Vernon DeMars Collection, 1933 – 2001, 2005-13

Finding aid prepared by Emily Vigor, Lauren MacDonald, Laura Ward, Ceara O’Leary, Mel Lo, Chelsea Johnson, Waverly Lowell

University of California, Berkeley. College of Environmental Design. Environmental Design Archives

January 2017

230 Wurster Hall #1820

Berkeley, CA 94720-1820

designarchives@berkeley.edu

URL: http://archives.ced.berkeley.edu/

Language of Material: English

Contributing Institution: University of California, Berkeley. College of Environmental Design. Environmental Design Archives

Title: Vernon DeMars Collection

creator: DeMars, Vernon, 1908-2005

Identifier/Call Number: 2005-13

Physical Description: 62 Cubic Feet 15 cartons, 16 manuscript boxes, 6 flat boxes, 1 shoebox, 33 tubes, 77 flat files, 10 models

Date (inclusive): 1933-2001

Abstract: The collection spans the years 1933 to 2001, and includes DeMars' personal papers, records from his private practice and professional career, and materials generated by the firms DeMars & Reay, DeMars & Wells, and DeMars & Maletic.

Access Statement

Collection is open for research. Many of the Environmental Design Archives collections are stored offsite and advance notice is required for use.

Publication Rights

All requests for permission to publish, reproduce, or quote from materials in the collection should be discussed with the Curator.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of Item], Vernon DeMars Collection (2005-13) Environmental Design Archives, University of California, Berkeley.

Biographical Note

Vernon Armand DeMars was born in San Francisco, California, in 1908. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1931. After jobs with the National Park Service and travel in the U.S. and Europe, DeMars worked in the offices of Clarence Mayhew (1935-36) and John Reid Jr (1935) and then went to work for the Federal Resettlement Administration for two years (1936-37). He spent a year in charge of planning and design of a small housing development company which was unsuccessful followed by six months employment as Head Draftsman for the S.F. Bay Exposition Company working on buildings for the Golden Gate International Competition. Between 1938 and 1943 he served as the Architect for the USDA Farm Security Administration’s regional office in San Francisco. The FSA provided housing to migrant farm workers, planned and built rural camps, schools, clinics, and community centers, and constructed wartime housing for over 7000 military personnel. During his tenure with the FSA, DeMars collaborated with landscape architects Burton Cairns and Garret Eckbo, and planners Fran Violich and Corwin Mocine, to make lasting contributions to the field of planning and low-cost housing design. Projects included the Farm Workers’ Center at Yuba City, California, the Cooperative Farm and Workers’ Housing at Chandler, Arizona, and the Woodville Farm Workers’ Center near Porterville, California.

In 1939, DeMars, and other designers including Burton Cairns, Joseph McCarthy, Garrett Eckbo, T.J. Kent Jr., and Francis Violich co-founded Telesis, a city and regional planning organization that was the inspiration for the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR), a public policy think tank on planning and government. He married Betty Bates in the same year, with whom he collaborated on several major projects throughout his career, including one in 1944-1945 that explored the possibilities of row housing and greenbelt planning for the Ladies Home Journal. Betty created the interiors of the models for a traveling exhibition based on the project, entitled "Tomorrow's Small House." She also designed a series of banners for the 1967 opening of Zellerbach Hall at the University of California, Berkeley.

In 1943 DeMars joined the National Housing Agency in Washington DC as Chief of Housing Standards, where he was engaged in research on post-war housing. He subsequently served two years with the Navy as Naval Aide to the Governor of Puerto Rico and advisor on Public Works. After the war he remained on the East Coast and was recognized for his design contributions to the Bannockburn housing cooperative near Washington DC, and the Eastgate apartments in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which housed MIT faculty. From 1947-1949 he was visiting professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he got to know William Wurster, Dean of the Architecture School.

In 1951 DeMars reestablished himself in Berkeley. He lectured in the Department of Architecture for the College of Environmental Design for two years before becoming Professor of Architecture in 1953. He chaired the Department from 1959-1962 and eventually became Professor Emeritus upon his retirement in 1975. Before joining the UC Berkeley faculty he consulted for the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency on Diamond Heights, Hunter's Point and the Western Addition neighborhoods, and produced a report for the Mutual Security Agency’s Special Housing program for miners in the Ruhr, Germany. During this period he also collaborated with architect Donald Hardison on several projects in Richmond, California, including Easter Hill Village public housing, which was noted for its attempt to bring individuality to residences in a low-income development. He and Hardison would later submit and win a joint-venture proposal in the competition for creating a new student center and world-class auditorium at UC Berkeley.

DeMars and architect Donald P. Reay established the firm DeMars & Reay in 1955, continued in 1966 as DeMars & Wells with John G. Wells, a principle in DeMars & Reay. The firms’ emphasis was housing and community development and covered a wide range of building types and planning problems, demonstrating a diversified architectural approach and flexibility in design application over the next twenty-two years. Major projects accomplished during DeMars’ tenure as principle with these firms included the Capitol Towers apartments in Sacramento; San Francisco’s Golden Gateway Redevelopment project (with Wurster, Bernardi & Emmons); Mililani New Town in Oahu, Hawaii; the Mt. Angel Abbey Library (with architect Alvar Aalto); the University of California at Berkeley’s Student Center and Zellerbach Hall, and the College of Environmental Design’s Wurster Hall. DeMars & Wells dissolved in 1977 and was followed by DeMars & Maletic with principle Carl Maletic. The firm's major project was championing the cause of rehabilitating the San Francisco Ferry Building and expanding Embarcadero Plaza after the Embarcadero Freeway was demolished in 1991. The project was a continuation of DeMars' longstanding interest in Willis Polk's concept of creating a major plaza in front of the Ferry Building.

In addition to his many AIA awards, DeMars was a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, and received the Award of Honor for Design Excellence from the Bay Area Chapters of the American Institute of Architects in salute to the Student Center and Zellerbach Hall on the Berkeley campus as “in the tradition of the great European urban plazas and spaces.” In 1975 he received the Berkeley Citation, the campus’ top honor, and in 1999 the College of Environmental Design honored him as a distinguished alumnus. DeMars received a lifetime achievement award from the American Institute of Architects and the Distinguished Alumni Award from the College of Environmental Design in 2003. DeMars died in 2005.

