Loretta Thompson-Glickman (1945 – 2001) became the first Black woman mayor of Pasadena in 1982, but she had a few other firsts before this one. In 1977 she was the first Black woman elected to the Pasadena Board of Directors; in 1978, she was the first Black woman to be in the Tournament of Roses Association; and in 1980, she was the first Black woman to become Vice Mayor of Pasadena. Before she entered public service, Glickman was a professional jazz singer and a teacher, professions that helped her political career.
Clarence A. Jones Black to run for the Pasadena Board of Directors. He was born in West Virginia and earned his BA and Bachelor of Law degrees for Ohio State University (1912). He moved to California with his family in 1913 and practiced in LA. While residing in Pasadena, Jones ran for a seat on the Pasadena City Board of Directors in 1929. Although unsuccessful, it was the first time an African American ran for a major municipal elected office. Jones also commissioned a spec house at 120 W. Mountain St.(1930) which is a rare example in Pasadena of design collaboration.