Instruct: Given a question, retrieve passages that answer the question.
Query: Where was Sheila James Kuehl born?
Kuehl was born Sheila Ann Kuehl[1] in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her father, Arthur, was an airplane construction worker at Douglas Aircraft.[2] He was Catholic and her mother, Lillian, was Jewish.[3] As a child actress she performed under the stage name Sheila James.[1]
During this time Kuehl began the acting in the role she is probably best known for – her portrayal of teen-aged genius Zelda Gilroy, the wannabe girlfriend of the title character in the television series The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, which aired on CBS from 1959 to 1963.[5][7] Zelda was originally intended to be a one-shot character in the early Dobie Gillis episode "Love is a Science", but Dobie creator Max Shulman liked Kuehl and had her signed on as a semi-regular cast member.[8]
Kuehl also helped establish oversight of the Probation Department and is working to reform the adult and juvenile justice systems, emphasizing "second chance" and anti-recidivism programs. She supported the creation of the Office of Child Protection, and oversaw the opening of – a state-of-the-art juvenile justice facility that emphasizes trauma-informed rehabilitation.
In the 1980s Kuehl became an adjunct law professor at the University of Southern California, and later an associate professor at Loyola Law School where she taught courses on family law, sex discrimination, and education.[3]
Kuehl served in the California Senate for two terms (eight years) the maximum allowed under term limits adopted in 1990.
At age seven Kuehl's parents noticed that she loved to try to play piano and sing though she lacked any training. Kuehl's parents agreed to pay for lessons when a door-to-door salesmen came to their home selling Saturday classes for tap-dancing, ballet, and singing lessons at Meglin Studios. Her parents would accompany her by bus for tap-dancing lessons at the studio every Saturday. As the tap instructor's wife taught drama classes for an additional 50 cents, Kuehl's parents signed her up for those as well. The classes would have recitals on Monday nights to showcase what they had learned.
In 1989, along with Abby Leibman and Jenifer McKenna, Kuehl formed the California Women's Law Center to promote gender issues, including expanding the rights of divorced women and reforming hiring procedures in male-dominated professions, such as law enforcement.[7]
Kuehl was elected to the California State Assembly in 1994, becoming the first openly gay person elected to the California legislature. While running for office Kuehl found she was able to offset some negative stereotypes people had about lesbians thanks to their familiarity with her role as Zelda. She told an interviewer "When people know gay people personally, they tend to feel differently about the whole community. And all of a sudden, here's a person that they knew very well that they found out was lesbian."[11]
Due to her talent exhibited on radio, Kuehl's agent convinced her parents to bring her to auditions for a television role. Kuehl later recalled "The same 200 kids I think were there for the interview [as had been for the radio audition] and I was called back and called back and called back and eventually I got that part. And beginning in 1950, I did that series for six years."[4] Kuehl was signed to play Jackie, Stuart Erwin's tomboy daughter, in the television series The Stu Erwin Show (also known as Trouble with Father) from 1950 to 1955.
At one recital Kuehl played an assistant in a skit called "The Old Sleuth" where she sat under a table listening for clues. To indicate she was listening Kuehl made faces which caused the audience to laugh and encouraged her to make more faces resulting in more laughter. The skit was ruined but the drama teacher, Mrs. Meglin was impressed. Kuehl later recalled that Meglin told her mother "'The kid's pretty funny. Can she read?' And my mother said, 'Oh, yeah, she can read, she skipped two grades, she's really very good.' Mrs. Meglin said, 'There's a radio series holding interviews…at an agent's office on Sunset Boulevard. Would you be interested in taking her to the interview? All she has to do is read…' So we went for the interview and there were like 150 or 200 kids there and all you did was read. And I was called back…and eventually I got the part in what probably was the last family radio series before it went all music and news...'"[4]
On January 28, 2008, The New York Times reported that Kuehl planned to vote against a health care plan sponsored by Governor Schwarzenegger and supported by a majority of Democrats in the Assembly, while opposed by a majority of Republicans. Her opposition along with the opposition of Senator Leland Yee led the Times to predict that California's widely touted healthcare bill – widely but inaccurately called "universal" coverage – would be effectively killed.[21] However, by the time the bill came to the Senate Health Committee, chaired by Kuehl, all but one of the Democratic Senators on the Committee had grave doubts about the bill and, after an eleven-hour hearing on the bill and an intervening week to caucus, on January 28, 2008, one Democrat voted yes, three abstained and three (including Kuehl), along with all Republicans, voted in opposition.
