  arthur (art) christ agnos (born september 1, 1938) is an american politician. he served as the 39th mayor of san francisco, california from 1988 to 1992, and as the regional head of the u.s. department of housing and urban development from 1993 to 2001. ==biography== ===early life=== agnos was born in springfield, massachusetts. he earned a bachelor of arts degree from bates college and a master of social work from florida state university. he moved to san francisco in 1966 and went to work at the san francisco housing authority as a social worker with senior populations. at that time, san franciscoâs senior housing was being built as high-rises that many believed left seniors disconnected from the community. agnos learned through his involvement in challenging this policy that political decisions can shape the environment for poor and vulnerable people. on december 13, 1973, agnos, who was then a member of the california commission on aging, was attending a meeting in the largely black public housing project on potrero hill in san francisco to discuss building a government-funded health clinic in the area. after the meeting broke up, he was shot twice at point blank range; agnos became one of two victims shot that day in a series of killings called the zebra murders. it was perhaps the first cases of urban terrorism in the united states, with random shootings in san francisco resulting in 16 murders and eight to ten wounded in waves of attacks in 1973 and 1974 by a more militant offshoot of the nation of islam in which points were earned by killing a white person. agnos was one of the few who survived that day; the other victim, marietta digirolamo, died. ===early political career=== agnos was asked by california state assemblyman leo mccarthy to join his staff in january 1968. mccarthy was elected speaker of the assembly in 1974 and agnos became his chief of staff. during this period, agnos helped obtain the first-ever california state funding for community-based mental-health services serving the lesbian and gay community, helped pass nursing-home reform, and worked for preservation of farm land. in 1976, agnos was elected in his own right to the cal
1938_births American_people_of_Greek_descent Bates_College_alumni California_Democrats Florida_State_University_alumni Living_people Mayors_of_San_Francisco,_California Members_of_the_California_State_Assembly Seminole_Caucus United_States_Department_of_Housing_and_Urban_Development_officials