James William Gerrard was born on April 2, 1910 in Santa Ana in Orange County. He was the son of Albert C. Gerrard, formerly of Canada, and Emma L. (Bond) Gerrard of Indiana. James graduated from high school in Pomona after the family moved there in 1920 and he later studied for and obtained a real estate broker’s license, which required “college education equivalence” in experience and training.
He married Pauline M. Thomas of Los Angeles on October 24, 1934 in Los Angeles. They had one daughter, Linda Annette, later Mrs. Linda Walkup. James and Pauline had two grandchildren.
James Gerrard’s father was the founder and first president of the Alpha Beta Food Market chain. It was only natural that his sons should follow in his footsteps. James Gerrard became the owner of Gerrard’s Market in San Bernardino in 1940, following his farther’s death, and his brother, Paul Gerrard, became the owner of Gerrard’s Market in Redlands. In 1945, James Gerrard helped to establish Radio Station KRNO, later KBON, in San Bernardino and was elected its president.
In November 1952, James Gerrard was elected to the board of supervisors to represent the Fifth District. He held this post for four years, being succeeded by Nancy Smith. During his term of office as a San Bernardino County supervisor, the county’s flood control district under took the extensive North San Bernardino Flood Control Project, which required a municipal bond issue amounting to $3,425,000. Other significant construction included considerable work in the Twin Creek Spreading Grounds, costing $108,000; Twin Creek Channel work amounting to $132.000; Small Canyon Dam construction of $123,000; and Mojave River work of $153,000. There were also three three major Army Corps of Engineers projects constructed or begun during this period. – the $7.3 million San Antonio Dam was completed as was the $250,000 Lytle-Cajon Island Levee and the $2 million Devil Creek Diversion Channel was started. It was in 1952 and 1953 that the 1,500-foot long $455,000 Cucamonga Creek box culvert was built at Ontario Airport by the Air National Guard.
As a county supervisor, Gerrard sponsored the county’s $9 million new-building program and moved for a “T-wing” annex to the courthouse. He sponsored the Board of Trade, the Industrial Commission and other significant projects. He was a member of the Native Sons of the Golden West and the Assembly of God Church and was the president of the Full Gospel Christian Men’s Fellowhip, Interntional. He had just been relected to a a second term in that office when he died suddenly on Febraury 12, 1977 at the age of 66.