The Council in 1952, as you can see, was comprised primarily of older citizens who were not eligible to fight in the war.
The returning veterans with wives and children were the principal buyers in the more affordable housing of the day and probably were the next group of council members voted in and possibly related to the members in the photos. Nepotism was rampant in those days in the rural areas of San Francisco, which also sent a lot of their officials to Sacramento to make decisions for the state.
58 years years is a rather young age for a community among the others of San Mateo County which all grew quickly because of their proximity to Stanford, which had a prestigious name even then.
The photo does show that there was a certain "youthfulness" missing when Atherton began its growth. The same can be said for the other places now which never had a "gilded age" until the computer industry came into being. They also had returning servicemen and women who lived modestly and attracted people who became new to the Coast from all over the country.So, one can say, the majority of the people today, are really from a 60 year old heritage and making decisions as if they were natives from California's past.
The ugly side of the picture would make for a great story where there was an abundance of racism, and crime and evictions of the minorities.
In essence, the same thing is going on, but is lessening because of the financial condition of America and the dwindling middle class.