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Oral History Center
The Bancroft Library
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720-6000
OHC Social Media
Using the Library during COVID-19
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California State Politics
The Oral History Center (then the Regional Oral History Office) was one of five oral history programs that worked with the California State Archives to document state policy development as reflected in the legislative and executive branches of the state government and as reflected by others who played significant roles in the policy process of the State of California. The institutions participating in the program were the Oral History Center, the Office of Oral History at UCLA, the Claremont Graduate School, California State Uniersity Sacramento, and California State University Fullerton. Only the interviews conducted by OHC staff are listed below.
Interviews
- Anthony J. Kline: Legal Affairs Secretary, 1975-1980;San Francisco Superior Court, 1980-1982;California Court of Appeal, 1982-1992
- Barry Keene: Oral History Interview with Barry Keene: California State Assemblyman, 1972-1978;California State Senator, 1978-1992
- Brieuc Bouche: Oral History Interview with Brieuc Bouche, Master Wood Carver, High School Teacher at Manzanar Relocation Center, 1942-1943
- Bruce Bronzan: CA State Archives: Oral history interview with Bruce Bronzan
- Bruce Samuel: Oral History Interview with Bruce Samuel: State Government Employee, 1960-1984
- Clement S. Whitaker Jr.: Oral History Interview with Clement S. Whitaker Jr., Political Campaign and Public Relations Specialist, 1944 - 1991
- David E. Pesonen: Oral History Interview with David E. Pesonen: Chair, Californians for Nuclear Safeguards, 1974-1976;Member, State Board of Forestry, 1977-1979;Director, Department of Forestry, 1979-1983;Contra Costa County Superior Court Judge, 1983-1985
- David Kennedy: Department of Water Resources Director, 1983-1998
- David R. Doerr: Oral History Interview with David R. Doerr, Chief Consultant, California Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee, 1962-1987
- David Schuster: Oral History Interview with David R. Schuster. Water Management and Policy Consultant, 1989-present;General Manager (California) State Water Contractors, 1982-1989;United States Bureau of Reclamation, 1965-1982
- Doug Wheeler: CA State Archives: Oral history interview with Doug Wheeler: California Secretary for Resources 1991-1999
- Edward Verne Roberts: Oral History Interview with Edward Verne Roberts, Director, California Department of Rehabilitation, 1975-1983;Activist for Severely Disabled Students, UC Berkeley, 1962-1967
- Frank C. Newman: Oral History Interview with Frank C. Newman, Professor of Law, University of California, Berkeley, 1946-present;Justice, California Supreme Court, 1977-1983
- Frederick Farr: California State Senator, 1955-1967
- Jerry Brown: A Life in California Politics
- John W. Jervis: Assistant Deputy State Controller, 1978-1985, Director, State Senate Democratic Caucus, 1977-1978, Assistant to the Senate Majority Leader, 1972-1975
- Joseph Alioto: Changing the Face of San Francisco: Mayor 1968-1976 and Antitrust Trial Lawyer
- Justice Cruz Reynoso: California Supreme Court Justice, Professor of Law, Vice-Chair United States Commission on Human Rights, and 2000 Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient
- Leo T. McCarthy: Oral History Interview with Leo T. McCarthy: California Assemblyman 1968-1982, Lieutenant Governor, 1983-1995
- Louis H. Heilbron: Oral History Interview with Louis H. Heilbron: Department of Social Welfare, 1932;Department of Relief Administration, 1933-1940;Board of Economic Welfare, 1942-1943;California State Board of Education, 1959-1961;California Coordinating Council for Higher Education, 1961-1969;California State Colleges, 1960-1969
- Madale Watson: Democratic State Central Committee
- Michael L. Fischer: Oral History Interview with Michael L. Fischer, Executive Director, California Coastal Commission, 1978-1985, Deputy Director, Governor's Office of Planning and Research, 1976-1978, Executive Director, North Central Region, Coastal Zone Conservation Commission, 1973-1976
- Milton Marks: California State Senator, 1967-1996 California State Assemblyman, 1958-1966, Vol1
- Milton Marks: California State Senator, 1967-1996 California State Assemblyman, 1958-1966, Vol2
- Nicholas C. Petris: Oral history interview with Nicholas C. Petris, California State Senator, 1967- , California State Assemblyman, 1959-1966
- Patrick Johnston: State Legislator, 1981-2000
- Rita Singer: Oral History Interview with Rita Singer, Attorney, U.S. Department of Interior, 1944-1976;California Department of Water Resources, 1977 to present
- Roberts Williams: Deputy Legislative Secretary, 1963-1988
- Roy Greenaway: Oral History Interview with Roy Greenaway: California Political Activist 1952-1968
- Thomas H. Willoughby: Oral History Interview with Thomas H. Willoughby, Legislative Staff Member, 1961-1983
- Tom Bates: State Assemblyman, 1977-1996
Project Resources
Additional oral history interview projects with substantive content on California political history include:
Goodwin Knight and Edmund G. Brown Gubernatorial Eras in California
Politics, Law, and Policy - Individual Interviews