Sources:

Biographical clip files, Environmental Design Archives

System of Arrangement

This collection is organized into six seris: Personal Papers, Professional Papers, Faculty Papers, Office Records, Project Records, Major Projects.

Scope and Contents

The Vernon DeMars Collection spans the years 1933 to 2001, and includes DeMars' personal papers, records from his private practice and professional career, and materials generated by the firms DeMars & Reay, DeMars & Wells, and DeMars & Maletic. The collection is organized in six series: Personal Papers, Professional Papers, Faculty Papers, Office Records, Project Records, and Major Projects.

The collection is extensive and contains a wide range of materials documenting DeMars' long career as a designer and planner. The Personal Papers series contains biographical material, personal correspondence, some financial records, documentation related to his service with the Navy, student work, his art and illustrations, writings, and travel photographs and portraits. Records related to DeMars' abiding anthropological interest in the Indians of the southwest United States and his performances of Native American dances appear in this series. A small number of artworks and photographs by DeMars’ wife, Betty Bates DeMars, are also represented.

The Professional Papers series includes correspondence with other architects, awards, and a mixture of records that include correspondence and presentation notes related to professional organizations, committee work, and juries. Research and reference files are extensively represented. Administrative and personnel documents from his work with governmental agencies such as the National Housing Agency and the Mutual Security Agency are represented, as well as records from the Telesis group. The Faculty Papers contain material related to DeMars' professorship at the College of Environmental Design. Primarily, this series contains official correspondence with other members of the UC Berkeley Architecture faculty, committee work documentation, and course materials such as syllabi and lecture notes from classes he taught.

The Office Records series documents administrative operations, public relations efforts, financial transactions, and correspondence. Clippings from newspapers and tearsheets from magazines in which DeMars’ projects were featured, and some photographs are included. This series also contains the partnership and dissolution documents from each of the firms. The majority of the Projects Records series documents DeMars & Reay and DeMars & Wells projects spanning the years 1955-1977, and document the firms’ work through drawings, photographs, administrative files, and models. The Major Projects series includes Farm Security Administration, where a significant number of plans and drawings are retained. Major Projects also includes the Old Sacramento Historic District, a long-term planning commission that generated voluminous administrative files. The UC Berkeley sub-series is extensive and includes each commission carried out on the UC Berkeley campus. The San Francisco Performing Arts Center and the San Francisco Ferry Building and Embarcadero Plaza proposals are also well documented, although DeMars' designs for them were not realized.

Colophon

The collection was donated in 2005 by the Vernon DeMars Estate. The records had been housed in a number of storage areas in the creator’s home and frequently removed from their original files or mixed with other paper files. During processing a representative sample of financial records was retained; and routine job correspondence was sampled. In some cases, where documentation was scant, all material in a project file was retained. Ernest Born drawings of the San Francisco Ferry Building and Embarcadero Plaza proposal were transferred to the Ernest Born collection.

Within each series original order has been maintained wherever it was evident. However, much of the material arrived with no evident order. Project documentation, especially for ongoing projects such as the Student Center and various auditoriums, was interfiled in a manner indicative of DeMars’ creative work process more than any formal organizational method. Where an original order was not evident, records have been arranged either chronologically or alphabetically as noted in the Series Description. The records for the Sacramento Historic District were maintained in their original chronological order. All projects appear on the Project Index.

Related Collections

For related materials to the items in this collection, please see the following finding aids:

Garrett Eckbo Collection (1990-1), Environmental Design Archives

Joseph Esherick Collection (1974-1), Environmental Design Archives

Francis Joseph McCarthy Collection (1985-1), Environmental Design Archives

Donald Olsen Collection (2003-1), Environmental Design Archives

Donald & Sylvia Reay Collection (2005-20), Environmental Design Archives

Vernon Armand DeMars Oral History (1992) A Life in Architecture: Indian Dancing, Migrant Housing, Telesis, Design for Urban Living, Theater, Teaching. The Bancroft Library Regional Oral History Office

William W. Wurster/Wurster, Bernardi & Emmons Collection, (1976-2), Environmental Design Archives

Project Index

The following is a list of architectural projects from the Vernon DeMars Collection. For more complete information about collection contents for each project download the complete Project Index in an Excel spreadsheet format by going to Vernon DeMars i-Page. For instructions on interpreting the Project Index, see The Guide to the Project Index.

The project list below, derived from the Project Index, is arranged alphabetically by Project/Client Name and contains information, where available, about the location, date, project type, collaborators, photographers, and formats for each project in the collection.

Project/Client Name (location, date, project type) Collaborator (role), Photographer [Format - Ms=Manuscripts, Dr=Drawings, Ph=Photographs]

