Bill Paparian | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Paparian at the Visual Artist Guild Awards | |
| Mayor of Pasadena, California | |
| In office May 1995 – May 1997 | |
| Preceded by | Katie Nack |
| Succeeded by | Chris Holden |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1949 (age 74–75) Los Angeles, California |
| Political party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations | Green (2006) Republican (pre-1997) |
| Alma mater | California State University (B.A.) Southwestern University (J.D.) |
| Profession | Attorney |
William Mihrtad Paparian (born 1949 in Los Angeles, California) is an American politician, a former mayor of Pasadena, California, serving from 1995 to 1997. He was also a member of the Pasadena City Council from 1987 to 1999, and a Green Party candidate for Congress in 2006. He was the first Armenian-American mayor of Pasadena, as well as the only Pasadena mayor to visit Cuba during his term. Paparian has been known throughout his political career as an outspoken advocate of controversial causes, including ending the trade embargo against Cuba. He attracted national media attention for dispatching a Pasadena police helicopter to issue a citation to state aircraft spraying pesticides over the city, and for his urging Rose Parade observers in 2008 to turn their backs on the Chinese float, which he called the "Beijing Float of Shame."