George Nicholas Zenovich | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the
California Senate from the 14th district | |
| In office December 2, 1974 – March 22, 1979 [1] | |
| Preceded by | Clark L. Bradley |
| Succeeded by | Kenneth L. Maddy |
| Member of the
California Senate from the 16th district | |
| In office January 4, 1971 – November 30, 1974 | |
| Preceded by | Hugh M. Burns |
| Succeeded by | Walter W. Stiern |
| Member of the
California State Assembly from the 32nd district | |
| In office January 7, 1963 – January 4, 1971 | |
| Preceded by | Bert Delotto |
| Succeeded by | Kenneth L. Maddy |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 29, 1922 Fresno, California |
| Died | September 25, 2013 (aged 91) Fresno, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Vera Sarenac |
| Children | 2, including Marina Zenovich |
| Relatives | P. G. Morgan (son-in-law) |
| Education |
Fresno State Southwestern Law School |
| Occupation | California Senator and Appellate Justice |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | 
United States Army |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
George Nicholas Zenovich (April 29, 1922 – September 25, 2013) was an American politician and jurist, as well as a longtime Democrat.
Career
Elected as Assemblyman for the 32nd District, Zenovich served in the California State Assembly from 1963 to 1971, where he acted as Majority Floor Leader and Chairman of the Democratic Caucus. [2] Representing the 16th District, Zenovich then served in the California State Senate from 1971 to 1979, where he was responsible for legislating the California Housing Finance Agency. He also carried the 1975 legislation creating the Arts Council and the Agricultural Labor Relations Board. As vice chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, he was involved in major legislation, leading him to want a career on the bench. [3] From 1979 -1984, Zenovich served as Justice of the 5th District in the California Courts of Appeal. The Fifth District Court of Appeal Courthouse in Fresno is named after him. [4] After leaving the bench, Zenovich became a lobbyist in Sacramento.
Background
Zenovich was born in Fresno, California, to parents Nicholas and Eva, who were Montenegrin immigrants to the United States from Yugoslavia. [5] [2] While in high school and college, he was elected student body president. During World War II, Zenovich served in the United States Army as an Army Air Force Japanese Code Interceptor Operator. He studied at California State University, Fresno and then at Southwestern Law School. In 1947, he was admitted to the California Bar and began working as an attorney in 1953. Active in the Democratic party's Central Committee, he ran the John F. Kennedy campaign in California's Central Valley and President County . [3]
Zenovich was married to Vera "Kika" Sarenac, who was born in the former Yugoslavia. They have two daughters. Ninon Zenovich (aka Ninon Aprea) is an actress and Marina Zenovich is a documentary film director. Zenovich died in Fresno, California at the age of 91. [6] [7] [8]
References
- ^ "George N. Zenovich Resignation letter". Some Issues Titled:supplement to the Appendix to the Journal of the Senate. 1942.
- ^ a b https://library.fresnostate.edu/sites/all/assets/doc/scrc/george-n-zenovich.pdf [ bare URL PDF]
- ^ a b "A Different Side of Jerry Brown Revealed at Memorial for Fresno Lawmaker". California's Capitol. October 22, 2013.
- ^ "A Different Side of Jerry Brown Revealed at Memorial for Fresno Lawmaker". California's Capitol. 2013-10-22. Retrieved 2018-03-08.
- ^ "Congressional Record". www.congress.gov. Retrieved 2019-06-30.
- ^ Vassar, Alexander C. (2011). Legislators of California (PDF). Retrieved 23 November 2016.
- ^ Ellis, John. "George Zenovich, 91, leaves Fresno legacy as judge, activist, lobbyist | Local News". FresnoBee.com. Archived from the original on 2013-09-28. Retrieved 2013-09-29.
- ^ "JoinCalifornia - George N. Zenovich". www.joincalifornia.com.
External links
 | This article about a member of the California State Senate is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- 1922 births
- 2013 deaths
- Politicians from Fresno, California
- California State University, Fresno alumni
- Southwestern Law School alumni
- Judges of the California Courts of Appeal
- Democratic Party California state senators
- Democratic Party members of the California State Assembly
- United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II
- American people of Serbian descent
- United States Army Air Forces soldiers
- 20th-century American judges
- California state senator stubs