The Honorable Diane E. Watson, Founder
Five Points Youth Foundation, Inc., was founded on November 7, 1984 as the Diane E. Watson Semi-Pro Baseball League through 1986 (Diane E. Watson Semi-Pro Baseball Association) and finalized in 1992.
Born in Los Angeles, California, Watson was raised Catholic. She was educated at Dorsey High School, Los Angeles City College and the University of California, Los Angeles, where she earned her BA in Education (1956). Watson became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha.
She earned an MS from California State University, Los Angeles in School Psychology (1967) and a PhD in Educational Administration from Claremont Graduate University in 1987. She also attended the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Watson taught elementary school and was a school psychologist in the Los Angeles public schools. She has lectured at California State University, Long Beach and California State University, Los Angeles. She was a health occupation specialist with the California Department of Education’s Bureau of Industrial Education.
Watson was elected to the California State Senate from 1978 to 1998. The longtime chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, she gained a reputation as an advocate for health care for the poor and children. Term limited, she was replaced by Kevin Murray.
In 1992, Watson ran for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. After a hard-fought campaign, Watson narrowly lost to former Supervisor Yvonne Burke, who was supported by US Representative Maxine Waters.
President Bill Clinton appointed her United States Ambassador to Micronesia in 1999.
Watson was elected to Congress in a 2001 special election to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Representative Julian C. Dixon. She was re-elected four times, but retired after the end of the 111th Congress.
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