NEWPORT BEACH (August 13, 2024) – On Friday, September 13, Assemblymember Diane Dixon (R- Newport Beach) will honor former Assemblymember and Senator Marian Bergeson by dedicating the Upper Newport Bay Bridge in her memory.
“I am proud to author Assembly Concurrent Resolution 93, which renames the North Arm of the Upper Newport Bay Bridge the Marian Bergeson Memorial Bridge, as a visible reminder of former Senator Bergeson’s legacy,” says Assemblymember Dixon. “Marian Bergeson was a remarkable woman, who helped pave the way for women in leadership in California. She was an inspiration to many throughout the County and State, and specifically to Newport Beach. She deserves to be forever remembered for her service to the people of California at multiple levels of government.”
Marian Bergeson (August 31, 1925 – July 6, 2016) was the first woman to serve in both the California State Assembly and California State Senate. She served in the State Legislature from 1978 to 1995, was a member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors from 1995 to 1996 and was the California State Secretary of Education from 1996 to 1999. She served two terms on the California Transportation Commission from 2004 to 2012. She began her political career when she was elected to the Newport-Mesa Unified School District Board of Education in 1964, where she served for 12 years. The impact Marian Bergeson has had, on both the community in Orange County and the state of California as a whole, is unmeasurable.
The ceremony is open to the public and will take place at the Balboa Marina Public Pier in Newport Beach on Friday, September 13 at 10:00 a.m. Please RSVP by calling (949) 798-7221. Assemblymember Dixon will be joined by Governor Pete Wilson, State Senator Janet Nguyen, Newport Beach Mayor Will O’Neill, CalTrans District 12 Director Lan Zhou, Marian’s daughter Julie Bergeson McCormick, and many other longtime colleagues, staff members, friends and supporters in recognition of this truly remarkable public servant.