This collection documents the advocacy work of William Mackenzie and his efforts to support migrant farmworkers and their families primarily in the Pajaro Valley of central California. This collection covers Mackenzie's time as co-founder and on the board of directors of Migration and Adaptation in the Americas (MAIA), his efforts advocating for students, and his research interests in public policy, finance, immigration, and education. It includes correspondence with academics, politicians, and students; meeting minutes, organizational documents, and other materials from MAIA; some personal files; and collected newspaper clippings on his research interests including domestic and foreign policy, economics, immigration, agriculture, and health.

William (Bill) George Mackenzie (circa 1913 - circa 1994) was the co-founder of Migration and Adaptation in the Americas (MAIA), a non-profit organization focused on removing barriers to higher education for children of migrant farm workers in California's Pajaro Valley. Mackenzie earned a degree at Princeton University in 1935 before serving in the army during World War II. After the war, he worked as a farmer in California, which was influential in his decision to start the MAIA organization and spend his life advocating for migrant families. Mackenzie also worked as a history teacher, a banker, and an interviewer for the admissions department at Princeton University for Monterey County. William Mackenzie lived in Pebble Beach, California, with his wife Shirley, who was also active on the board of directors of MAIA.

11.4 Linear Feet 19 boxes

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