Finding Aid to the St. Francis Square Cooperative, Inc. collection, 1957-2015, SFH 62

Series 1 Founding Documents, 1957-1979

Physical Description: 10 folders

Scope and Contents

In this series will be found the original proposal to the ILWU-PMA Trustees and to the Redevelopment Agency, minutes of Agency's meeting when the proposal was presented, and documents of its acceptance. A 1964 report summarizing the work of the St. Francis Square sales office by Ruth Maguire, sales director, is a compilation of demographic statistics with sociological data, the sum of which fulfilled the sponsor's objective "to build an interracial community for families of moderate income." The original Articles of Incorporation from 1963 were given to each shareholder and contain the regulations under which St. Francis Square operated during its first 40 years. Several amendments were made; some, but not all have been included. Here also is the ILWU-PMA Longshore Redevelopment Corporation document for "Relocation in Redevelopment Area A-2," 1964 and the Agency's response to it. Also included is the opposition to Redevelopment's plans for A-2 by Warehouse Union Local 6, ILWU and others.

Box 1, Folder 1

J. Paul St. Sure Oral History 1957

General Note

For information relating to St. Francis Square Cooperative Inc., see pages 639-642. These pages are an excerpt from the oral history about Louis Goldblatt, who was the second president of the International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union(ILWU)'s Longshoremen Redevelopment Corporation.

Box 1, Folder 1

Louis Goldblatt Oral History 1979

General Note

For information relating to St. Francis Square Cooperative Inc., see pages 790-801.

Box 1, Folder 2

ILWU Proposals for Western Addition Affordable Housing: to ILWU-PMA Trustees, Western Addition Redevelopment Project, including minutes, ownership documents, 1960-1967

Box 1, Folder 3

Construction Phase, Land Price Negotiations, Financial Accounting of Project, 1961-1963

Box 1, Folder 4

Naming the Sidewalks within SFSQ, 1963 and 1967

Box 1, Folder 5

Report Summarizing Sales of All Apartments/Shares by Ruth Maguire, 1963

Box 1, Folder 6

Louis Goldblatt's Speech when SFSQ Became an Independent, Incorporated Cooperative, 1964

Box 1, Folder 7

Western Addition Redevelopment Relocation Reports A-1 & A-2, 1964

Western Addition Redevelopment A-2

Box 1, Folder 8

Western Addition Redevelopment A-2 ILWU Proposal for Relocation, 1964

Box 1, Folder 9

Western Addition Redevelopment A-2 Opposition to Redevelopment Agency's Relcoation Play by ILWU Local 6, SFSQ, NAACP, 1964

Box 1, Folder 10

Newspaper Articles on Redevelopment, 1960-1964

Series 2 Administration and Finance, 1963-2013

Physical Description: 45 folders

Scope and Contents

Articles of incorporation, bylaws, board of directors minutes of open board meetings, financial records and regulatory documents. Includes a loose-leaf handbook compiled in 1989 and updated as needed, which gathers together the cooperative's history, a list of policies voted by various boards of directors, and updates of governing documents. This handbook was used until 2004, when St. Francis Square Cooperative Inc. repaid its mortgage to the HUD and became a market-rate cooperative. During arrangement of this collection, the board minutes were removed from The Friday Flyer, a weekly publication from the administrative office of St. Francis Square Cooperative Inc., and placed in this series. Financial records includes a run of annual reports and budgets. Other documents describe specific issues, such as excess income charges, allocation of carrying charges, and a reserve study.

Box 1, Folder 11

Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws of St. Francis Square Apartments, Inc., 1963

