HARVEY MILK ARCHIVES—SCOTT SMITH COLLECTION 1919-1995 (bulk 1973-1985) Collection number: GLC 35 The James C. Hormel Gay and Lesbian Center San Francisco Public Library 2003 Harvey Milk Archives—Scott Smith Collection GLC 35 p. 2 Gay and Lesbian Center, San Francisco Public Library TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction p. 3-4 Biography p. 4 Scope and Content p. 5 Series Descriptiosn p. 6-8 Container Listing p. 9-29 Series 1: Harvey Milk Personal Papers, 1919-1978 p. 10-11 Series 2: Harvey Milk Political Papers, 1973-1978 p. 12-20 Series 2a: Campaign Files, 1973-1978 p. 12 Series 2b: Supervisor Correspondence, 1977-1978 p. 12 Series 2c: Supervisor Issue Files, 1977-1978 p. 13-20 Series 2d: Speeches and Writings, 1973-1978 p. 20 Series 3: Scott Smith Papers, 1978-1995 p. 21 Series 4: Harvey Milk Archives, 1978-1985 p. 21-22 Series 5: Photographs, Slides and Negatives, 1930-1995 p. 23-26 Series 6: Clippings and Ephemera, 1969-1981 p. 28-29 Harvey Milk Archives—Scott Smith Collection GLC 35 p. 3 Gay and Lesbian Center, San Francisco Public Library INTRODUCTION Provenance The Harvey Milk Archives—Scott Smith Collection was donated to The San Francisco Public Library by Elva Smith in 1996. Access The collection is open for research and available in the San Francisco History Center on the 6th Floor of the Main Library. The hours are: Tues.-Thurs. 10a.m.-6 p.m., Fri. 12 noon-6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sun. 12 noon-5 p.m. Series 5: Photographs, slides and negatives are available during the San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection’s open desk hours: Tues. 1-5 pm., Thurs. 1-5 pm., Sat. 10 am.-12 noon, 1-5 pm. Collection Number GLC 35 Size 24.5 cubic feet Publication Rights All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts should be addressed to City Archivist, San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library, 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102. Processed by Timothy T. Wilson, August 2003; finding aid updated June 2005 Preferred Citation [Identification of item], Harvey Milk Archives—Scott Smith Collection (GLC 35), The James C. Hormel Gay and Lesbian Center, San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco, CA. Related Collection(s) Harvey Milk-Susan Davis Alch Correspondence (GLC 19) Harvey Milk-Joseph Campbell Correspondence (GLC 20) Harvey Milk Archives—Scott Smith Collection GLC 35 p. 4 Gay and Lesbian Center, San Francisco Public Library Randy Shilts Papers (GLC 43). Mayor of Castro Street series. Double Play collection (San Francisco History Center, SFPL) Dan Nicoletta Photographs Collections (GLC 40) Conservation Note During processing, the entire collection was refoldered and re-housed in acid-free folders and boxes. All metal fasteners were removed and replaced with plastic clips where necessary. BIOGRAPHY Harvey Bernard Milk was born on May 22,1930, in Woodmere, New York. His parents were Minerva Karns and William Milk. His older brother was Robert Milk. Harvey graduated from the New York State Teachers College at Albany in 1951. He was in the U.S. Navy until 1955. He then worked briefly in New York on Wall Street and eventually became involved with the Tom O’Horgan shows Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar. He moved out to San Francisco in the early 1970s. Harvey’s political aspirations began with his unsuccessful campaigns for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1973 and 1975. Mayor George Moscone appointed Milk to the city’s Board of Permit Appeals in 1976 though he had to resign from that position in the same year when he announced his candidacy for the California State Assembly. He lost the Assembly race as well. He was elected to the Board of Supervisors in November 1977. On January 9, 1978, Milk was sworn into office. While in office, he cosponsored a gay rights ordinance, and was interested in the creation of a gay community center. His Supervisor issue files cover a wide variety of topics from the Briggs Initiative (Proposition 6) and divestment from South Africa to San Francisco parking facilities and the much-publicized Dog Litter law. Milk’s life was cut short when Dan White assassinated him on November 27, 1978. There are several biographical works about Milk. Most notable is The Mayor of Castro Street by Randy Shilts. The documentary The Times of Harvey Milk by Robert Epstein and Richard Schmeichen is also an excellent resource. Double Play by Mike Weiss recounts the killings of Milk and Moscone and includes transcripts of police documents. All of these books and videotapes are available in the San Francisco Public Library. The archival research for Double Play is also available at the San Francisco History Center of the San Francisco Public Library. Harvey Milk Archives—Scott Smith Collection GLC 35 p. 5 Gay and Lesbian Center, San Francisco Public Library SCOPE AND CONTENT The collection