Eugene Pasqual Lasartemay


​Eugene Pasqual Lasartemay

​Eugene Pasqual Lasartemay (May 17, 1903 – June 3, 1993) was an American historian, civic leader, and marine engineer. He is most notable as a co-founder of the East Bay Negro Historical Society (EBNHS), the predecessor to the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO). His lifelong work focused on the preservation of African American history in California and the Western United States.

​Early life and education

​Lasartemay was born in Kekaha, Kauai, Hawaii, to Patricio Lasarte and Ana Eglesia Adeline Torres de Lasarte. He moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1920s to pursue an education in engineering. He graduated from Dobie’s Engineering College in San Francisco and, in 1937, became the first licensed African American marine engineer to sail from the Port of San Francisco.

​Career and historical work

​After retiring from a career in marine engineering and the grocery industry in 1965, Lasartemay dedicated himself to historical preservation.

​East Bay Negro Historical Society: On July 2, 1965, Lasartemay, along with his wife Ruth Lasartemay and colleagues Marcella and Jesse Ford, officially organized the EBNHS. The society's mission was to "collect, preserve, record, and disseminate information" regarding Black history in the West.

​Allensworth State Historic Park: Lasartemay served as a key member of the advisory committee that worked to establish Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park, the first California state park dedicated to African American pioneers.

​Literary contributions: He co-authored For Love of Jack London: His Life with Jennie Prentiss (1991), which detailed the significant influence of London’s African American foster mother, Jennie Prentiss.

​Civic involvement

​Lasartemay was a prominent figure in the Boy Scouts of America, serving as a Scoutmaster for Troop #43 in Berkeley for nearly 50 years. For his service, he was awarded the Silver Beaver Award. He was also active in the NAACP and the Men of Tomorrow, Inc.

​Legacy

​The archival collections he helped start now reside at AAMLO in the historic Charles S. Greene building. His personal papers, known as the Lasartemay Family Papers (MS 95), are a primary resource for researchers studying 20th-century Black civic life in Oakland.


​See also

​African American Museum & Library at Oakland

​Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park

​Jennie Prentiss



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