Aster Park ( Sunnyvale , CA ; 1974 ; Residential-Multi ) [Ms, Ph, Sl, Mo]
Bannockburn Housing ( Bethesda , MD ; 1944-1949 ; Residential-Multi ) Photographer: Lautman, Robert; Dunlop, James R. [Ms, Dr, Ph, Sl]
BART - El Cerrito Del Norte Station ( El Cerrito , CA ; 1965-1967 ; Transportation ) Photographer: Raite, Gerald [Ms, Dr, Ph, Sl, Mo]
Boyd Residence ( Berkeley , CA ; 1967 ; Residential ) [Ms, Dr]
California College of Arts and Crafts ( Oakland , CA ; 1964-1967 ; Educational ) Photographer: Bragstad, Jeremiah O. [Ms, Dr, Ph, Sl]
California State University, Sacramento: College Union ( Sacramento , CA ; n.d. ; Educational ) [Dr, Ph]
Capitol Towers ( Sacramento , CA ; 1957-1972 ; Residential-Multi ) Collaborator: Wurster, Bernardi, & Emmons (architects); Barnes, L. (architect); Overhoff, J. (sculptor) ; Photographer: Baer, Morley; Halprin, Lawrence; Riek, Karl; Stoll, Jerry [Ms, Dr, Ph, Sl]
Cathedral Precinct; Cologne Competition ( Cologne , Germany ; 1955 ; Planning ) [Ms, Dr, Ph, Sl, Mo]
Clayton Valley Center / Bank of America ( Concord , CA ; 1961-1962 ; Commercial ) Photographer: Hollingsworth, Bob [Ms, Dr, Ph, Sl]
College Highlands ( Richmond , CA ; 1953-1955 ; Residential-Multi ) Photographer: The Jerners; Tagney, George A.; Arnold, Ed; Aero Portraits [Ms, Dr, Ph]
Columbia Plaza ( Washington D.C. ; 1962 -1972 ; Residential-Multi ) Collaborator: Keyes, Lethbridge, & Condon (architects) ; Photographer: Alexander, J. [Ms, Ph, Sl]
Conado Tower ( Puerto Rico ; n.d. ; commercial ) [Ph]
Convention Center for the City of Oakland ( Oakland , CA ; 1973 ; Governmental ) [Ms[
Cross Keys / Charles Center Inner Harbor ( Baltimore , MD ; 1961-1969 ; Mixed-Use ) Photographer: Charose Studio [Ms, Dr, Ph, Sl]
DeMars & Reay Offices - 2161 Shattuck Building Remodel ( Berkeley , CA ; 1962 ; Commercial ) [Ms, Dr]
DeMars Residence ( Berkeley , CA ; 1949-1978 ; Residential ) Photographer: Robinson, John; Flamm, Roy [Ms, Dr, Ph, Sl, Mo]
Design: Mixed type residence ( c. 1952 ; Residentail-Multi ) [Dr]
Design: Slide file and storage cabinets ( 1957-1958 ; Furnishings ) [Ms[
Design: Fashion Saloon ( n.d. ; Commercial ) [Dr]
Design: Pioneer Telegraph ( n.d. ; Commercial ) [Dr]
Diamond Heights ( San Francisco , CA ; 1951 ; Planning ) [Ms, Ph, Sl]
Dickman Residence ( San Jose , CA ; n.d. ; Residential ) [Dr]
Easter Hill Village ( Richmond , CA ; 1950 ; Residential-Multi ) [Ms, Dr, Ph, Sl]
Eastgate Apartments ( Cambridge , MA ; 1948 ; Residential-Multi ) Photographer: Stoller, Ezra; Pope Studios [Dr, Ph, Sl]
Emerson Elementary ( Berkeley , CA ; 1965 ; Educational ) Collaborator: Willer, W.T. (architect) [Ms, Dr]
Fisher Residence ( Sonoma , CA ; 1977 ; Residential ) [Dr]
Fort Drive Gardner's Proposal ( 1943 ; Planning ) [Ph]
Foster City ( Foster City , CA ; n.d. ; Planning ) [Ph]
Golden Gateway ( San Francisco , CA ; 1959-1966 ; Residential-Multi ) Collaborator: Wurster, Bernardi, & Emmons (architects) ; Photographer: Baer, Morley; Riek, Karl H. [Ms, Dr, Ph, Sl]
Gratton Elementary ( San Francisco , CA ; 1971 ; Educational ) [Ms, Ph, Sl]
Hamilton New Town ( San Jose , CA ; 1964-1969 ; Planning ) Collaborator: Livingston & Blayney (planners); Halprin, Lawrence (landscape architect); Oceanic Properties (developer) ; Photographer: Faubion, Dwain [Ms, Dr]
Harrisburg Courthouse Sculpture ( Harrisburg , PA ; 1967 ; Governmental ) [Ph]
Hirshfield Residence ( Berkeley , CA ; 1954 ; Residential ) [Dr]
California State University: Humboldt ( Arcata , CA ; 1963 ; Educational ) [Dr]
Hunter's Point ( San Francisco , CA ; 1951 ; Residential ) [Dr, Ph]
Kukui Redevelopment ( Kukui , HI ; 1961 - 1962 ; Planning ) [Dr]
Ladies Home Journal Row Houses ( 1943-1945 ; Planning / Residential ) [Ms, Dr, Ph]
Lawrence Hall of Science ( Berkeley , CA ; 1962 ; Educational ) [Ph, Sl, Pb]
Lawrence Townhouses ( Lawrence , CA ; 1964 ; Residential-Multi ) [Ph]
Litchfield New Town ( Litchfield , AZ ; 1960 ; Planning ) [Ph]
Macdonald project ( Menlo Park , CA ; n.d. ; [Ph]
Marin City Redevelopment ( Marin City , CA ; 1958 ; Residential-multi ) Photographer: Braun, Ernest; Skelton; ASUC [Ms, Dr, Ph]
Mililani / Waipio New Town ( Oahu , HI ; 1960-1964 ; Planning / Residential-Multi ) Collaborator: Sidener, Jack (architect); Livingston & Blayney (planners); Halprin, Lawrence (landscape architect); Oceanic Properties (developer) ; Photographer: Stoy, Werner; Stoll, Jerry; Ehreth, Joseph [Ms, Dr, Ph, Sl]
Mission Playhouse Old Town ( San Diego , CA ; 1976 ; Cultural ) [Ms]
Moravec Residence ( Berkeley , CA ; 1933 ; Residential ) [Ms, Dr]
Mt. Angel Abbey Campanile ( Benedictine , OR ; 1987-2001 ; Religious ) [Ms, Dr]
Mt. Angel Abbey Library ( Benedictine , OR ; 1967-1971 ; Religious ) Collaborator: Aalto, Alvar (architect) ; Photographer: Lee, Edmund; Baer, Morley [Ms, Dr, Ph, Sl]
Oakland Community Business District ( Oakland , CA ; 1972 -1974 ; Commercial ) [Ms, Dr]
