The Man From County Kern

A Role Model For All Ages

A brief glimpse of the life of

Walter W. Stiern

From the "Walter W. Stiern Collection",
Walter W. Stiern Library, California State University, Bakersfield.
Sponsored by the Sixty Plus Club, adjunct to the Alumni Association of CSUB,
Arthur Johnson, Project Director.

Kern County California gets its name from the Kern River. The Kern River was named for Edward Kern, topographer for General John C. Fremont's 1845 expedition.

The county is almost at California's midpoint. For some purposes it is in Northern California, and Southern for other purposes.

The county's story is included in state history which goes back to antiquity. Early known records date from the 1500s. Very early maps show California as a narrow strip of land separated from the continent by a gulf.

California has the unique distinction of becoming a state without first going through the usual period of being a territory. Statehood came along with attendant privileges and responsibilities.

Kern County was created by California State Law in 1862 and was carved out of the adjacent counties of Tulare and Los Angeles. Presumption is made that there existed a homogenous grouping of people that had identifiable political and economic needs.

Although the county was created in 1862, the first identified senator was J. W. Freeman who was in office in 1867. Thus began a lineage of senators to represent the county in the state legislature. Well over a thousand senators have now so represented California counties. Undoubtedly many have served their public office with distinction, but their stories, unfortunately, remain untold.

This is a brief story about one man, Walter Stiern, who served his community, and particularly Kern County, well. His is not a story of poverty or hardship, but it is a story of hard work and a firm dedication to goals. He wanted to become a military officer and a military medical veterinarian, and he did. He wanted to follow a veterinarian practice, and he did. He wanted to become a state senator, and he did. All careers were served with distinction. He proudly wore the titles of "Doctor", "Major", and "Senator".

The now known history of the Stiern family dates back to Germany's North Baltic, where grandfather "Stier", as a very young man, migrated to Southern California. Eventually the Stiern family settled in Kern County. "Stier", was inadvertently changed to "Stiern" at Ellis Island.

Walter and his three brothers were all educated in Bakersfield schools.

Even in early youth, Walter might be considered a type of role model. His dad was an energetic Boy Scout leader, and, when only a child, his mother made him a scout uniform which he proudly wore. Maybe his mother had a feeling that he was then a "role model". His scouting experience was energetically pursued and remembered all his life.

From early youth Walter demonstrated exemplary behavior. While in high school the now familiar local David Edstrom's Lincoln Bust was dedicated. Four high school superintendents were asked to send a representative boy to be an "honor guard" for the dedication ceremony which was held on February 12, 1927. Thirteen year old Walter was one of the four. The simple qualification was "character" only. Nothing to do with academic or sports standing. Interestingly all were Boy Scouts.

In high school, at the urging of his father, he was active in Future Farmers activity. (This applied to all four sons.) He profitably raised chickens and bred Guernsey cows for milk and calves for his college education.

Washington State University at Pullman was selected as his school for vet training. During his college years he joined forces with a few other students to form a student rebellion. There were some student rules that were ridiculously outdated. Some pertaining to hours of being back on the campus at night. Female students were forbidden to bend over to drink from a water fountain because their hose seams would show. The "rebellion" was orderly, no property was damaged, and was well supported by the student body. This certainly was a risk, especially being an out-of-state student who could have been reasonably asked to leave. This "risk" trait emerged later in his legislative career.

While at the University he met Alysjune Dunning. They were teamed classmates for several years and were married immediately after June graduated. Much credit goes to June for Walter's success. She was a total asset to his legislative, social and personal life. This dialogue between Walter and his wife took place when Walter was speculating about running for the senate. June said: "Well, Walter, if you have tissue paper skin and it troubles you or hurts you if people lie about you, or if people defame or degrade you or criticize you, or say things that are not true, or if the rough and tumble of politics, which you know nothing about, is offensive to you, don't touch it with a twenty-foot pole. But if those things do not hurt you and you are willing to take the brickbats, have people lie about you, run you down, say things that you didn't do, all the kinds of things which are rough and tumble political battles, wade right in, and I'll go along with you, honey". All these things happened, and June was with him all the way.

All who knew him agree he was a man of compassion. This early trait was demonstrated by his care for an invalid aunt. During summer breaks in his college years he would take her, along with her caretaker, to western mountain areas. Walter, being a 250 pound person, would pick her up from her wheel chair, put her in the car, and carry her whenever it was necessary. This lasted for several years. She didn't trust any of the other brothers to do this; so he was never replaced.

He was graduated with a commission in the Army Air Corps, Veterinary Corps. He was able to have a civilian practice for only a short time before being called to active duty. Among his duties as an Army veterinarian was the inspection of foods used for troops, and sanitary conditions of food establishments adjacent to military posts. He would not hesitate to close a restaurant if it didn't meet standards.

