Phil walking with Correta Scott King and George McGovern (photo courtesy of Bancroft Library)
Phil with with Herbert Humphry, Vice President of the United States, and Lim P. Lee, the first Asian-American appointed to the position of PostMaster in the US, whose appointment was sponsored by Phil Burton (photo courtesy of Bancroft Library)
Phillip and Sala Burton became leaders of the local San Francisco, California and National Democratic Party at an early age though their active participation in the Young Democrat organization. In 1950 at the age of 24, Phillip was elected President of the San Francisco Chapter. In 1957 and in 1959 he ran for the presidency of the national organization. Traveling extensively throughout the state and nation to attend Young Democrat events, Phillip and Sala learned about local conditions and developed lasting friendships that helped make them such effective legislators in the California State Assembly and in the U.S. House of Representatives.
This knowledge and relationships, their vision, determination and their leadership skills enabled Phillip “in an institution that valued seniority, decorum, collegiality, respect for elders, and a wait-your turn mentality”(1) to be elected Chair of the Democratic Caucus, the forth highest position in the House leadership, after just ten years in Congress. In 1976, he ran for the position of Majority Leader and lost by one vote to Jim Wright of Texas.
The following is a partial list of the leadership positions held by Phillip and Sala:
1949 Phillip appointed chair of the Political Action Committee of the San Francisco of the Young Democrats
1950 Phillip appointed to the California State Democratic Central Committee
Phillip elected President of the San Francisco Chapter of the Young Democrats
Phillip named vice chair of the San Francisco Junior Chamber of Commerce, Public Affairs Committee
Phillip appointed co-chair of the Mayor’s Commission on Voter Registration
1951 Sala elected Vice-President of the California Democratic Council
1952 Phillip elected to the San Francisco Democratic Central Committee
1954 Phillip candidate for State Assembly
1955 Phillip elected Vice-President, of the Federation of Young Democrats
1956 Phillip elected to State Assembly (30 years old)
1957 Sala elected President of the San Francisco Democratic Women’s Forum (1957-59)
Phillip elected Chair of the Board of Regional Directors of the Federation of Young Democrats
1958 Phillip appointed Chair of the Assembly Committee on Social Welfare and Committee on Farm Labor
1959 Phillip chosen by the Democratic National Committee as a Young Democrat to represent the United States at a NATO Youth Conference
1960 Phillip appointed to the Assembly Elections and Reapportionment Committee
1961 Phillip appointed to the Welfare and Study Commission by Governor Pat Brown
1964 Phillip elected to Congress (February 18) assigned to the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs
1965 Phillip appointed to the Education and Labor Committee (10/28 when James Roosevelt resigns)
Phillip appointed Chair of the Subcommittee on Trusts and Territorial Affairs
Phillip appointed to the Executive Committee and Regional Vice-President of the Democratic Study Group
1970 Phillip appointed to the congressional delegation to the NATO Assembly
Phillip appointed to the Committee on Organization, Study and Review chaired by Julia Hansen of Washington
1972 Phillip elected Chair of the Democratic Study Group
Sala elected President of the Democratic Wives if the House and Senate
1973 Phillip appointed Chair of the Interior Subcommittee on National Parks and Insular Affairs
1975 Phillip elected Chair of the Democratic Caucus
1976 Phillip runs for Majority Leader (loses by one vote to Jim Wright)
appointed Chair of the congressional delegation to the NATO Assembly
1997 Sala appointed to the National Advisory Council on Soviet Jews
1978 Phillip elected Chair of the NATO Assembly’s Political Committee
1981 Phillip appointed Chair of the Education and Labor Committee, Subcommittee on Labor-Management Relations
1983 Sala elected to the U.S. House of Representatives
Sala appointed to both the Interior and Education and Labor committees
1985 Sala appointed to the Rules Committee
1987 Sala appointed to the congressional delegation to the NATO Assembly
(1). John Jacobs, A Rage for Justice, The Passion and Politics of Phil Burton, page 264
