http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/tf3199n5jn No online items Inventory of the California State Government Oral Histories Processed by May Lee Tom; machine-readable finding aid created by Xiuzhi Zhou California State Archives 1020 "O" Street Sacramento, California 95814 Phone: (916) 653-2246 Fax: (916) 653-7363 Email: [email protected] URL: http://www.sos.ca.gov/archives/ © 1999 California Secretary of State. All rights reserved. Inventory of the California State 1 Government Oral Histories Inventory of the California State Government Oral Histories California State Archives Office of the Secretary of State Sacramento, California Contact Information: California State Archives 1020 "O" Street Sacramento, California 95814 Phone: (916) 653-2246 Fax: (916) 653-7363 Email: [email protected] URL: http://www.sos.ca.gov/archives/ Processed by: May Lee Tom Encoded by: Xiuzhi Zhou © 1999 California Secretary of State. All rights reserved. Descriptive Summary Title: California State Government Oral Histories Creator: State Government Oral History Program (Calif.) Repository: California State Archives Sacramento, California Language: English. Publication Rights For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the California State Archives. Permission for reproduction or publication is given on behalf of the California State Archives as the owner of the physical items. The researcher assumes all responsibility for possible infringement which may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the California State Archives collections. Preferred Citation [Identification of item], California State Government Oral Histories, California State Archives. Administrative History Documentation of California state government with the use of oral history techniques began in 1969 with the Earl Warren Era Oral History Project. It was initiated by the Regional Oral History Office of the Bancroft Library and "centered on key developments in politics and government administration at the state and county level, innovations in criminal justice, public health, and social welfare from 1928-1953." Interviews in the second phase, Goodwin Knight-Edmund G. Brown Era, "continued the earlier inquiries into the nature of the governor's office and its relations with executive departments and the legislature, and explored the rapid social and economic changes in the years 1953-1966, as well as preserving Brown's own account of his extensive political career. Among the issues documented are the rise and fall of the Democratic party, establishment of the California Water Plan; election law changes, reapportionment and new political techniques; education and various social programs. "Work began on the Ronald Reagan Gubernatorial Series in 1979 [covering the period 1966 through 1974]. Interviews in this series deal with the efforts of the administration to increase government efficiency and economy and with organizational innovations designed to expand the management capability of the governor's office, as well as critical aspects of state health, education, welfare, conservation, and criminal justice programs." 1 Initial funding came from the National Endowment for the Humanities with additional support from public and private sources. The three series collectively became the Governmental History Documentation Project. Inventory of the California State 2 Government Oral Histories Eventually the California State Legislature established the State Government Oral History Program (1985 stats. ch. 965) "to provide through the use of oral history a continuing documentation of state policy development as reflected in California's legislative and executive history." Under the administration of the California State Archives, oral history programs at Claremont Graduate School; California State University, Fullerton; California State University, Sacramento; University of California, Berkeley; and the University of California, Los Angeles conduct the interviews. The interviews "offer insights into the actual workings of both the legislative and executive processes and policy mechanisms. They also offer an increased understanding of the men and women who create legislation and implement state policy. Further, they provide an overview of issue development in California state government and of how both the legislative and executive branches of government deal with issues and problems facing the state. "Interviewees are chosen primarily on the basis of their contributions to and influence on the policy process of the state of California. They include members of the legislative and executive branches of the state government as well as legislative staff, advocates, members of the media, and others who played significant roles in specific issue areas of major and continuing importance to California." The program is "one of the most significant commitments made by any state toward the preservation and documentation of its governmental history. It supplements the often fragmentary historical written record by adding an organized primary source, enriching the historical information available on given topics and allowing for more thorough historical analysis." 