Arthur Jackson

The modern day Patron Saint of San Francisco died yesterday morning: Arthur Jackson.

I knew him as the hands-on owner of Jackon Personnel, a temp agency in the city specializing in non-profit jobs. I walked into his office one day last March and had a month long non-profit temp job the very next day. This is also the man who, when that ended, placed me here at the donor network. The man who found me some permanence in a city known for its high cost and instability. He handled everything in that agency; I have no idea what will happen to it now.

In my short time getting to know him, I learned that he was a kidney recipient, the former Public Health Commissioner in San Francisco, and more recently appointed to the Commission on Homelessness -- he even brought me to one of the meetings as a public member, so I could learn more about the city perspective on homelessness. His agency was the donor network's source for administrative assistants; in fact, we only went to him. I sent five of my friends to him for jobs, with my full recommendation for his abilities.

Because he was such a public figure, so involved and so vocal, I figure the best way to eulogize him would be to do a search for him on the San Francisco Chronicle's site. Here's some of what I found, which paints a picture of the man he was:

"Arthur Jackson, a dynamo in local government and business, got a phone call Tuesday afternoon: ``Mr. Jackson, have we got a kidney for you!'' Jackson has been on dialysis for six years, waiting, a dynamo cut to half power by a funky organ. Yesterday, he got his kidney. Arthur runs Jackson Personnel Agency and has been commissioner of the Public Health Dept. and the Commission on Aging. This is your man if you're looking for someone who gives his heart to the city. So Arthur getting a kidney seems like a fair trade." 1/13/00, Scott Osler

"Among the impressive new candidates [...and...] likely to provide clear, fresh thinking at City Hall are Casey, a business consultant, and Jackson, an employment agency owner. They both display the energy and inclination to demand government accountability. For a board with fortitude and balance, we recommend Kaufman, Katz, Yaki, Marquez, Casey and Jackson." Editorial, 10/25/96, re: Board of Supervisors election

"For Arthur Jackson of San Francisco, ``helping out'' was something he observed growing up in his Chicago neighborhood. ``Maybe there wasn't anybody to borrow money from, but if someone got sick, everyone cooked something and brought it over,'' said Jackson, who has volunteered most of his adult life, helping seniors and youths and working on public health issues." 9/13/99, Thomas Ruppaner

"[Mayor Willie] Brown spoke about Arthur Jackson, a member of the city's Commission on Aging who finally received a kidney transplant after waiting four years for a new organ. ``He had spent full time over the past four years wondering if his life would be snuffed out,'' said Brown. ``Finally, just about four months ago, Arthur got the kidney. I had the great pleasure this past week to swear Arthur in for another term on the commission. He looks totally and dramatically different.''" 4/17/00, Jonathan Curiel

"If you need a job done right, you give it to Arthur Jackson, businessman and community activist, and imagine what Arthur could do if he didn't spend half his waking hours hooked up to a dialysis machine. Tomorrow afternoon, Arthur will be sworn in by Willie Brown to serve on the city's Commission on Aging. It's one item on Jackson's list titled ``Things to do while waiting for a new kidney.''" 1/20/99, Scott Osler

"Arthur Jackson, who serves on the Commission on Aging, wanted more money for senior services. He said at least $2 million is needed - for meal programs, legal advocacy, housing support and transit, among other services. He and other senior activists said waiting lists for food programs include many elderly. "We must have a zero tolerance for hungry seniors," Jackson said." 6/20/99, Rachel Gordon

"Arthur Jackson, local business and political figure, is a compassionate champion of the underdog. It's his life. But recently Arthur has been haunted by the memory of a kid from his high school. ``Ronnie Gebron,'' Jackson says. ``He was fat, had red hair and freckles and wore glasses. That's the grand slam of nerdiness, isn't it? We were never kind to him in four years. He must have been angry.'' Arthur was a high school jock, a soccer star. The scariest thing he and his pals could imagine was to be seen being nice to a Ronnie Gebron. And sweet Jesus, what if Ronnie somehow showed up at a party? ``Why was I like that?'' Jackson says. ``I wasn't brought up that way. And it was a Quaker school. But they never once told us, `You've got to be nice.' We have to teach that.''" 5/19/99, Scott Osler