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Finding Aid to the Art Agnos Papers,
1977-2002 (bulk 1984-1991)
SFH 46
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Table of contents
Title: Art Agnos papers
Date (inclusive): 1977-2002
Date (bulk): 1984-1991
Collection Identifier: SFH 46
Creator:
Agnos, Art, 1938-
Creator:
Bush, Larry, 1946-
Physical Description:
76 boxes
(73.8 cubic feet)
Contributing Institution:
San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library
100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 557-4567
info@sfpl.org
Abstract: This collection documents the political career of Art Agnos, who represented the 16th district in the California Assembly
from 1976 to 1988 and was mayor of San Francisco from 1988-1992.
Language of Materials: Collection materials are mainly in
English.
Some press clippings are in
Greek.
The collection is open for research. A minimum of two working days' notice is required for use. Photographs can be viewed
during the Photograph Desk hours. Call the San Francisco History Center for hours and information at 415-557-4567
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the City Archivist. Permission
for publication is given on behalf of the San Francisco Public Library as the owner of the physical items.
[Identification of item], Art Agnos Papers (SFH 46), San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
Transferred from City Hall following Agnos' mayoral term. Additional accessions were received from City Hall in 2004, and
from Art Agnos and Larry Bush in 2006.
The History Center has two related collections, the Jerry Davis Papers (SFH 52) and the Larry Bush Papers. As a staff member
of the Human Rights Commission under Agnos, Jerry Davis authored the Family Policy Task Force final report which led to successful
domestic partners health benefits legislation. Larry Bush was a legislative aide to Agnos, both on the assemblyman's and mayor's
staffs, and continued to work with Agnos after both left City Hall. Researchers are encouraged to see also the History Center's
Historical Photograph collection as well as biographical, subject, and card files. Users should also search the library catalog
for related material including the thesis,
The Politics of Homelessness,
Daniel Tafner McGarry, 2008.
Photographs have been transferred to the San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection.
Items transferred to the History Center's subject files:
Annual reports of: Public Library, 1988-1989; Recreation & Park Department, 1988-1989; Asian Art Museum, 1989; Commission
on Aging, 1990-1991; District Attorney's Office, 1988-1989; and Housing Authority, 1987.
5 cubic feet of records (1980-1992) were transferred to the Jerry Davis papers (SFH 52).
8.25 cubic feet of records of Mayor Dianne Feinstein (1980-1987) were transferred to the Department of Special Collections,
Stanford University, on Feb. 4, 2014.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
A VHS videocassette and five audiocassettes are included in the collection.
Processed by Tami J. Suzuki with preliminary container listing prepared by Daniel T. McGarry (intern, 2006.)
Art Agnos, 1938- , is a former politician and government administrator.
Agnos was born Arthur Christ Agnos on Sept. 1, 1938 in Springfield, Massachusetts. Described as gregarious by some, abrasive
by others, he is best known for his political work as California assemblyman, 1976-1988, and as San Francisco mayor, 1988-1992.
He earned a Master of Social Work degree and worked in the south during the segregation era before moving to San Francisco
in 1966 to work for the public housing agency. He was an aide to California State Assemblyman Leo McCarthy from 1968 to 1976,
becoming Chief of Staff in 1974. He survived a shooting in 1973 during a wave of attacks that became known as the Zebra murders.
He would look back on this with "an appreciation for life." He was elected to the Assembly in 1976 in a hard-fought battle
against Harvey Milk. Endorsed by Willie L. Brown, Phillip and John Burton, and George Moscone, Agnos won the seat by 4,000
votes. During his six terms representing District 16, the assemblyman served as the chair of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee
and of the Health and Welfare Subcommittee of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee. Agnos also served as vice chair of the
Joint Committee on Refugee Resettlement and Immigration. He authored over 90 bills including work-for-welfare legislation
and landmark Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) bills.
Agnos was elected San Francisco's 39th mayor in 1987 with 70 percent of the vote in the runoff against Supervisor John Molinari.
Facing budget problems and homelessness, he immediately set to work to produce a balanced budget. He created the
Beyond Shelter
plan, the city’s first comprehensive approach to homelessness. A 1989 downtown baseball stadium measure that he supported
narrowly lost; he called this his biggest disappointment. He was credited with strong leadership in handling the recovery
from the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. Against significant opposition, he led efforts to demolish the quake-damaged Embarcadero
Freeway. Leaving office, he said his proudest moment was the way San Franciscans responded following the earthquake.
