Joseph L. Wyatt collection of California Democratic Council records, 1953-1967
Processed by Saundra Taylor; machine-readable finding aid created by Caroline Cubé and edited by Josh Fiala.
UCLA Library Special Collections
Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1575
(310) 825-4988
spec-coll@library.ucla.edu
©2005 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Title: Joseph L. Wyatt collection of California Democratic Council records
Collection number: 1082
Contributing Institution:
UCLA Library Special Collections
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
7.0 linear ft.
(14 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1953-1967
Abstract: The California Democratic Council (CDC), a federation of local volunteer clubs, was established in 1953. CDC endorsements
and campaign support led to the first full statewide slate of Democrats in 40 years (1954) and also figured prominently in
the election of Edmund G. “Pat” Brown as California governor in 1958. Joseph Lucian Wyatt, Jr. (b.1924) was the secretary
of the California Democratic Council (1953-57), and president (1957-61). He was also the California delegate at the Democratic
National Conventions in 1956, 1960, 1964, and 1968. The collection consists of correspondence, clippings, and printed material
related to the formation, development, and activities of the California Democratic Council (CDC) between 1953 and 1967, and
materials related to another organization, the Dime-A-Day Democracy Group.
Physical location: Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact the UCLA Library Special
Collections Reference Desk for paging information.
Creator:
Wyatt, Joseph L., 1924-
Restrictions on Access
Open for research. STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact UCLA Library
Special Collections for paging information.
Restrictions on Use and Reproduction
Property rights to the physical object belong to UCLA Library Special Collections. Literary rights, including copyright, are
retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright
and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
Gift of Joseph L. Wyatt, Jr., 1969.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Joseph L. Wyatt Collection of California Democratic Council Records (Collection 1082). Department
of Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, UCLA.
Biography
Joseph Lucian Wyatt, Jr. was born in Chicago, Illinois, February 21, 1924; attended Northwestern University (AB, 1947) and
Harvard Law School (LL.B., 1949); became a lawyer and sole practitioner, Los Angeles, California, in 1949; member California
State Personnel Board, 1961-71; Director, Los Angeles Junior Chamber of Commerce, 1956-59; secretary, California Democratic
Council (CDC), 1953-57; president, CDC, 1957-61; California delegate, Democratic National Convention, 1956, 1960, 1964, and
1968.
The California Democratic Council (CDC), a federation of local volunteer clubs, was established in 1953; under the direction
of founding president Alan Cranston, the CDC was able to balance its electoral and legislative goals; CDC endorsements and
campaign support led to the first full statewide slate of Democrats in 40 years (1954) and also figured prominently in the
election of Edmund G. “Pat” Brown as California governor in 1958; as the CDC's focus became increasingly ideological, tensions
led to a steady decline in its membership and presence in California politics; membership peaked at 75,000 in 1964.
Scope and Content
Collection consists of correspondence, clippings, and printed material related to the formation, development, and activities
of the California Democratic Council (CDC) between 1953 and 1967. Materials relate to Wyatt's involvement in the CDC as its
secretary and president. Also contains materials related to another organization, the Dime-A-Day Democracy Group.
Partial List of Correspondents in Collection
Anderson, Glenn M.
lieutenant-governor of California
Bowlest Chester
Brown, Edmund G. (Pat)
governor of California
Burns, Hugh
California State Senate
Cranston Alan
Doyle, Clyde
California congressman
Eagle, Clair
California senator
Galbraith, John Kenneth
Gore Albert
Tennessee senator
Hanna, Richard T.
California state legislator
Johnson, Lyndon Baines
Senate majority leader
Kefauver, Estes
Senator
Miller, George
California congressman
Mosk, Stanley
judge and California state attorney-general
Pitchess, Peter J.
Los Angeles County sherrif
Rees, Thomas
California state legislator
Richards, Richard
California state legislator
Roosevelt, James
California congressman
Schleisenger, Arthur M. Jr.
Unruh, Jesse
California state legislator
Wagner, Robert F. Jr.
New York City mayor
Wyman, Rosalind
Los Angeles City councilwoman
Yarborough, Ralph
Texas senator
Yorty, Samuel
Los Angeles Mayor
Ziffren, Paul
Democratic national committeeman
Related Material
UCLA Catalog Record ID
Subjects and Indexing Terms
California Democratic Council--Archives.
Democratic Party (Calif.).
Wyatt, Joseph L., 1924- --Archives.
California--Politics and government, 1951- .
Box 1, Folder 1
Campaign literature, 1952 election.
1952
Scope and Content Note
Includes material on R. Nixon, John J. Sparkman, Adlai Stevenson, Dean E. McHenry, et al.
Box 1, Folder 2
CDC - Convention notes, Fresno.
November 1953.
Box 1, Folder 3
Dime-A-Day for Democracy.
1953.
Box 1, Folder 4
CDC - Convention notes, Fresno.
February 1954.
Box 1, Folder 5
Dime-A-Day for Democracy.
1954.
Box 1, Folder 6
Miscellaneous conventions & constitutions.
1954-1958.
Scope and Content Note
Includes CDC, Congressional, and assembly districts.
Box 1, Folder 7
Pre-primary campaign literature.
1954.
Scope and Content Note
Includes material on Goodwin Knight, Pat Brown, Stevenson, Steve Zetterberg, Edward R. Roybal, Richard Graves, Jesse Unruh,
Samuel Yorty, Laurance Cross, et al.