Despite Kathy moving to L.A. and their being able to see each other daily, the social sacrifices Kuehl was contemplating put a strain on their relationship. Kuehl later recalled "By then the whole idea of being queer was so overwhelming and scary. Not the sexuality, but the loss of everything. To be that way for good meant no family, no children, no career, nor normalcy, no parents. It seemed at that point that I should really get out of it. I told [Kathy] I didn't want to see her any longer."[5] Kuehl had seen a man casually on and off during her relationship with Kathy and began working to make it more serious. They kissed but they did not have sex and they almost got engaged. Kuehl couldn't get Kathy off her mind and broke up with the man to resume the relationship with her.[5] Kuehl's closeted relationship with Kathy continued until the beginning of the 1970s, and had lasted 12 years before they broke up.[4]
Kuehl's only acting roles beyond 1970 were in two Dobie Gillis reunion projects: a 1977 sitcom pilot produced by James Komack, Whatever Happened to Dobie Gillis?, and a 1988 television movie sequel, Bring Me the Head of Dobie Gillis. In both productions, Dobie had married Zelda and the two were running the Gillis family grocery store and raising a teenage son named Georgie Gillis.
Kuehl was able to make television guest appearances on National Velvet, McHale's Navy, The Donna Reed Show, The Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction, The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, Marcus Welby, M.D. and The Ed Sullivan Show from 1963 to 1970.[10] By the end of the decade, acting roles had dried up for her. Though Kuehl "can't state with certainty that she was blacklisted" from further acting jobs over her sexuality, she claims that afterwards, "with few exceptions, the phone stopped ringing."[7] A pilot for a Dobie Gillis spin-off, in which the character Zelda was the lead, was produced, but the president of CBS, Jim Aubrey, thought Kuehl was "too butch" to be a star for their network.[2] Subsequently the pilot was not promoted and did not sell, but Kuehl was not told about this immediately. Rather, she was informed by the director, Rod Amateau, when she arrived to shoot the following episodes. She was devastated by the news.[2]
After law school, Kuehl became an associate at Richards, Watson & Gershon in Los Angeles, where her practice focused on municipal law. She later became an associate at Bersch & Kaplowitz in Beverly Hills, practicing family, anti-discrimination, and civil rights law.
After having crashed James and Maggie's wedding, Sheila reveals that she has become pregnant after a night alone with James. The three come to a settlement that Sheila would temporarily stay with them until her baby was born, and the child would be given to James and Maggie. After Sheila hands her baby, Mary, over to the Warwicks, she relocates to Death Valley, where she meets Amber Moore (Adrienne Frantz). Anxious to see her daughter, Sheila suggests that Amber babysit for James and Maggie, so that she can secretly visit Mary in LA. Amber is hired and keeps her alliance with Sheila secret for some time, but when Sheila threatens her, she reveals to James and Maggie the real reason why she applied to be Mary's babysitter. Sheila eventually takes matters into her own hands and takes Mary back. James attempts to trick Sheila into marrying him, so that he can gain full custody of his daughter. When Sheila realizes the marriage is a set-up, she attempts to kill herself again by jumping off a roof. James, who had actually fallen for Sheila during this time, promises to stay with her. Meanwhile, an angry Maggie sneaks into Sheila's hospital room and cuts off her oxygen. Sheila is rescued by doctors and Maggie is immediately arrested. With the help of Mike and his brother Martin, a desperate Maggie captures Sheila and holds her prisoner, appropriately, in the house from Psycho at Universal Studios Hollywood. When Sheila escapes, James demands that Maggie leave. Maggie and Lauren later team up in an attempt to drive Sheila over the edge. They wire Sheila's house with hidden cameras and an audio system, while the former nanny Judy surprises Sheila on her doorstep. The plan fails, however, and Maggie, realizing James and the baby are lost to her, leaves town. When a friendship begins between James and Stephanie, a paranoid Sheila becomes jealous and attempts to drown Stephanie in a pool. To prevent Stephanie from telling anyone about this incident, Sheila threatens to kill Stephanie's grandson, Thomas Forrester. Sheila is arrested for the threat, but secretly switches places with a woman named Sybil. After breaking out of prison in disguise, Sheila shoots Stephanie, kidnaps baby Mary and leaves town.