After this short duty he was sent to Calcutta, India, where he served as caretaker for the herds of mules of the Army Quartermaster Corps that were used to operate a jungle supply line for Allied Military Forces. His duty in India had a lifetime effect on him. He became endeared to the Indian people. He often said that if it had not been for having a family in the United States, he would have willingly spent his whole life in India.

After a Kern County veterinary practice of 20 years, Dr. Stiern felt there was probably much more he could do. He thought there was a need for better legislation and wanted to have a part in it. It would be a totally new venture for him. He felt disadvantaged, though, because he had never held a public office of any kind.

This forced him to abandon his "decline to state" political party and sign on as a Democratic candidate for the state senate.

His first election could not really be considered a challenge. His opponent died immediately before the primary election.

He soon became known as a team-worker, who easily formed friendships, and as a person who accurately analyzed legislative proposals and was habitually asked for his views. He had a goal of getting to know, personally, every senator, their spouses and things about them such as education, profession and personality. He considered family very important because of its impact on a person's thinking.

He quickly engendered loyalty. He tells of an early career incident where a senator from Southern California told him about a bill he was authoring. He told Stiern to vote "no" on the bill because he knew the people of Kern County would be against it. Rare is the legislator who would ask for a "no" vote.

Mention has been made of Stiern taking a risk for a cause. This was tested when a state governor solicited his vote on a budget matter. Stiern said no. The governor told him if he didn't vote for it, he would make every effort to defeat him in the next election. If he voted for the bill, he would stay completely away from Kern County. Stiern did not acquiesce, the governor vigorously campaigned against Stiern. Stiern won the election. Later the governor told Stiern "I wish I had people in my party that were as strong as you."

Living with lobbyists is a way of life for legislators. The State Capitol hallways teem with them. They are everywhere, representing everything, literally. Stiern had good relationships with lobbyists but was conservative in the amount of time spent with them. He knew they would present the same argument in committee hearings. Two types of lobbyists didn't waste time on him, though: those who represented the liquor and racing interests. Besides, they had enough votes without his, he said.

Stiern's own family attested to his quality. His daughter Janet, in an interview frequently referred to her dad as a "real guy", a "real man", and "totally honest". In a conversation with his widow a comment was made that in the research of Stiern's life there were no "gray" areas. She responded simply: "There were none."

For several years, Senator Stiern was chairman of the Legislative Budget Committee. This Committee analyzes the state budget and presents it to legislature. It is one the "heaviest" Committees in the legislature. Obviously each assemblyman and senator has a vital interest in the use of public funds. In response to a query by his staff chief regarding a policy matter Stiern replied in a manner that evidenced his assumption of responsibility and how a responsible staff should act when he said: "You let me worry about the politics. You worry about what's the best policy for the State of California. My inclination is to always go along with what is the best policy for the State of California and if that creates political problems for me, so be it. But I am prepared to deal with those problems. One thing I do not want is you making political judgments whether to protect me or protect somebody else because that's not your job. And if you start making those political judgments, it's going to be very difficult to fulfill your obligations to the legislature which is to give the best policy advice you can." Interestingly, on one occasion, a staff member recommended against a project the senator himself had proposed. It was never, ever discussed.

There are other well documented aspects of his personality. A long-time senate chamber seat mate said this: "I found him to be a good friend, to be a mentor, to be wise, to find wit where there was no humor. He always had a story. He would always take your mind away from the troubles you were experiencing and the struggles you were having at the time, and would try to make you lighten up. And, whatever the story was, it was always something that was enjoyable. He would just look around the room and find something to relate to. And, I think he was probably a consummate psychologist, a therapist, because he had that kind of impact. He was a big man, you know, and when he came into a room with that big smile, it would just brighten up the whole room. It would make you feel very comfortable with him."

Obviously it is not possible to condense a life's story into a few hundred words. The Senate's farewell to Stiern took 30 pages in the Senate Journal. Fifteen months later, almost the same group met in the senate chambers for his memorial services. The final three paragraphs of this story is a quote from the "Walter W. Stiern Collection" at the Walter W. Stiern Library, California State University at Bakersfield.

"Can there be a more valid assessment of a life than what is said at its end and what is remembered?

A Bakersfield Californian editorial* that was published on February 23, 1988, two days after the Senator's death, says in part**:

Throughout his seven campaigns for the Senate from Kern County, there never was a hint of dirty politics, no last-minute smears of opponents, no questionable television advertisements. His campaigns were as clean as his record.

In fact, someone should write a biography of Stiern to be used as a guide for future politicians. If ever there was a man who embodied the qualities of leadership, integrity and moral strength so needed in government, Stiern was that unquestionable role model."

* - Specific authorship not identified.
** - Used by permission.