Box 1, Folders 12-13

Bylaw Amendments, 1987-2007

Box 1, Folder 14

St. Francis Square Cooperative Inc. Handbook, 1993

Box 1, Folder 15

Preparation for St. Francis Square Handbook, 1989-1993

Box 1, Folders 16-29

Board of Directors Minutes of Open Board Meetings, 1964-1991

Box 5, Folders 1-10

Board of Directors Minutes of Open Board Meetings, 1992-2012

Box 5, Folder 11

List of Board Members, 1964-2013

Box 5, Folders 12-13

Recall of Board of Directors, 1965 and 1973

Box 5, Folder 14

Special Membership Meetings, 1964 and 1998

Box 5, Folder 15

Policies, 1996-1990

Box 5, Folder 16

Rules and Regulations, 1966 and 1969 and 2007

Box 2, Folders 1-3

Annual Reports, 1968-2006 and 2008

Box 2, Folder 4

Annual Budgets 1979-1995 and 1999-2001

Box 2, Folder 5

Amortization Schedule of HUD-Insured Mortgage, 1964

Box 2, Folder 6

Finance: Tax Assessment Plan, 1965

Box 2, Folder 7

Excess Income Plan, 1963 and 1986

Box 2, Folder 8

Allocation of Carrying Charges-Square Footage vs Par Value, 1980 and 2007

Box 2, Folder 9

Replacement Reserve Study, 2004

Box 2, Folder 10

Forecasted Statement of Revenues, 2007

Box 2, Folder 11

Management/Administration, 1963 and 1964 and 1979-1990 and 2003

Box 2, Folder 12

Management: Building and Grounds Maintenance and Repair 1979-1997

Box 4, Folder 35

California Association of Housing Cooperatives, 2001-2004

Series 3 Committees, 1964-2014

Physical Description: 24 folders

Scope and Contents

This series is arranged in two subseries: Ongoing Committees, which conduct activities on a continuing basis each year; and Historic Committees, which functioned until their assignments were completed. Some committees did not create written reports and therefore have limited representation here. One example is the security committee, which conducted regular walking patrols for many years, but their work was only recorded by verbal reports at board of directors meetings.

Since the finance committee's work included ongoing reports to shareholders, it is well-documented in this collection; however, only a few of their records are included in this series--most of the finance committee's work, including preparation of the annual budget, is documented in Series 2: Administration and Finance. Preparation for paying-off the HUD-insured mortgage in 2004 began in 1998 when the "2004 Committee" was appointed. This committee's assignment was to gather information on condo conversion, market-rate cooperatives and limited-equity cooperatives and report this information to shareholders.

Other items of particular interest are the information guides put out by the publicity committee for prospective cooperative members, as well as the crime notices and neighborhood WATCH member lists put out by the security committee.

To get a fuller scope of the shareholders' participation in co-op activities, reports can be found in the board of directors minutes, the newsletters Circling the Square and Friday Flyer .

Subseries 3.1 Ongoing Committees, 1964-2013

Box 2, Folder 13

Committees and Members, Committee Procedures, 1986 and 2001

Activities Committee

Box 2, Folder 14

1968-1994 and undated

Box 2, Folder 15

10th & 15th Anniversaries, 1973 and 1978

Box 2, Folder 16

20th Anniversary, 1983

Box 2, Folder 17

25th, 30th, 40th Anniversaries, 1988 and 1993 and 2004

Box 2, Folder 18

Dramatic Scripts, Song, 1988 and undated

Box 2, Folder 19

Picnics, 1965-1996

Building and Grounds

Box 2, Folder 20

1965-2005 and 2010

Box 2, Folder 21

Yardbirds, 1965-1984

Box 2, Folder 22

Turner Square Task Force, 2001-2011

Box 2, Folder 23

Conservation Committee, 1979-1984

Box 2, Folder 24

Election Committee, 1964-2000

Box 2, Folder 25

Finance Committee, 1970-1992

See also:

Annual Reports in Box 2, Folder 1.

Box 2, Folder 26

Publicity Committee, 1973-2007

See also:

Circling the Square

Box 2, Folder 27

Security Committee, 1978-1996 and undated

Box 2, Folder 28

Welcoming Committee, 1984-2013

Subseries 3.2 Historic Committees, 1968-2014

Box 2, Folder 29

Cooperators Council, 1968-1969

Box 2, Folder 30

Housing Committee: Loren Miller Homes Management, 1970

Box 2, Folder 31

Housing Committee: Sponsor Regal Pale Site Co-op, 1971

Box 2, Folders 32-34

Share-Loan Program, 1974 and 1987 and 1990-1993

Box 2, Folders 35-36

Solar Committee, 1981-2005

Box 2, Folder 37

Turner Square Trees, 1993-1994

Box 2, Folder 38

Turner Square Trees--Arborists Reports, 1993-1994

Box 2, Folder 39

Western Addition Tenants of Cooperative Housing (WATCH), 1978

Box 5, Folder 17

Ad hoc: Carol Cuénod, Donation of Square Records, 2009

Box 5, Folders 18-19

50th Anniversary Exhibition (San Francisco Public Library), 2012-2014

Series 4 Transition to Market-Rate Cooperative, 1966-2005

Physical Description: 10 folders

Scope and Contents

The board of directors directed St. Francis Square's conversion to a market-rate cooperative in 2004. With the final payment of the SFSQ mortgage, HUD regulation ended and new governing documents had to be written, approved, and enacted by shareholders. Materials include board reports, committee records from the 2004 Committee and other committees that were created as part of the transition, and records relating to the revision of the St. Francis Square Cooperative's occupancy agreement.