In 2009, Kuehl became a member of the California Integrated Waste Management Board. In 2010, she started Kuehl Consulting and served on the board as a member of the Public Policy Institute at Santa Monica College.
Having landed the role at the age of eight Kuehl (billed as Sheila James) starred with radio and film veterans Penny Singleton, Gale Gordon, Bea Benaderet, and Jim Backus on the family radio program The Penny Williamson Show airing live from Studio B of the NBC studios in Hollywood.[4][5] Airing in the adjacent studios was the popular drama The Cisco Kid and The Bob Hope Show with Doris Day (whom Kuehl admired). Kuehl would later cite her interaction with the other NBC radio talent as influential in forming her professionalism and comedy skills.[5] The show centred around Singleton playing Penny Williamson a widow selling real estate in a small town to support two daughters (played by Kuehl and Mary Lee Robb). The show was "a light-hearted pitch for women's liberation, portraying Penny and her daughters as highly competent, self-sufficient females" dealing with bungling suitors competing for Penny's affections.[6]
Kuehl previously had a ten-year romantic relationship with Torie Osborn, who served as a deputy mayor in L.A.[4] Osborn went on to support Kuehl's run for Supervisor and joined her staff as principal deputy for strategy and policy.[22]
After leaving the acting profession in the early 1970s, Kuehl became an adviser to students in campus activist groups at her alma mater, UCLA, and eventually became an associate dean of students.[3] When Kuehl was passed over for a promotion that was given to a man, Kuehl felt that her treatment had been unfair and became interested in a legal career to address the position of women in the workplace.[3]
While working in private practice in Los Angeles Kuehl began fund-raising for the Sojourn Center for Battered Women (which she eventually served as Chair). Staff from other shelters soon began asking Kuehl for legal advice and training in domestic-violence law. Kuehl later recalled this time saying "I had to learn what there was, which wasn't much."[11] She then joined a handful of other lawyers in trying to assist in crafting legislation on the issue which included a bill that required judges in custody cases to consider evidence of domestic violence.[11]
Sheila James Kuehl (born February 9, 1941) is an American politician, former child actor, and currently the member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for the 3rd District. In 1994, she became the first openly gay California legislator. Two years later, George magazine named her one of the 20 most fascinating women in politics and the California Journal selected her as "Rookie of the Year." The following year, she became the first woman in California history to be named Speaker pro tempore of the California State Assembly.[2] In 1998 and 2000, the California Journal chose her as the Assembly member with the greatest intelligence and the most integrity. During this time, she was twice selected to speak about family violence and diversity at the Democratic National Conventions. After serving six years in the State Assembly, Kuehl was elected to the California State Senate. Between 2000 and 2008, she authored 171 bills that were signed into law by three different governors, including legislation to formally incorporate the rights declared in Roe v. Wade into California state law. In 2006, the Capitol Weekly selected her as the most intelligent member of the California Legislature. The story of her role as the first lesbian in the state legislature, along with three other pioneering lesbian legislators, is told in the documentary, Political Animals.
When Kuehl was elected as a Democrat to the California Assembly in 1994 a Republican majority was seated for the first time in 20 years. This was due largely as an out-flowing of the enthusiasm stoked up by Newt Gingrich's strategy supporting Republicans for the Federal Legislature. Kuehl recalled "The Republican majority was quite a different kind of Republican, not a moderate, not a Rockefeller Republican. They were primarily Bible-thumpers and very right-wing. So it was not the most welcoming Republican group, though they loved Zelda Gilroy, and it was very difficult for them because they already liked me so much…. And to their surprise, we all got along very well. ...The Republicans were pretty horrible about LGBT stuff. They all virtually said stuff like, 'Well, they're all spawn of the devil, oh, but not you, Sheila….'"[4]
Signing a contract with Dobie producer 20th Century Fox Television required Kuehl, then 18 and in college studying theater, to change her major to English, so that Shulman, also a successful author, could act as her proctor on set in order to allow her to continue her studies.[8] Kuehl earned a bachelor's degree in English from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1962, during the show's final season.[9]
While in the Assembly Kuehl served as Speaker pro tempore during the 1997–98 legislative session, becoming the first woman in California history to hold the position. Kuehl served three full terms (six years) in the California Assembly which was the maximum allowed under term limits that had been adopted in 1990.