He became the city's first mayor to ride in the Gay Freedom Day parade, in 1988. Agnos signed domestic partner legislation
in June 1989 which was narrowly repealed by voters that fall. The same year, he established the Family Policy Task Force to
study the inclusion of extended family members and partners of gays and lesbians as dependents on the city health plan. As
a result, the city adopted domestic partner benefits in 1991. He was defeated in his re-election bid by former Police Chief
Frank Jordan, 52 to 48 percent.
After leaving City Hall, Agnos worked as Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. In 2007,
he was appointed receiver of the San Francisco Housing Authority. In a [1993?] television interview, he said:
"I liked being mayor best of all because you have unparalleled power to pick up the phone on any issue you wanted to get into,
and I love to get into issues, and I love to gather people around me who had what I call 'Peace Corps hearts and linebacker
eyes,' who wanted to get into issues and fight 'em. It was an extraordinary kind of time." (Interview with Evan White,
Bay TV Live,
[1993?]).
Larry Bush, 1946- , is a journalist and former political aide and
government administrator.
Bush was the Washington D.C. correspondent for
The Advocate.
He published several articles in both gay and straight publications, conducted interviews, gave speeches, and published the
Bush Report, which was concerned with gay political and cultural issues. He was also the Washington liaison for the National
Gay Task Force.
Bush served as a legislative aide to and speech writer for Art Agnos, both on the assemblyman's and mayor's staffs. He continued
to work with Agnos at HUD and edited
CitiReport,
a San Francisco political newsletter.
This collection documents the political career of Art Agnos, who served in the California State Assembly from 1976 to 1987,
and as Mayor of San Francisco from 1988 to 1992.
Materials include bill files, subject files, administrative files, strategy and policy memoranda, constituent correspondence,
notes, speeches, newsletters, reports, newspaper clippings, press releases, reference material and some photographs. The collection
includes papers of his aide and speechwriter, Larry Bush. Subjects include welfare reform, gays and gay rights, AIDS, domestic
partners, homelessness, Soviet Jewry, 1989 earthquake, Embarcadero Freeway, homeporting of the USS Missouri, integration of
the Fire Department, Mission Bay and Yerba Buena Gardens development, downtown baseball stadium, Loma Prieta earthquake, and
Agnos' 1987 mayoral and 1991 re-election campaigns. A small number of photographs depict an inauguration day gathering, the
mayor riding in the city’s Gay Rights Parade, Mother Theresa visiting City Hall, and Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev's
visit. Also included is a post-mayoral television interview in which Agnos reflects upon his political work.
The collection is arranged in two record groups, Assembly and Mayoral.
Record Group 1: Assembly
is divided into four series: Series 1: Legislation and Research; Series 2: Larry Bush Legislation and Research; Series 3:
Speeches; and Series 4: Campaigns.
Record Group 2: Mayoral
is divided into eight series: Series 5: Legislation and Research; Series 6: Larry Bush Legislation and Research; Series 7:
Budget; Series 8: Speeches; Series 9: Campaigns; Series 10: Correspondence; Series 11: Press Releases; and Series 12: Press
Clippings.
Four boxes of Larry Bush records marked "Book1," "Book 2," "Book 3," and "Book 4" were incorporated into the
Larry Bush Legislation and Research
series, mainly into the
Mayoral
record group. Numerous loose papers were included in appropriate folders and series.
All types of documents and subjects can be found in most other series. For example,
Speeches
can contain correspondence, memoranda, press clippings, and press releases.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Agnos, Art, 1938-
Bush, Larry, 1946-
AIDS (Disease) -- Law and legislation -- California.
AIDS (Disease) -- Law and legislation -- California -- San Francisco.
City planning--California--San Francisco.
Family policy -- California -- San Francisco.
Gay rights -- California -- San Francisco.
Homelessness -- Government policy -- California -- San Francisco.
Mayors -- California -- San Francisco.
California -- Legislature -- Assembly.
San Francisco (Calif.) -- Politics and government -- 20th century.
Urban policy -- California -- San Francisco.
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