Guide to the Samuel I. Hayakawa Papers

Finding Aid Authors: Chris Atchley (Intern).

2007-12-07

5500 Campanile Dr. MC 8050

San Diego, CA, 92182-8050

URL: http://library.sdsu.edu/scua

Email: scref@rohan.sdsu.edu

Phone: 619-594-6791

Guide to the Samuel I. Hayakawa Papers 1959/1982

Special Collections & University Archives

Overview of the Collection

Collection Title: Samuel I. Hayakawa Papers

Dates: 1959-1982

Bulk Dates: 1970-1982

Identification: MS-0020

Creator: Hayakawa, Samuel I. (Ichiyé), 1906-1992

Physical Description: 10.22 linear ft

Language of Materials: English

Repository: Special Collections & University Archives

5500 Campanile Dr. MC 8050

San Diego, CA, 92182-8050

URL: http://library.sdsu.edu/scua

Email: scref@rohan.sdsu.edu

Phone: 619-594-6791

Biographical Information:

Samuel Ichiyé Hayakawa was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on July 18, 1906 and naturalized as a United States citizen. Hayakawa, who was of Japanese decent, attended public schools in Calgary and Winnipeg. He received a B.A. in English (University of Manitoba, 1927) an M.A. in English (McGill University, 1928), and a Ph.D. in English and American literature (University of Wisconsin, 1935). After attaining his higher degrees, Hayakawa subsequently taught English at the University of Wisconsin (1936-1939), Illinois Institute of Technology (1939-1947), the University of Chicago (1950-1955), and San Francisco State College (1968-1973).

An internationally renowned semanticist, Hayakawa gained notoriety within the academic world with several notable publications such as: Language in Thought and Action (1949) which went through four editions and was translated into ten languages, and Symbol, Status and Personality (1963) which was translated into Swedish, German, Japanese and Spanish. Hayakawa was appointed as President Emeritus of San Francisco State University 1973; the year the college had attained university status.

Hayakawa, previously Democrat, became a registered Republican in 1973. After placing a bid for senatorial office in 1976, Hayakawa was elected to a six-year term representing California in the United States Senate beginning January 3, 1977. During his term which ended January 3, 1983, Hayakawa served on the senate committees for Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry; Foreign Relations; and the Select Business Committee on Small Business. He was also a member of the U. S. Senate Republican Conference and the Senate Republican Steering Committee.

Hayakawa earned a reputation for issuing unorthodox ideas and adhering to a philosophical process of thought. He was more infamously known as a "sleeper senator" due to his occasional napping during senate meetings. His ideas were not always favorable to fellow senators; nevertheless he was highly respected by his peers for his sharp intellect and wit.

Following the end of his term and an illustrious career which included numerous honorary degrees and accolades, Hayakawa retired to his Mill Valley home in California where he resided with his wife Margedant until his death in Greenbrae, California on February 27, 1992 at the age of 85.

Access Terms

This collection is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.

Genre/Form of Material:

Personal Papers

Publications

Geographic Name:

San Diego (Calif.) -- Politics and government

Personal Name:

Hayakawa, S. I. ‪(‬Samuel Ichiyé‪)‬, 1906-1992 -- Archives

Topical Term:

Legislators -- California -- Sources

Administrative Information

Conditions Governing Use:

The copyright interests in some of these materials have been transferred to or belong to San Diego State University. The nature of historical archival and manuscript collections means that copyright status may be difficult or even impossible to determine. Copyright resides with the creators of materials contained in the collection or their heirs. Requests for permission to publish must be submitted to the Head of Special Collections, San Diego State University, Library and Information Access. Permissions is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical item and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder(s), which must also be obtained in order to publish. Materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials.

Conditions Governing Access:

This collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation:

Identification of item, folder title, box number, Samuel I. Hayakawa Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Library and Information Access, San Diego State University.

Related Materials:

Robert Carlton (Bob) Wilson Papers, 1953-198

Jim Bates Papers, 1981-1990

Arrangement of Materials:

I. General Office Files, 1957-1982

II. Subject Files and Reports, 1977-1982

III. Organizations and Business Files, 1977-1982

Scope and Contents

The Samuel I. Hayakawa Papers document Hayakawa's term as a United States Senator. The collection comes from Hayakawa's San Diego-based regional office, one of five regional offices in California, and consists only of office records. The San Diego regional office covered the counties of San Diego, Imperial Valley, Riverside, and San Bernardino. The records consist of biographical data on Hayakawa, correspondence, invitations, office memos, press releases, reports, subject files, files on organizations and businesses, and some confidential materials. This collection is organized into three series: General Office Files, Subject Files and Reports, and Organizations and Businesses.