Oakland Urban Design Survey / 701 Projects ( Oakland , CA ; 1967-1969 ; Planning ) Collaborator: Sidener, J. (planner) [Ms]
Ocean Park Towers and Terrace Apartments ( Santa Monica , CA ; 1961 ; Mixed-Use ) Collaborator: Perini Assoc. (developers) ; Photographer: Evans, Barry; Hollingsworth, Bob; Becket, Welton [Ms, Dr, Ph, Mo]
Oglala Souix Indian Reservation Housing ( Pine Ridge , SD ; 1961-1967 ; Planning ) [Ms, Dr]
Old Sacramento ( Sacramento , CA ; 1963 - 1974 ; Planning ) Collaborator: Sidener (urban design); Candeub, Fleissig & Assoc.; Hill, R.D. (planner) ; Photographer: Frasse, Phil; Fishback, Glen; Stratford, Hugh; Burkell, Clarence [Ms, Dr, Ph, Sl]
Packard Residence ( Berkeley , CA ; 1938 ; Residential ) [Dr[
Pappas Residence ( Berkeley , CA ; 1979 ; Residential ) [Ms]
Patri Residence ( Corte Madera , CA ; 1938 ; Residential ) [Ms, Dr]
POS Greenbelt Action Program ( SF Bay Area , CA ; 1977 ; Planning ) [Ms]
Rialto Hotel ( Sacramento , CA ; n.d. ; Commercial ) [Dr]
Richmond Central Business District ( Richmond , CA ; 1962 ; Planning ) [Dr]
Richmond Redevelopment City Planning Documents ( Richmond , CA ; 1950-1954 ; Planning ) [Ms, Ph, Sl]
Richmond Redevelopment / The Plaza ( Richmond , CA ; 1956-1958 ; Residential ) Photographer: Baer, Morley [Ms, Dr, Sl]
Rincon Valley Estates ( Santa Rosa , CA ; 1962-1963 ; Residential-Multi ) [Dr]
Sacramento State Student Union ( Sacramento , CA ; 1970-1975 ; Educational ) [Ms, Dr, Ph, Sl]
San Francisco Ferry Building and Embarcadero Plaza ( San Francisco , CA ; 1952-1955; 1985-2002 (bulk) ; Planning ) [Ms, Dr, Ph, Sl, Mo]
San Francisco Performing Arts Center ( San Francisco , CA ; 1970-1976 ; Cultural ) Collaborator: Aidala, Sidener, J., Jennings (drawings); Belluschi, Pietro. (architect) ; Photographer: Super, Rob; Petersen, B.J.; Hays, Charles H. [Ms, Dr, Ph, Sl]
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art ( San Francisco , CA ; 1980's ; Cultural ) [Mo]
San Jose Redevelopment: Hamilton Newtown ( San Jose , CA ; 1964 ; Planning ) [Ms, Ph, Sl]
San Lorenzo Park ( Santa Cruz , CA ; 1960 ; Residential-Multi / Planning ) Collaborator: Sidener, J. (drawings) [Dr, Ph]
Santa Clara Development ( Santa Clara , CA ; 1963 ; Planning / Residential ) [Dr, Ph, Sl]
Santa Monica Redevelopment ( Santa Monica , CA ; 1961 ; Planning ) Collaborator: Medadowski, S.J. (structural engineer) [Dr, Ph, Sl]
Sonoma Courthouse and Jail ( Sonoma , CA ; 1965 ; Governmental ) Collaborator: Feliciano, C. (architect) [Ms, Ph]
Spokane Redevelopment / Central Business District Plan ( Spokane , WA ; 1959 - 1960 ; Planning ) [Ph]
Swansea Development ( South Wales , UK ; 1961 ; Planning ) [Dr]
Sydney Opera House ( Sydney , Australia ; 1957 ; Cultural ) [Dr, Ph, Sl]
U of Colorado: Married Student Housing ( Boulder , CO ; 1961 ; Educational ) [Ph]
U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of National Park Buildings and Reservations: Twin Caves Ruin ( Kayenta , AZ ; 1934 ; Governmental ) [Dr]
U.S. FSA (Farm Security Administration): General ( n.d. ; Governmental ) Collaborator: Cairns, Eckbo (landscape architects); Violich, Mocine (planners) ; Photographer: Williams, Cal; FSA: Lee; Heger, Vernon; Lange, Dorthea; Hammond [Ms, Dr, Ph, Sl]
U.S. FSA: Agua Fria ( Agua Fria , AZ ; n.d. ; Governmental ) Collaborator: Cairns, Eckbo (landscape architects); Violich, Mocine (planners) [Sl]
U.S. FSA: Arvin / Weedpatch ( Arvin , CA ; n.d. ; Governmental ) Collaborator: Cairns, Eckbo (landscape architects); Violich, Mocine (planners) [Dr]
U.S. FSA: Baxter / Camel Back Farms ( Baxter , AZ ; n.d. ; Governmental ) Collaborator: Cairns, Eckbo (landscape architects); Violich, Mocine (planners) [Ph, Sl]
U.S. FSA: Burton Cairns Convalescent Center ( Eleven Mile Corner , AZ ; 1940 ; Governmental ) Collaborator: Cairns, Eckbo (landscape architects); Violich, Mocine (planners) ; Photographer: Donant, Norman [Dr, Ph, Sl]
U.S. FSA: Caldwell ( Caldwell , ID ; n.d. ; Governmental ) Collaborator: Cairns, Eckbo (landscape architects); Violich, Mocine (planners) [Sl]
U.S. FSA: Casa Grande ( Casa Grande , AZ ; n.d. ; Governmental ) Collaborator: Cairns, Eckbo (landscape architects); Violich, Mocine (planners) [Sl]
U.S. FSA: Chandler / Co-op Farm and Workers' Housing ( Chandler , AZ ; 1937-1940 ; Governmental ) Collaborator: Cairns, Eckbo (landscape architects); Violich, Mocine (planners) [Dr, Ph, Sl]
U.S. FSA: Demountable House Type B ( n.d. ; Governmental ) [Dr]
U.S. FSA: Firebaugh ( Firebaugh , CA ; 1939; 1965 ; Governmental ) Collaborator: Cairns, Eckbo (landscape architects); Violich, Mocine (planners) [Dr, Ph, Sl]
U.S. FSA: Fort Lupton ( Fort Lupton , CO ; n.d. ; Governmental ) Collaborator: Cairns, Eckbo (landscape architects); Violich, Mocine (planners) [Dr]
U.S. FSA: Fresno Convalescence Center ( Fresno , CA ; n.d. ; Governmental ) Collaborator: Cairns, Eckbo (landscape architects); Violich, Mocine (planners) [Dr]
