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SACRAMENTO — Former Assembly Speaker Robert Monagan, a moderate Republican who also served in the Nixon administration, died Wednesday at a Sacramento nursing home. He was 88.
Monagan's son, Mike, said his father died of natural causes after being in poor health for the last few years.
Monagan, an insurance agent from Tracy, was first elected to the state Assembly in 1960 and became speaker after Republicans gained a narrow majority in 1968. He was replaced by a Democrat, Bob Moretti, after Democrats regained control of the house in 1970.
As speaker, Monagan was a sharp contrast to his powerful, more flamboyant predecessor, Democrat Jesse Unruh.
"Jess was the only leader," then-Assemblyman Craig Biddle, R-Riverside, said after Monagan took over. "Monagan is going to be a leader within the house, but he's going to develop other leaders in the house within their own field."
Monagan gave more power to committee chairs, allowing them to hire their own staff members. Under Unruh, the hiring was done by the speaker's office.
Monagan left the Legislature in 1973 to become assistant secretary of transportation under President Nixon. He returned to Sacramento in 1974 to become executive vice president and later president of the California Manufacturers and Technology Association.
He also served as head of the state Economic Development Corp. and the California World Trade Commission.
Former Gov. Pete Wilson, who served with Monagan in the Assembly, called his former colleague "one of California's great legislative leaders."
"Bob was greatly and deservedly respected by adversaries as well as allies ... for his integrity, his toughness and political courage and his ability to lead and inspire in others a sense of duty to do what was best for the public," Wilson said in a statement.
Monagan's son, Mike, said his father died of natural causes after being in poor health for the last few years.
Monagan, an insurance agent from Tracy, was first elected to the state Assembly in 1960 and became speaker after Republicans gained a narrow majority in 1968. He was replaced by a Democrat, Bob Moretti, after Democrats regained control of the house in 1970.
As speaker, Monagan was a sharp contrast to his powerful, more flamboyant predecessor, Democrat Jesse Unruh.
"Jess was the only leader," then-Assemblyman Craig Biddle, R-Riverside, said after Monagan took over. "Monagan is going to be a leader within the house, but he's going to develop other leaders in the house within their own field."
Monagan gave more power to committee chairs, allowing them to hire their own staff members. Under Unruh, the hiring was done by the speaker's office.
Monagan left the Legislature in 1973 to become assistant secretary of transportation under President Nixon. He returned to Sacramento in 1974 to become executive vice president and later president of the California Manufacturers and Technology Association.
He also served as head of the state Economic Development Corp. and the California World Trade Commission.
Former Gov. Pete Wilson, who served with Monagan in the Assembly, called his former colleague "one of California's great legislative leaders."
"Bob was greatly and deservedly respected by adversaries as well as allies ... for his integrity, his toughness and political courage and his ability to lead and inspire in others a sense of duty to do what was best for the public," Wilson said in a statement.
