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California Republican Assembly Records
MS.R.128
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Table of contents
Contributing Institution:
Special Collections and Archives, University of California, Irvine
Libraries
Title: California Republican Assembly records
Creator:
California Republican Assembly
Identifier/Call Number: MS.R.128
Physical Description:
0.4 Linear Feet
(1 box)
Date (inclusive): 1955-1969
Date (bulk): 1955-1957
Abstract: The collection comprises records from
the California Republican Assembly (CRA), a grassroots political organization that promotes
conservative values, policies, and candidates related to the Republican Party. Over the
years CRA has supported several winning candidates in the national political arena and has
helped shape politics in California.
Language of Material:
English .
The collection is open for research.
Property rights reside with the University of California. Copyrights are retained by the
creators of the records and their heirs. For permissions to reproduce or to publish, please
contact the Head of Special Collections and Archives.
California Republican Assembly Records. MS-R128. Special Collections and Archives, The UC
Irvine Libraries, Irvine, California. Date accessed.
For the benefit of current and future researchers, please cite any additional information
about sources consulted in this collection, including permanent URLs, item or folder
descriptions, and box/folder locations.
Unknown.
Processed by Cyndi Shein, 2008.
The California Republican Assembly (CRA) is a grassroots, political organization that
promotes conservative values, policies, and candidates within the Republican Party. Dr.
Robert Craig and Edward Shattuck began the CRA in 1932 with the intention of it being free
and open to all Republicans, but for the first ten years, CRA sought the membership solely
of men under the age of forty. Shortly after its incorporation in 1935, the CRA had over
8,000 members in 47 of the 48 counties in California. The CRA had 12,000 members by 1940,
over 11,000 by 1956, and over 14,000 by 1963. Although membership in CRA was free initially,
a bylaw requiring paid memberships was eventually adopted. CRA's founding fathers
maintained an open and liberal philosophy; Dr. Robert Craig felt that paid membership
betrayed the original concept and goals of CRA. By 1955, there were many members whose
philosophy was opposed to that of CRA's founders. The liberals lost control of CRA with the
election of moderate president Fred Hall in 1962, and CRA has been dominated by a
conservative philosophy since 1972.
Over the years CRA has supported several winning candidates in the national political arena
and has helped shape politics in California. Although the CRA supports Republican values and
candidates, it does not officially represent the Republican Party.
The following chronology lists CRA presidents through 1969, the most recent date of the
materials in the collection.
| 1932-1938 | Robert Craig, executive secretary |
| 1934 February 11 | CRA holds its first statewide organizational meeting in San Jose, California. |
| 1934 March 12-1936 | Sherrill Halbert, president. |
| 1935 July 12 | CRA is incorporated. |
| 1936-1937 | Edward S. Shattuck, president. |
| 1937-1938 | Robert S. Barkell, president. |
| 1938- | George Newell serves as president and dies while in office. |
| 1938-1939 | McIntyre Faries, president. |
| 1939-1940 | Worth Brown, president. |
| 1940-1941 | William D. Campbell, president. |
| 1941-1942 | William F. Reichel, president. |
| 1942-1943 | Carlyle Lynton, president. |
| 1943-1944 | William C. Troyer, president. |
| 1944-1945 | Murray Chotiner, president. |
| 1945-1946 | Arthur C. Carmichael, president. |
| 1946-1947 | G. Revelle Harrison, president. |
| 1947-1948 | Arthur F. Strehlow, president. |
| 1948-1949 | Gordon X. Richmond, president. |
| 1949-1950 | Ernest L. West, president. |
| 1950-1951 | Harrison H. McCall, president. |
| 1951-1952 | Markell C. Baer, president. |
| 1952-1953 | A. Ronald Button, president. |
| 1953-1954 | Albert R. Bower, president. |
| 1954-1955 | Harold C. Ramser, president. |
| 1955-1956 | Robert H. Power, president. |
| 1956-1957 | Robert Fenton Craig, president. |
| 1957-1958 | George W. Milias, president. |
| 1958-1959 | John J. Philips, president. |
| 1959-1960 | Gardiner Johnson, president. |
| 1960-1961 | Harvey Mydland, president. |
| 1961-1962 | Robert Lindsey, president. |
| 1962-1963 | Fred Hall, president. |
| 1963-1964 | William Nelligan, president. |
| 1964-1965 | Nolan Frizzelle, the first of the "conservative" presidents of CRA. |
| 1965-1966 | Cyril Stevenson, Jr., president. |
| 1966-1967 | Dick Darling, president. |
| 1967-1968 | Frank P. Adams, president. |
| 1968-1969 | Tirso del Junco, president. |
| 1969-1970 | James S. Kraemer, president. |
Collection Scope and Content Summary
This collection comprises records of the California Republican Assembly, a grassroots
political organization that promotes conservative Republican platforms. Some of the
collection materials once belonged to founder and president Dr. Robert Craig. Materials
include bylaws, meeting minutes, convention materials, and reports.
This collection is arranged alphabetically by type of material.
California Republican Assembly. "History of the CRA." California Republican
Assembly: 2005. http://www.californiarepublicanassembly.com/history.htm (accessed June 10,
2008).California Republican Assembly.
State
By-laws.
N.p., 1969.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Conservatives -- California -- Societies, etc.
Conservatives -- Political activity -- California
Activists.
California Republican Assembly -- Archives