2 Footnotes: 1: Preface to the Governmental History Documentation Project - Ronald Reagan Gubernatorial Era. 2: Preface to the State Government Oral History Program. Purpose The intent for the guide is to organize the interviews of over 400 individuals conducted through both the Governmental History Documentation Project and the State Government Oral History Program. The guide is divided into two parts: Abstracts and Subject Index. The Abstracts are arranged in alphabetical order by the interviewee's surname. It is followed by an accession number which indicates its location at the California State Archives. Information which may be found in the abstracts include: title of the transcript, title of the volume (if it contains more than one transcript), year(s) the interview occurred, interviewee's affiliation and years in that capacity, and a synopsis of the interview and/or biography. Material in the abstracts were collected from the interview history, introduction, and table of contents of the transcript itself, scope note (520 field) of the RLIN record entry, and the state rosters. Terms in the subject index follow Library of Congress subject headings. Interviews are catalogued and may be accessed through the Research Libraries Information Network (RLIN), OCLC, and GLADYS databases. A complete set of transcripts for research use is available at the Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley; the Dept. of Special Collections at the University of California, Los Angeles; and the California State Archives in Sacramento. State Government Oral History Program interviews are available on microfilm through interlibrary loan from the California State Archives. Our address is 1020 "O" Street, Sacramento, California 95814 and the telephone number is (916) 653-2246. All the transcripts are available for purchase. A price list appears at the end of the volume. Order them through the institution which produced the interview as indicated. Sample Entries *Affiliations on governor's task forces, commissions, and ex-officio positions are not listed. AbortionBeilenson, Anthony; Elkington, Norman Administrative Agencies - ReorganizationBrian, Earl W.; Brown, Edmund G., Sr.; Champion, Hale; Christopher, Warren; Kuchel, Thomas H.; Levit, Bert W.; Luce, Gordon C.; Mott, William Penn, Jr.; Walton, Frank J.; Warne, William E.; Williams, Spencer M. Admission to the barSpence, Homer R. AgricultureCobey, James A.; Cozzens, Robert; Dunlap, John F.; Erwin, Thomas M.; Gunterman, Joseph F.; Lowrey, Lloyd W.; McWilliams, Carey; Mespl, Frank ; Soto, Philip L.; Stearns, James G.; Veysey, Victor V.; Waldie, Jerome R. Air quality managementChristopher, Warren ; Petris, Nicholas C. Alcoholics--RehabilitationGregorio, Arlen F. Animals, Treatment ofSargent, Gladys W. Apportionment (Election law)Allen, Don A.; Below, William C.; Britschgi, Carl A. ; Burns, Hugh M.; Garcia, Miguel F. II; Gregorio, Arlen F.; Hardy, Leroy C.; Huerta, John E.; Martinez, Richard A.; Meade, Kenneth A.; Mespl, Frank; Monagan, Inventory of the California State 3 Government Oral Histories Robert T.; Moss, John E., Jr.; Navarro, Armando; Rattigan, Joseph A.; Rees, Thomas M.; Santillan, Richard A.; Smith, Steven E.; Spence, Homer R.; Stiern, Walter W.; Teale, Stephen P.; Thelin, Howard J.; Veysey, Victor V.; Waters, Laughlin E.; Zelman, Walter A. ArtsGregorio, Arlen F.; Holen, Marvin L.; Rees, Thomas M. Attorney General's OfficeBrown, Edmund G., Sr.; Kenny, Robert W.; Kragen, Adrian; Lynch, Thomas C.; Mosk, Stanley; O'Brien, Charles A.; Warren, Earl; Wenig, Herbert E.; Younger, Evelle J. Brown, Edmund G. - BiographyElkington, Norman Brown, Edmund G. - FamilyBrown, Bernice Layne; Brown, Francis M.; Brown, Harold C.; Carlson, Constance Brown Cabinet officers/Cabinet system Adams, Winfred; Hall, James M.; Luce, Gordon; Smith, William French; Stearns, James G.; Thomas, Edwin W., Jr. California Industrial Accident CommissionBeard, John William Campaign funds Bagley, William T. ; Gregorio, Arlen F. ; Hotchkis, Preston, Sr.; Lowenstein, Daniel H.; Mull, Archibald M., Jr.; Nannini, Rico J.; Rees, Thomas M.; Song, Alfred H.; Vicencia, Frank D.; Zelman, Walter A. Capital punishmentAlarcon, Arthur L.; Gunterman, Joseph F.; Meade, Kenneth A.; Poole, Cecil F.; Rattigan, Joseph A. Capitol restorationPetris, Nicholas C.; Papan, Louis J. Child welfare/Family policyGregorio,