Maxwell Lewis Rafferty Jr. was an American writer, educator, and politician. The author of several best-selling books about education, Rafferty served two terms as California State Superintendent of Public Instruction from 1963 to 1971 under Governors Pat Brown and later eventual future US President Ronald Reagan and ran unsuccessfully in 1968 for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee, losing to Democratic former State Controller Alan Cranston. As of 2024, Rafferty is the very last Republican to officially serve as California State Superintendent of Public Instruction to date.

Alan MacGregor Cranston was an American politician and journalist who served as a United States Senator from California from 1969 to 1993, and as President of the World Federalist Association from 1949 to 1952.