U.S. FSA: Glendale / Camel Back Farms ( Glendale , AZ ; n.d. ; Governmental ) Collaborator: Cairns, Eckbo (landscape architects); Violich, Mocine (planners) ; Photographer: U.S. FSA: Lange, Dorthea [Dr, Ph, Sl]
U.S. FSA: Granger ( Granger , WA ; 1942 ; Governmental ) Collaborator: Cairns, Eckbo (landscape architects); Violich, Mocine (planners) [Ph, Sl]
U.S. FSA: Mineral King Ranch / Farm Labor House ( Mineral King Ranch , CA ; 1939-1940 ; Governmental ) Collaborator: Cairns, Eckbo (landscape architects); Violich, Mocine (planners) ; Photographer: U.S. FSA: Lee [Dr, Ph, Sl]
U.S. FSA: Richmond / Victory Café ( Richmond , CA ; n.d. ; Governmental ) Collaborator: Cairns, Eckbo (landscape architects); Violich, Mocine (planners) [Dr, Sl]
U.S. FSA: Sacramento Defense Dormitories ( Sacramento , CA ; 1942 ; Governmental ) Collaborator: Cairns, Eckbo (landscape architects); Violich, Mocine (planners) [Dr]
U.S. FSA: Seasonal Camp ( 1943 ; Governmental ) [Dr]
U.S. FSA: Shafter Homes ( Shafter , CA ; 1940 ; Governmental ) Collaborator: Cairns, Eckbo (landscape architects); Violich, Mocine (planners) [Dr, Sl]
U.S. FSA: Taft Site ( Taft , CA ; 1940-1942 ; Governmental ) Collaborator: Cairns, Eckbo (landscape architects); Violich, Mocine (planners) ; Photographer: Williams, Calvin R. [Dr, Ph, Sl]
U.S. FSA: Thornton ( Thornton , CA ; n.d. ; Governmental ) Collaborator: Cairns, Eckbo (landscape architects); Violich, Mocine (planners) [Sl]
U.S. FSA: Tulare ( Tulare , CA ; n.d. ; Governmental ) Collaborator: Cairns, Eckbo (landscape architects); Violich, Mocine (planners) [Sl]
U.S. FSA: Unidentified ( n.d. ; Governmental ) [Dr]
U.S. FSA: Vallejo ( Vallejo , CA ; 1942 ; Governmental ) Collaborator: Cairns, Eckbo (landscape architects); Violich, Mocine (planners) ; Photographer: U.S. FSA: Lee [Dr, Ph]
U.S. FSA: Walla Walla Unit ( Walla Walla , WA ; 1940 ; Governmental ) Collaborator: Cairns, Eckbo (landscape architects); Violich, Mocine (planners) [Dr, Sl]
U.S. FSA: Winters ( Winters , CA ; n.d. ; Governmental ) Collaborator: Cairns, Eckbo (landscape architects); Violich, Mocine (planners) [Dr, Sl]
U.S. FSA: Woodville / Multi-family House Types B-W ( Woodville / Porterville , CA ; 1940-1943 ; Governmental ) Collaborator: Cairns, Eckbo (landscape architects); Violich, Mocine (planners) ; Photographer: U.S. FSA: Lee [Dr, Ph, Sl]
U.S. FSA: Yakima ( Yakima , WA ; n.d. ; Governmental ) Collaborator: Cairns, Eckbo (landscape architects); Violich, Mocine (planners) [Sl]
U.S. FSA: Yuba City / Farm Workers' Center ( Yuba City , CA ; 1940 ; Governmental ) Collaborator: Cairns, Eckbo (landscape architects); Violich, Mocine (planners) ; Photographer: U.S. FSA: Lange, Dorthea [Dr, Ph, Sl]
UC Berkeley: Animal Resources Facility ( Berkeley , CA ; 1972-1975 ; Educational ) [Dr]
UC Berkeley: Mining Circle/Stele Meridiana ( Berkeley , CA ; 1986 ; Educational ) [Dr, Ph, Sl]
UC Berkeley: South Campus Urban Renewal ( Berkeley , CA ; 1964 ; Mixed-Use ) [Dr, Sl]
UC Berkeley: Student Center & Eshelman Hall ( Berkeley , CA ; 1960-1965 ; Educational ) Collaborator: Hardison & Komatsu (architects); Halprin (landscape architect) ; Photographer: King, Jonathan; Baer, Morley; Coolbaugh, Warren; Kirwan, Ed; Riek, Karl H.; Knight, George; Beatty, Don; Partridge, Rondal; ASUC; Wasson, Bill; Kaiser; Green, N. Bleecker; Eschen, Fritz; Willi, P. [Ms, Dr, Ph, Sl, Mo]
UC Berkeley: Wheeler Hall ( Berkeley , CA ; 1973 ; Educational ) [Dr, Sl]
UC Berkeley: Wurster Hall ( Berkeley , CA ; 1960-1967 ; Educational ) Collaborator: Esherick, Olsen (architects) ; Photographer: Baer, Morley; Vano-Wells-Fagliano; Patridge, Rondal; Roth, Ueli [Dr, Ph, Sl]
UC Berkeley: Zellerbach Hall ( Berkeley , CA ; 1960-1969 ; Educational ) Collaborator: Aidala, S. (architect), Halprin (landscape architect) ; Photographer: Hollingsworth, Bob; Hays, Charles H.; Kaiser; Baer, Morely; Coolbaugh, Warren; Galloway, Dennis; Lovelace, Jeff; Saarni, Karl; Kirwan, Ed [Ms, Dr, Ph, Sl]
UC Irvine Theater ( Irvine , CA ; 1977-1983 ; Educational ) [Ms]
Van Patton Residence ( San Carlos , CA ; 1939 ; Residential ) [Dr, Ph]
Vision 1980 Project ( Medford , OR ; 1978 ; Planning ) [Ms]
Walnut Creek Civic Center ( Walnut Creek , CA ; 1960-1973 ; Governmental ) [Ms, Dr, Ph, Sl]
Watsonville High School Auditorium ( Watsonville , CA ; 1990 ; Educational ) [Ms]
Weber Point / Stockton Plaza ( Stockton , CA ; 1962 ; Planning ) [Dr, Ph]
Wells Fargo Bank ( El Cerrito , CA ; 1965 ; Commercial ) Photographer: Bragstad, Jeremiah O. [Ph, Sl]
Werdein Residence ( Palo Alto , CA ; n.d. ; Residential ) [Dr]
West Alameda Development ( Alameda , CA ; 1967 ; Planning ) [Ms]
Western Addition Redevelopment ( San Francisco , CA ; 1951; 1967 ; Residentail-Multi ) [Ms, Dr, Ph]
Yuvan Residence ( Moraga Valley , CA ; 1933 ; Residential ) [Dr]