2004 Committee

Box 3, Folder 1

Minutes and Board Reports, 1995-2002

Box 3, Folder 2

Manual, "Planning the Future of St. Francis Square," 2000

Box 3, Folder 3

Karen Tiedemann, Attorney 2001-2002

Box 3, Folder 4

Reference Material, 1990-1999

Box 3, Folder 5

Balloting Committee for "Vote for Preference," 2002

Box 3, Folder 6

Various Committees, 1966-1987

Includes:

Building Representative Council (1980 - 1981), Educational (1967-1968), Excess/Low-Fixed Income Committee (1987), Laundry Committee (1988), Legislative Committee (1966), Manager’s Screening Committee (1970), Operations Committee (1985)

Box 3, Folder 7

Transition to Market-Rate Cooperative, 2003-2005

Box 3, Folder 8

Revision of Occupancy Agreement, 2003

Box 3, Folder 9

Research Materials, Draft for Planning for the Marketplace, 2003 and undated

Box 3, Folder 10

Planning for the Marketplace, 2004

Series 5 Members, 1966-2010

Physical Description: 4 folders

Scope and Contents

This series includes materials that document how members reached out to other members on several political activities, such as support to the farm workers and opposition to the Vietnam War. This series also holds material by or about individual members. Also included here is Carol Cuénod's presentation to the Bay Area Labor History Workshop titled "SFSQ, ILWU & Affordable Housing in Western Addition Redevelopment A-2." One folder holds obituary notices.

Box 3, Folder 11

Political Activities Outside St. Francis Square, 1966-1970

Box 3, Folder 12

Material from or about Individual Members, 1980-1986

Box 3, Folder 13

Carol Cuénod: Presentation to Bay Area Labor History Workshop "SFSQ, ILWU and Affordable Housing in Western Addition Redevelopment," 2010

Box 3, Folder 14

Obituaries, 1979-2008

Series 6 Communications, News Articles and Publications, 1960-2015

Physical Description: 71 folders

Scope and Contents

Circling the Square is edited by the publicity committee and funded by order of the board of directors. It first began in 1966 as a monthly mimeographed sheet and has continued with various formats and frequency of publication. Currently it is published approximately four times a year. This collection holds a nearly-complete run and documents a great deal of the Square's history. Almost every activity since 1966 has been reported.

The publicity committee also published booklets for the twentieth, twenty-fifth, thirtieth, and fortieth anniversaries. Included are photographs and artwork used in the twentieth anniversary booklet and in newsletters published from 1983 to February of 1996.

The Friday Flyer is printed and distributed weekly. It is from the administrative office and gives notice of current information from the manager, a calendar of events for committee and board meetings, and information from the board (including its minutes, which have been removed and placed in Series 2).

There are nine original issues (including duplicates) and one photocopied issue of the St. Francis Flyer, which was published independently by a group of cooperators (residents) in 1964 and 1965. There is limited coverage of events when the board of directors was recalled. Also included are several newspaper articles from various outside publications, such as The ILWU Dispatcher.

Special Handling

Gloves must be worn when handling photographs. Photos cannot be photocopied.

Box 3, Folder 15

Occasional Material from Boards of Directors, Managers & Members, 1960s-1980s

Box 3, Folder 16

Newspaper Clippings from The ILWU Dispatcher, 1960-1985

Box 3, Folder 17

Newspaper Clippings, Various Publications, 1963-1964 and 1993

Box 3, Folder 42

Newspaper Clippings, 1961-1963

Box 3, Folder 18

St. Francis Square Home News (published by Sales Office), 1963-1964

Box 3, Folder 19

The St. Francis Flyer, 1964-1965

Box 3, Folders 20-37

Circling the Square (official publication of SFSQ), 1966-2015

Box 5, Folder 20

Photographs, undated

Box 5, Folder 21

Circling the Square Master File, List of Photos, 1983-February 1996

Box 5, Folders 22-29

Circling the Square Master File, Photos and Artwork, 1981-1999

Box 5, Folder 30

Anniversary Booklets, 1983-2005

Box 3, Folder 38

Weekly Flyer (on Circling the Square letterhead), 1977-1979

Box 3, Folder 39

Weekly Flyer (no letterhead), 1980

Box 3, Folders 40-41

Weekly Flyer, 1981-1982

Box 4, Folders 1-31

Friday Flyer , 1983-2015

Series 7 Awards and Studies, 1961-1993

Physical Description: 3 folders

Scope and Contents

Correspondence and news articles reporting awards and statements of praise. The booklet, Sustaining Urban Excellence: Learning from the Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence, 1987-1993, pages 119-123, reports a study over a 23-year period. Clare Cooper's article, "St. Francis Square: Attitudes of Its Residents," AIA Journal, December 1971, focuses on how the physical design affected the interaction of the residents. The article also contains a response from Robert Marquis, the architect. A draft of Cooper's entire paper (78-plus pages) is at the ILWU Anne Rand Research Library.

Box 4, Folder 32

Rudy Breuner Award for Urban Excellence, 1987-1993

Box 4, Folder 33

Article: "St. Francis Square: Attitudes of its Residents," 1971

Article Citation:

Cooper, Clare. "St. Francis Square: Attitudes of its Residents," AIA Journal, December 1971

Box 4, Folder 34

Design Analysis of St. Francis Square Co-op and Geneva Towers, 1968