Guide to the Douglas Giddings Mission Bay Collection
MS 260
Finding aid prepared by Sandra Kirkwood
Collection processed as part of grant project supported by the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) with generous
funding from The Andrew Mellon Foundation.
San Diego History Center Document Collection
1649 El Prado, Suite 3
San Diego, CA, 92101
619-232-6203
February 22, 2012
Title: Douglas Giddings Mission Bay Collection
Identifier/Call Number: MS 260
Contributing Institution:
San Diego History Center Document Collection
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
0.5 Linear feet
(1 box)
Date (inclusive): 1957-1993
Abstract: The collection details the planning, development, and public use of Mission Bay Park.
creator:
Giddings, Douglas Roy
Arrangement
Items in the collection are arranged by subject.
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
The San Diego History Center (SDHC) holds the copyright to any unpublished materials. SDHC Library regulations do apply.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Sandra Kirkwood on February 22, 2012.
Collection processed as part of grant project supported by the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) with generous
funding from The Andrew Mellon Foundation.
Preferred Citation
Douglas Giddings Mission Bay Collection, MS 260, San Diego History Center Document Collection, San Diego, CA.
Biographical / Historical Notes
Douglas Roy Giddings, a San Diego native, was born April 15, 1917. After graduating from San Diego High School in 1935, Giddings
attended Arizona University followed by the Stanford University School of Law. He served as a naval officer in the United
States Navy from 1942-1946, during World War II. Giddings commanded the U.S.S. Ramona (IX-76), patrolling the California coast,
and a minesweeper, serving the Western Pacific. Following his military service, he passed the California Bar exam and worked
at several law firms in San Diego. Giddings married Mary Poag in June 1947, and together they raised three daughters. He was
involved in various organizations in San Diego, including the San Diego Yacht Club, Wild Animal Park Board, San Diego Zoo,
Children’s Hospital, and the San Diego Kiwanas. In the 1950s, Giddings was appointed by the San Diego City Council to the
Mission Bay Park Commission where he served as Chairman for several years starting in 1957. After retirement, Giddings purchased
an avocado grove and packing house, eventually turning it into a ranch. Douglas R. Giddings passed away on June 2, 2009, due
to complications from a broken hip.
Mission Bay Park has not always been an aquatic destination for water enthusiasts. The area was originally a vast marsh area
full of mud and silt, dubbed “False Bay” by explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo in 1542. From 1852-1929, the Army Core of Engineers
built a dike in order to permanently route the San Diego River into Mission Bay, thereby avoiding further dumping of river
silt into the San Diego Bay. In 1945, the City of San Diego was granted a deed to the Mission Bay land from the State of California,
on the condition that the all land and water remain open for public use. Only limited leases were allowed for commercial enterprises.
Due to lack of funds, development of the area into an aquatic recreational park did not begin until the mid-1960s. Post-war
funds and bonds were set aside for development, and in the 1970s the public started to use the area for recreation. By 1978,
Mission Bay Park was operating with profit and solidified itself as a local recreational gem and tourist attraction, garnering
recognition even from the
New York Times. An update to the master plan for the Mission Bay Park in 1993 focused efforts on environmental preservation in order to
protect the delicate ecosystem and to guarantee the park’s safe use in future generations.
Scope and Content
Douglas Giddings’ collection on Mission Bay Park’s planning, development, and public use includes published reports, annual
financial reports, Giddings’ research notes, and newspaper articles on the Park’s history. Topics covered in the published
reports include Park development, policies for land and water use, council resolutions, design concepts, sign policies, event
planning, and environmental considerations. Reports also include conceptual drawings, maps, and aerial photographs. Annual
financial reports to the State of California outline funds allocated to the operation and development of the Park from 1971-1978.
Of particular interest are memorandums and newspaper articles which highlight a 1978 proposed parking fee for Mission Bay
Park. Additionally the collection includes a school report on Mission Bay Park written by Douglas Giddings’ granddaughter.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Accession number 2003.100.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Giddings, Douglas Roy
Patterson, John K.
Rick, Glenn A.
San Diego (Calif.). Engineering Dept.
San Diego (Calif.). Park and Recreation Dept.
San Diego (Calif.). Planning Dept.
San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Aquatic sports
Boats and boating
Dredging
Fishing
Local history
Maps
Mission Bay Park (San Diego, Calif.)
Recreation areas
Sailing
San Diego (Calif.)
Wetland conservation
Box-folder 1:1
Report: "Mission Bay Development: An Evaluation of Pertinent Oceanographic Factors,"
1957
Box-folder 1:2
Report: "Crescent Beach Development Association,"
1961
Box-folder 1:3
Report: "Mission Bay Park Events and Promotion: Summary of Research and Specific Recommendations,"
1961
Box-folder 1:4
Report: "Signs: Mission Bay Park,"
1963
Box-folder 1:5
Letter regarding "Signs: Mission Bay Park,"
1964
Box-folder 1:6
Report: "Mission Bay Park Design Principals,"
1963
Box-folder 1:7
Report: Mission Bay, 1939-1965,
1965
Box-folder Oversize Collections D4
Report: "Master Plan Recommendations for Mission Bay Park for the City of San Diego,"
1969
Box-folder 1:8
Report: "Mission Bay Small-boat Harbor and Marine Park, Review and Recommendations,"
1970
Box-folder 1:9
Report: "Mission Bay Park Master Plan Update, Draft Report,"
1993
Box-folder 1:10
Annual financial reports,
1971-1978
Box-folder 1:11
Mission Bay parking fee issue,
1978
Box-folder 1:12
"Tentative Development Plan for Mission Bay State Park Map 2 1939" (photo print),
1939
Box-folder 1:13
"Mission Bay Park Events and Promotion: Summary of Research and Specific Recommendations" (press release),
1961-1962
Box-folder 1:14
Newspaper clippings,
1960-1981 and undated
Box-folder 1:15
Miscellanea,
1956, 1999
Includes:
Mission Bay bonds brochure, undated
Recreation Agreement, City of San Diego and San Diego Unified School District, 1956
"It’s All About Money" by Jessica Siemer (Giddings' granddaughter), 1999
Box-folder 1:16
Douglas Giddings’ research notes,
undated