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Architecture--California

Architecture -- Study and teaching.

Architecture -- 20th Century -- California -- San Francisco Bay Area.

Richmond Housing Authority -- Easter Hill Village

United States. Farm Security Administration

SERIES I. PERSONAL PAPERS 1935-2005

Physical Description: 4 Cubic Feet: Carton 1, 4; Tube 1; Flat Box 2; Box 3

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Scope and Contents

Represents DeMars' personal materials including his curriculum vitae, correspondence with colleagues and friends, writings on various topics, early drawings and lithographs, student work, a sampling of financial records, personnel files related to his Navy service, personal and travel photographs, and Betty DeMars' artworks and photographs. Of note is artwork and documentation related his performances of Native American ritual dances at Berkeley's International House.

A. Biographical Information

Carton 1, Folder 1

Biographical Information 1950-2002

Carton 1, Folder 2

Military Service 1944-1946

Carton 1, Folder 3

Passports 1952-1974

Carton 1, Folder 4

VDM Day Proclomation 2003

Box 2, Folder 27

Diplomas n.d.

B. Correspondence

Carton 1, Folder 4

Correspondence 1935-2003

Carton 1, Folder 5-7

Holiday Cards 1928-2007

Box 2, Folder 28

Holiday Cards 1939

Flat-File 1

Holiday Cards 1970

Carton 1, Folder 8

Gun Control Campaign 1989

C. Student Work

Carton 1, Folder 9

Exams 1929-1930

Carton 1, Folder 10

Photograph of student frawing n.d.

Flat-File 2-3

Drawings n.d.

Box 2, Folder 29

Drafting Exercises n.d.

Box 2, Folder 30

Watercolor n.d.

Box 2, Folder 31

Sketches and Figure Drawing n.d.

D. Travel

Carton 1, Folder 11

California Department of State document and seal 1938

Carton 1, Folder 12

Itineraries 1963-1990

Carton 1, Folder 13

Photographs 1931, n.d.

Box 2, Folder 32

Travel Drawings - Southwest n.d.

Box 3, Folder 39-40

Travel / Reference n.d.

E. Indian Dances

Carton 1, Folder 14

Performance at International House 1932

Carton 1, Folder 15

Correspondence, Notes, Clippings n.d.

Carton 1, Folder 16-17

Indian dances photos n.d.

Box 2, Folder 33

Photos and Illustrations n.d.

Box 33, Folder 45

Photographs n.d.

Flat-File 4

Indian Dances n.d.

Carton 1, Folder 18

Research Files 1932-1935, n.d.

Tube 1

Indian ceremonial artifacts n.d.

F. Art and Illustration

Carton 1, Folder 19

Museum Illustrations 1934

Carton 1, Folder 20

Sketches 1934, n.d.

Box 33, Folder 46

Sketches n.d.

Box 2, Folder 34

Art and Artifacts n.d.

G. Betty DeMars

Carton 1, Folder 21

Correspondence 1961-1987

Carton 1, Folder 22

Sketches n.d.

Box 2, Folder 35

Costume and Set Design 1960, n.d.

Box 2, Folder 36

A Pageant of Miracles 1978-1979

Box 2, Folder 37

Watercolors n.d.

Box 2, Folder 38

Wall Design n.d.

Box 3, Folder 41

Slides n.d.

Box 33, Folder 47-48

Reference Clippings n.d.

H. Photographs

Carton 1, Folder 23

Personal Photographs and Snapshots n.d.

Carton 4, Folder 24

Portraits n.d.

Box 3, Folder 42

Portraits - slides n.d.

Carton 4, Folder 25

Military Service in Puerto Rico n.d.

Carton 4, Folder 26

Tito Patri additions n.d.

Box 3, Folder 43

My Life as an Architect - slides n.d.

Box 3, Folder 44

Sea Ranch - slides n.d.

SERIES II. PROFESSIONAL PAPERS 1943-2003

Physical Description: 3.5 Cubic Feet: Carton 4-5; Flat Box 2, 8; Box 3, 33

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Scope and Contents

Documents DeMars' professional activities outside of the firm. Includes correspondence with other architects and artist Emmy Lou Packard; notes and writings related to numerous presentations and affiliation with professional associations; and extensive research and reference files mostly relating to low-cost housing developments. Also represented are administrative files and reports related to his U.S. government work with the National Housing Agency, and the General Services Administration. In 1952, DeMars request for employment for the Mutual Security Agency was challenged because of his involvement with the architectural committee of the National Council of American Soviet Friendship. This file contains material related to a 1944 MOMA exhibit of U.S. war housing submitted as evidence to get him approved for a security clearance.

A. Correspondence

Carton 4, Folder 1-2

General Correspondence 1943-1998

Carton 4, Folder 3

Speaking Engagements 1943-1948

Carton 4, Folder 4

Wurster AIA Gold Medal award 1968

B. Writings

Carton 4, Folder 5

Notebook and Diaries 1937-1938, n.d.

