Albert J. Ruffo
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Albert J. Ruffo (July 1, 1908 - February 10, 2003) was an American politician, lawyer, and football coach.
Ruffo was born in Tacoma, Washington. In 1927 he moved to San Jose, California to attend nearby Santa Clara University, where he played football, and graduated with degrees in political science, electrical engineering, and literature. In 1936 he graduated from the University's law school.
He served eight years on the San Jose city council (1944 – 1952), and was the city's 48th mayor from 1946 to 1947. During his time on the council, A. P. Hamann, Ruffo's teammate at Santa Clara, was hired as city manager and the rapid growth of San Jose began. After leaving public office, Ruffo worked as an attorney, specializing in land development law; Ruffo represented land developers in many of the city's annexation and zoning hearings, lawsuits, and deals.
Ruffo was one of the founders of the San Francisco 49ers, handling the legal issues involved in setting up the team, as well as being an assistant coach for its first two years of operation. He later became a part owner of the team until it was sold to Eddie DeBartolo, Jr.
A 1979 San Jose State University study ranked Ruffo as one of the 10 most powerful people in San Jose. In 1997, he was inducted into the Santa Clara County Sports Hall of Fame.
External links
- San Jose Mercury News obituary (http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/5155027.htm)
| Preceded by: Ernest E. Renzel | Mayor of San Jose 1946–1948 | Succeeded by: Fred Watson |