is a mixture of the personal papers of Harvey Milk and Scott Smith, the political papers of Harvey Milk, and the collection of the Harvey Milk Archives and Harvey Milk Estate. As Smith was the head of the Milk Archives and also Milk’s executor, the latter materials have been organized into one series. The political papers and photographs series are the best documented portions of the collection. The political papers include drafts of speeches and writings, as well as the flyers and other ephemera which a campaign produces. There is unfortunately not much on Milk’s early life though there are a few documents on his mother. With the exception of the photographs, the bulk of the collection documents Milk’s life on the West Coast. ARRANGEMENT NOTE The material is been arranged into six series: Harvey Milk’s personal papers, Harvey Milk’s political papers, Scott Smith’s personal papers, materials relating to the Harvey Milk Archives and his estate, photographic materials, and clippings and ephemera. Most series are arranged alphabetically by folder title, and materials are filed chronologically within each folder; the photographic series is organized by slide program when possible, and by folder title in all other cases. Harvey Milk Archives—Scott Smith Collection GLC 35 p. 6 Gay and Lesbian Center, San Francisco Public Library SERIES DESCRIPTIONS SERIES 1: HARVEY MILK PERSONAL PAPERS, 1919-1978. 3 cubic feet Arranged by format and then alphabetically by folder title. This series contains personal correspondence including letters to Scott Smith and Milk’s family members. There are photocopies of several documents such as Milk’s birth certificate, his naval discharge and his mother's military discharge. There is also a sampling of financial information on Castro Camera. Condolence letters to Milk after his lover Jack Lira’s suicide, and to the Milk family and friends after Milk’s assassination appear in this series. Of particular note is the similarity of the Lira condolence letters sent to Milk by members of the People’s Temple. SERIES 2: HARVEY MILK POLITICAL PAPERS, 1973-1978. 7 cubic feet a. Campaign Papers, 1973-1978 (2 cubic feet) organized chronologically, this series contains flyers, newspaper clippings and financial papers relating to Milk’s three campaigns for San Francisco supervisor, and his campaign for an Assembly seat. The only successful campaign was for Supervisor in 1977. These materials are filed chronologically. Copies of legal papers filed against other candidates regarding ballot irregularities are included in this series. b. Supervisor Correspondence, 1977-1978 (1.5 cubic feet) organized chronologically, this series contains constituent correspondence referring to issues before the Board. There are two groups of letters relating to his sexuality, either in support or not of his lifestyle. The majority of this series is organized chronologically, though there are a few files that were collected by topic or issue. c. Supervisor Issues Files, 1977-1978 (3.5 cubic feet) organized alphabetically, this series contains correspondence, newspaper clippings, and draft legislation relating to issues brought before the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Of special interest are the Briggs Initiative/Proposition 6, Gay Rights Ordinance, and Gay Community Center files. d. Speeches and Writings, 1973-1978 (.25 cubic feet) organized alphabetically, this series contains draft speeches and writings relating to issues Milk considered important. The “Hope” and the “Neighborhoods” speeches are among those in draft form. Drafts and copies of Milk’s column for the Bay Area Reporter and the Sentinel are also included in the writings. Harvey Milk Archives—Scott Smith Collection GLC 35 p. 7 Gay and Lesbian Center, San Francisco Public Library SERIES 3: SCOTT SMITH PAPERS, 1978-1995 1 cubic foot Arranged by sub-series and then within that alphabetically by title. This series contains personal correspondence, financial papers including Smith’s business files for Thomas Cook travel agency, and legal materials regarding Smith’s arrest for drug possession. In addition there are copies of legal documents for several suits filed by Smith: one to recover Milk’s personal effects, one to receive the death benefit due to a surviving partner, and one against Dan White. Other Smith materials can be found in Milk’s correspondence, Castro Camera, and in the Milk Archives series. This series also contains copies of a petition to keep Dan White imprisoned when his parole hearing came up. SERIES 4: HARVEY MILK ARCHIVES, 1978-1985. 3 cubic feet Arranged by alphabetically by folder title. This series contains files relating to the Harvey Milk Archives, a non-profit organization headed by Scott Smith that cared for and exhibited items from Milk’s estate. Smith’s position as executor for the estate and curator for the Archives meant that often this material was intermingled.