Box 1, Folder 8
Campaigns. “George L. Thomas for Council.”
1955.
Box 2, Folder 1
CDC Convention.
March 19-20, 1955.
Box 2, Folder 2
CDC Convention, continued. Correspondence.
Box 2, Folder 3
CDC Convention - Minutes.
1955.
Box 2, Folder 4
Dime-A-Day for Democracy.
1955.
Box 2, Folder 5
CDC Correspondence - Complaint letters.
1956.
Box 2, Folder 7
Primary campaign literature.
1956.
Box 2, Folder 8
Democratic National Convention.
1956.
Box 2, Folder 9
General campaign.
1956.
Scope and Content Note
Includes literature on Yorty, Nixon, Stevenson, Thomas Kuchel, Richard Richards, et al. (clippings, campaign literature, some
correspondence).
Box 3, Folder 3
CDC Legislative letter.
1957.
Box 3, Folders 2, 6-9
CDC Correspondence.
1957-1958.
Box 4, Folder 1
CDC - Mosk for Attorney-General.
1958.
Box 4, Folder 2
CDC - Right-to-work legislation.
1958.
Box 4, Folder 3
CDC - Pre-primary registration data.
1958.
Box 4-5
CDC Correspondence.
1959.
Box 5, Folder 7
CDC - Eagle (Clair).
1959.
Box 5, Folder 8
CDC - Engle for Senate.
1959.
Box 5, Folders 9-10
CDC Issues conference.
1959.
Box 6, Folder 2
CDC Legislative letter.
1959.
Box 6, Folder 3
CDC Legislative letter.
1959.
Scope and Content Note
Correspondence.
Box 6, Folder 7
CDC - Out-of-state correspondence.
1959-61.
Box 6, Folder 8
CDC Research
re Nixon.
1959.
Box 7, Folders 1-12
CDC correspondence.
1960.
Box 8, Folder 1
CDC Issues conference.
1960.
Scope and Content Note
i.e. correspondence, etc.
re conference.
Box 8, Folder 2
CDC Issues conference.
1960.
Box 8, Folder 3
CDC - Kennedy for President.
1960.
Box 8, Folder 4
CDC Legislative letter.
1960.
Box 8, Folder 7
CDC Presidential delegation (prior to 1960 convention).
1960.
Box 8, Folder 8
CDC Primary campaign.
1960.
Box 9, Folder 2
CDC Publicity, clippings.
1960.
Box 9, Folder 3
Democratic National Convention, General.
1960.
Box 9, Folders 4-6
Democratic National Convention, California Democratic delegation.
1960.
Box 10, Folder 1
CDC Board of Directors.
April 1961.
Box 10, Folder 3
CDC Correspondence.
1961 January-March.
Box 10, Folder 5
CDC Legislative letter (Los Angeles).
1961.
Box 10, Folder 6
CDC Legislative letter (San Francisco).
1961.
Box 10, Folder 7
CDC Publicity.
1961.
Scope and Content Note
Mostly clippings, many
re Wyatt's retirement as president of CDC.
Box 10, Folder 8
CDC Convention, Fresno.
January 26-28, 1962.
Box 10, Folder 10
Kennedy assassination, clippings.
1963.
Box 11, Folder 1
CDC Convention, Rules committee.
1964.
Box 11, Folder 2
CDC - Cranston for U.S. Senate.
1964.
Box 11, Folder 3
CDC Legislative newsletter.
1964.
Box 11, Folder 5
CDC Primary.
1964.
Scope and Content Note
Mostly “Cranston for Senate.”
Box 11, Folder 6
CDC Publicity
1964.
Scope and Content Note
Includes Governor Brown press releases.
Box 11, Folder 7
Democratic National Convention, California delegation.
1964.
Box 12, Folder 2
CDC Convention, photographs.
1965.
Box 12, Folder 3
Johnson Inauguration, memorabilia.
1965.
Box 12, Folder 5
Brown campaign.
1966.
Scope and Content Note
Includes other campaign literature - e.g. Lloyd Hand for lieutenant governor & Cranston.
Box 12, Folder 7
Campaign Literature.
1966.
Box 12, Folder 8
Politics
1966.
Scope and Content Note
Mostly
re Brown campaign.
Box 13, Folder 1
Election - Proposition #1, (
re public retirement funds).
1966.
CDC Miscellaneous Files
1966-1967.
Box 13, Folder 3
Brown, Edmund G. (Pat).
1958-1965.
Box 13, Folder 4
CDC - Descriptive literature for distribution.
Box 13, Folder 6
CDC - Election reform & reapportionment.
Box 13, Folder 7
CDC - Pre-primary endorsements.
Scope and Content Note
Including draft (carbon) of “Preprimary Endorsement” by Leonard Rowe, September 1960.
Box 14, Folders 1-2
CDC Publicity - Retraction statements.
1960.
Scope and Content Note
Includes “anti” campaign material put out in 1960 election campaign.
Box 14, Folder 3
CDC - Report of President Joseph L. Wyatt.
1958.
Scope and Content Note
Includes a carbon typescript of Cranston's speech at founding of CDC, 1953.
Box 14, Folder 4
CDC Resolutions.
1958-1962.
Scope and Content Note
Includes material on Nixon's governor's race.
Box 14, Folder 6
Miscellaneous pamphlets.
v.d..
Scope and Content Note
Mostly
re California Democratic politics, 1952-66.