brought him a good share of speeding tickets. Few people knew he raced home to be with his son John, who suffered from a rare congenital condition that eventually ended his life at age 21 in 1981. Congressman Tom Lantos placed the following statement in the Congressional Record: "I rise with sadness today to share with my colleagues in the House news of the death of a California public servant from my home district. Lou Papan, known as the "Dean" of the California State Assembly, died unexpectedly on Saturday, April 28, 2007. He was 78 years old. Lou Papan was practically a force of nature in state and local politics." "He was an incredible guy," said Alex Tourk, who worked on his Assembly staff for four years. "He was one of those rare politicians who would advocate publicly what he believed privately." Known as "The Enforcer" for his ability to shepherd votes, Lou Papan's shadow was cast large in Sacramento, over both opponents and supporters.

Awards and honors Papan received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 1996. The award is given by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (NECO) to ethnic Americans who have made significant contributions to this country. The California State Legislature renamed a section of Highway 1, from the Daly City border south through the City of Pacifica along the scenic coast, as the "Louis J. Papan Highway." He is given credit for successfully securing funding to purchase beachfront property in Pacifica for the State Parks system.

Personal life

Papan died on April 28, 2007, after a heart attack at his home in Millbrae, California.