Carton 4, Folder 6

Articles and Reports 1953-1961

Carton 4, Folder 7

Report on the Third Biennial COnference of the International Association of Theater Technicians, London 1961

Carton 4, Folder 8

The People's Architect 1962-1964

Carton 4, Folder 9

Planning Lessons in Canadian Expo 1967

Carton 4, Folder 10

Contemporary Architects 1978-1995

C. Presentations

Carton 4, Folder 11

German Architecture 1953

Carton 4, Folder 12

Let's Build a House - museum lecture series 1953

Carton 4, Folder 13

KQED AIA Lecture 1954

Carton 4, Folder 14

The Form of the City Talk 1959

Carton 4, Folder 15

Golden Gateway Lectures 1960

Carton 4, Folder 16

Kosmos Club Lectures 1965, 1976

Carton 4, Folder 17

Douglass Commission Statement (National Commission on Urban Problems) 1967

Carton 4, Folder 18

Engineering for the People Conference 1967

Carton 4, Folder 19

Montevideo Invitation 1968

Carton 4, Folder 20

Wurster Memorial Remarks 1973

Carton 4, Folder 21

Mt. Angel Aalto Exhibition 1980

Carton 4, Folder 22

Mt. Angel Abbey, lecture on 1981

Carton 4, Folder 23

Mt. Angel Abbey Architectural Symposium 1998

Carton 4, Folder 24

Lectures on Aalto 1987

Carton 4, Folder 25

SFMOMA Visionary San Francisco Exhibit 1990

Carton 4, Folder 26

National Building Museum Exhibit 1994

Carton 4, Folder 27-28

Lectures 1946-1990

D. Associations and Committees

Carton 4, Folder 29

AIA Correspondence 1953-2003

Carton 4, Folder 30-32

AIA Committees 1955-1964

Carton 4, Folder 33

AIA Fellowship 1963

Carton 4, Folder 34

AIA Conferences 1963

Carton 4, Folder 35

AIA Nominations 1966-1969

Carton 4, Folder 36

State Board Certificate Renewals 1956-1999

Carton 4, Folder 37

Associations and Societies 1963-1972

Carton 4, Folder 38

San Francisco Museum of Art Board 1972-1976

Carton 4, Folder 39

State Office Building Review Panel 1977

Box 2, Folder 69

Awards and Certificates n.d.

Box 33, Folder 71

Awards and Certificates 1952-1972

Box 8

AIA Fellow Medal and Plate 1964

E. Reference Files

Carton 5, Folder 40-41

Art and Artists 1942-1971

Carton 5, Folder 42

Edward Durell Stone article 1960

Carton 5, Folder 43

SF Museum of Art Board of Trustees 1966-1987

Carton 5, Folder 44-46

Clippings 1967-1989, n.d.

Flat-File 5

Slide file and storage cabinet 1958, 1971

Box 3, Folder 66

Low Income Housing - slides n.d.

Box 3, Folder 67-68

Site reference - slides n.d.

F. Government Agencies

Carton 5, Folder 47-49

National Housing Agency 1943-1955

Carton 5, Folder 50-51

Mutual Security Agency, German Coal Miners Housing Report 1950-1953

Carton 5, Folder 52

Mutual Security Agency 1951-1952

Carton 5, Folder 53

San Francisco Redevelopment Agency 1951-1952

Carton 5, Folder 54

General Services Administration 1965-1968

G. Jurying

Carton 5, Folder 55

Reynolds Memorial Award 1965

Carton 5, Folder 56

HUD 1966

Carton 5, Folder 57

Various Projects 1976-1978

H. Telesis

Scope and Contents

Contains sketches of a museum exhibition for SFMOMA on urban planning in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Carton 5, Folder 58

Correspondence 1940-1989

Carton 5, Folder 59

Telesis Sketches and Photos n.d.

Carton 5, Folder 60

Telesis Exhibition Sketch (MOMA) n.d.

Carton 5, Folder 61

Telesis Clippings 1940-1978

Carton 5, Folder 62

San Francisco City Planning 1948-1949

Carton 5, Folder 63

Telesis files 1976-2002

I. Emmy Lou Packard

Carton 5, Folder 64-65

Correspondence 1961-1988

Box 2, Folder 70

Watercolors n.d.

SERIES III. FACULTY PAPERS 1952-2001

Physical Description: 3 Cubic Feet: Carton 5-6; Flat Box 8; Box 33

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Scope and Contents

Documents DeMars’ duties as Professor of Architecture at UC Berkeley. Administrative files are composed of memoranda between DeMars’ and other faculty members, as well as outside correspondence. DeMars’ committee work is represented extensively. Of note are the academic Problems of Western Development Committee, and the Building Committee for the Environmental Design Building, related to the building of what became Wurster Hall. The Emeritus files contain a sampling of DeMars’ continuing work advising the College of Environmental Design. Course materials, research notes, and student work primarily provide evidence of DeMars’ teaching activities.

A. Administrative Files

Carton 5, Folder 1

UC Loyalty Oath 1950

Carton 5, Folder 2

Memoranda and Correspondence 1952, 1958-1967

Carton 5, Folder 3

Proposal for a New College of Planning and Design 1954-1955

Carton 5, Folder 4

Correspondence from Charles Eames 1957

Carton 5, Folder 5

Tenures and Promotions 1960-1961

Carton 5, Folder 6

Administrative Files 1962-1976

Carton 5, Folder 7

Sabbatical 1964-1965

Carton 5, Folder 8

Bibliography CV 1967

Carton 5, Folder 9

Emeritus files 1995-2001

Carton 5, Folder 10

Proposal letter for MUD atCED 1992-1993

Box 8

Awards and Medals 1999, n.d.

B. Committees

Carton 6, Folder 11

Curriculum Committee 1951-1961

Carton 6, Folder 12

Problems of Western Development Committee 1952-1963

Carton 6, Folder 13

Faculty Committees 1953-1976

Carton 6, Folder 14

Dean's Advisory / Academic Senate 1955-1957

Carton 6, Folder 15

Committee on Appointments and Promotions 1955-1961

Carton 6, Folder 16

Research Committee 1957-1958

Carton 6, Folder 17

Building Committee for Environmental Design Building 1959

Carton 6, Folder 18

National Accreditation Board Meeting, Princeton 1971

Carton 6, Folder 19

Search Committee for CED Dean 1975-1976

Carton 6, Folder 20

Campus Historic Resources Survey 1978

C. Course Materials

Carton 6, Folder 21

Course Materials 1947-1975

Carton 6, Folder 22-23

Student Work 1953-1970

Box 33, Folder 26

Student Work n.d.