The General Office Files document the day to the day operations of Hayakawa's San Diego regional office during his senatorial term (1977-1982). The series contains a small amount of sporadic texts dating pre-1977, and a wide array of folders containing textual documents. The series includes: biographical data, correspondence, invitations, legislation activities, news clippings, press releases, reports, requests, speeches, awards, testimonies, weekly columns, and receipts. It is filed alphabetically by folder name.

The Subject Files and Reports document major issues, projects, concerns, and needs addressed by Senator Hayakawa while in office. Most of the subject files are on local issues, while some are on major national issues of various interests, such as abortion, nuclear weapons abolition, and immigration. The series dates from 1965-1982, and is filed alphabetically by folder name.

The Organizations and Businesses series documents information on local San Diego, national and federal organizations and businesses that were at some point in contact with Hayakawa's San Diego regional office from 1976-1982. This series contains textual documents ranging from formal reports to weekly newsletters. It is filed alphabetically by folder name.

Detailed List of Contents

General Office Files 1959-1982

Box 1, Folder 1

Biographical Data 1977-1981

Box 1, Folder 2

Correspondence-Hayakawa Incoming 1977

Box 1, Folder 3

Correspondence-Hayakawa Incoming 1978

Box 1, Folder 4

Correspondence-Hayakawa Incoming 1979

Box 1, Folder 5

Correspondence-Hayakawa Incoming 1979

Box 1, Folder 6

Correspondence-Hayakawa Incoming 1981

Box 1, Folder 7

Correspondence-Hayakawa Incoming 1982

Box 1, Folder 8

Correspondence-Hayakawa Outgoing 1977

Box 1, Folder 9

Correspondence-Hayakawa Outgoing 1978

Box 1, Folder 10

Correspondence-Hayakawa Outgoing 1979

Box 1, Folder 11

Correspondence-Hayakawa Outgoing 1980

Box 1, Folder 12

Correspondence-Hayakawa Outgoing 1981

Box 1, Folder 13

Correspondence-Hayakawa Outgoing 1982

Box 1, Folder 14

Correspondence-Hayakawa Outgoing Special Congratulations 1977-1980

Box 1, Folder 15

Correspondence-Secondary 1977

Box 1, Folder 16

Correspondence-Secondary 1978

Box 1, Folder 17

Correspondence-Secondary 1979

Box 2, Folder 1

Correspondence-Secondary 1981

Box 2, Folder 2

Correspondence-Victoria Betts 1978-1979

Box 2, Folder 3

Correspondence-Victoria Betts 1978-1979

Box 2, Folder 4

Correspondence-Victoria Bie 1979

Box 2, Folder 5

Correspondence-Jimmy Brown 1978

Box 2, Folder 6

Correspondence-Mary T. Goedde 1979

Box 2, Folder 7

Correspondence-Jeff Marston 1978-1981

Box 2, Folder 8

Correspondence-Jeff Marston 1979

Box 2, Folder 9

Correspondence-Jeff Marston 1982

Box 2, Folder 10

Correspondence-Doris Mckinney 1978-1979

Box 2, Folder 11

Correspondence-James Mckinney 1977-1979

Box 2, Folder 12

Correspondence-Beverly Speicher 1979

Box 2, Folder 13

Correspondence-John Ventura 1977

Box 2, Folder 14

Correspondence-John Ventura 1978

Box 2, Folder 15

Correspondence-Cynthia Vicknair 1977

Box 2, Folder 16

Correspondence-Staff 1977-1982

Box 2, Folder 17

Invitations-Accepted 1977

Box 2, Folder 18

Invitations-Accepted 1978

Box 2, Folder 19

Invitations-Accepted 1979

Box 3, Folder 1

Invitations-Accepted 1979

Box 3, Folder 2

Invitations-Accepted 1980

Box 3, Folder 3

Invitations-Accepted 1980

Box 3, Folder 4

Invitations-Accepted 1980

Box 3, Folder 5