Pioneer black congressman dies at 100

BETHESDA, Md., Nov. 13 (UPI) -- Augustus Hawkins, the first black U.S. congressman from California, has died at the age of 100.

Susan Jefferson, his niece, told the Los Angeles Times he died Saturday of causes related to his advanced age in Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, Md.

Hawkins' legacy includes the Humphrey-Hawkins Act, which he sponsored with a fellow Democrat, Sen. Hubert Humphrey. The 1978 bill aimed to reduce both unemployment and inflation.

His political career began in 1935 when Hawkins was elected to the California Legislature, representing south Los Angeles. He was elected to Congress in 1962 and remained there until his retirement in 1990.

Hawkins was one of the founders of the Congressional Black Caucus in 1971.

"He was 'the only' for a long time," said U.S. Rep. Diane Watson, D-Calif., who represents Los Angeles. "It was Gus Hawkins who gave us the credibility. It was Gus Hawkins who gave us the ideas. ... He has left a sterling legacy."