Flat-File 6

Student Work 1952, n.d.

Carton 6, Folder 24

UC Extension lecture notes 1961

Carton 6, Folder 25

George E. McNeil Thesis 1965

SERIES IV. OFFICE RECORDS 1952-1991

Physical Description: 2.5 Cubic Feet: Carton 6-7; Flat Box 8

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Scope and Contents

Documents represent a selected sample of the day-to-day administrative operations of the firm offices, such as legal agreements, notes, and correspondence. Includes the Hardison & DeMars joint-venture agreement and some financial records, including the Western Urban Redevelopment Investment Corporation Records, a corporation in which DeMars was invested. Reference and product literature is collected on contemporary architectural topics, including literature on fallout shelter design. Correspondence includes many years of correspondence with Jack Sidener, especially dealing with the Mililani New Town project.

A. Administrative

Firm histories and timelines 1991, n.d.

Appointment Books 1951-1991

Vernon DeMars business cards n.d.

DeMars and Reay Administrative Records 1955-1966

Draft of "Cities and Urban Problems" Article by J. Whyte for Fortune 1957

DeMars and Wells Joint Venture Agreement 1966-1973

Hardison and DeMars Joint Venture Agreement 1966

Clippings and tear sheets 1966

PR Dossier 1957-1971

Western Urban Redevelopment Investment Corp Records 1967

Work Prospects 1967-1975

Financial Records 1968-1977

DeMars and Maletic Administrative Records 2004-2005

DeMars and Reay Portfolio Mock-up n.d.

DeMars, Cairns and Thomson Builders Stationary n.d.

Licensed Architect Stamps n.d.

B. Correspondence

Carton 6, Folder 18-22

Correspondence 1952-1961

Carton 7, Folder 23-30

Correspondence 1962-1972

Carton 7, Folder 31

Architectural Board Registration Correspondence 1964-1966

Carton 7, Folder 32

Paul O. Heyer 1965-1966

Carton 7, Folder 33

Jack Sidener 1969-1974

C. Reference Files

Carton 7, Folder 34-36

Housing Lectures, Notes and Conferences 1951-1964

Carton 7, Folder 37

Housing Correspondence 1951-1965

Carton 7, Folder 38

Fallout Shelter Design Literature 1967

Carton 7, Folder 39

Article on Conceptual Design of Shells by S.J. Medwadowski 1970

Carton 7, Folder 40

Product Literature 1974-1975

Carton 7, Folder 41

Stirling Homes, San Bruno (subdivision) 1955

Carton 7, Folder 42

Sculptors 1961-1968

Carton 7, Folder 43

City Planning n.d.

Carton 7, Folder 44

Buildings n.d.

Carton 7, Folder 45

Unknown reference n.d.

SERIES V. PROJECT RECORDS 1933-2001

Physical Description: 5.5 Cubic Feet: Carton 9-10; Box 11-16; 33-35

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by project.

See Also

Project Index

A. Files

Scope and Contents

Correspondence, contracts, telephone notes, preliminary sketches, reports, specifications, financial records, vendor information, legal documents, and notes.

B. Photographs and Slides

Scope and Contents

Photographs (and some negatives) and slides of project sites, construction, and completed construction taken by the architects, project collaborators, and architectural photographers.

C. Drawings

Scope and Contents

Drawings from private practice and firm projects from 1933-2001. Commercial and institutional planning, development, and multi-residential commissions are documented more completely than residential projects.

SERIES VI. MAJOR PROJECTS 1936-2003

Physical Description: 6 Cubic Feet: Box 15, 17, 30-32 35; Oversize Box 18; Carton 19-29

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically by major project.

See Also

Project Index

A. U.S. Farm Security Administration

Arrangement

Files arranged alphabetically.

Scope and Contents

Includes plans and photographs from DeMars’ tenure with the FSA designing low-cost housing. Projects included the Farm Workers’ Center at Yuba City, California, the Cooperative Farm and Workers’ Housing at Chandler, Arizona, and the Woodville Farm Workers’ Center near Porterville, California.

B. Old Sacramento Historic District

Arrangement

Files arranged chronologically.

Scope and Contents

Documents on-going site review, correspondence and urban design solutions for the rehabilitation of the historic waterfront area. Includes correspondence, contracts, telephone notes, preliminary sketches, reports, specifications, financial records, vendor information, legal documents, and notes.

C. San Francisco Ferry Building and Embarcadero Plaza

Arrangement

Files arranged chronologically.

Scope and Contents

Includes urban design plans, drawings related to MUNI and transportation alternatives, photographs and drawings of the Embarcadero Freeway before and during demolition, and proposals for a new plaza and Ferry Building rehabilitation. Includes extensive newspaper clippings files, office files for DeMars & Maletic, and documentation related to City of San Francisco decisions regarding the Embarcadero and Ferry Building.

D. San Francisco Performing Arts Center

Arrangement

Files arranged chronologically.

Scope and Contents

Includes the proposal, preliminary designs, and feasibility and economic studies for a proposed redesign of the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House and Civic Center. Includes extensive administrative files related to the proposal. Despite DeMars’ efforts, this project was not realized

E. UC Berkeley

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by campus project.

Animal Resources Facility
Mining Circle/Stele Meridiana
Student Center
Wheeler Hall
Wurster Hall
Zellerbach Hall

Scope and Contents

Includes all planning and design for initiatives on the UC Berkeley campus. Primarily, this series contains the project files for the Student Center and Zellerbach Hall. The collection contains little documentation of the student office building, Eschleman Hall, in the Student Center, and the College of Environmental Design's Wurster Hall. Also includes materials relating to Emmy Lou Packard’s signage for Zellerback Hall.