Name/Title
Oral History of Penny LaveEntry/Object ID
2015.114.001Scope and Content
Penny Lave begins by describing her childhood in East Lansing, Michigan, her family life and the influences of her parents and grandparents, and her experiences at the University of Michigan where she met her husband Roy Lave. They married and moved to California for Roy to study for his PhD at Stanford. She talks about their early years in the area and about their early travels abroad as well as the birth of their children. They moved to Los Altos just before their first child was born. She became very involved as a volunteer in the schools, including PTA and eventually Grad Night.
She goes on to describe a variety of community organizations that she held leadership positions in (League of Women Voters, AAUW, Junior League) in addition to community initiatives and various political leadership campaigns.
She was elected Mayor of Los Altos in 1989 and re-elected in 1993. She tells many stories about her experience as mayor and describes what she was able to accomplish in that role. Many issues came up, from civil defense the environment to community art initiatives. She describes her relationships with various community leaders, including City Manager Arne Croce. Both during and after she served as mayor, she was involved in community concerns, including the library, the Los Altos History Museum and community theater.
Her involvement in all aspects of the community (serving as mayor twice, serving on numerous committees and commissions, being involved in fundraising for community organizations, being involved in the schools) tells the story of the community of Los Altos from the time she and her husband moved here in 1964.Collection
Oral History CollectionOral History Details
Interviewee
Penny LaveInterviewer
Marcia AdamsInterview Date
Jun 25, 2015