Biographical note
Arrangement
Scope and Content
Conditions Governing Access
Conditions Governing Use
Preferred Citation
Acquisition
Title: Houston Flournoy papers
Collection number: 0219
Contributing Institution:
USC Libraries Special Collections
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
15.85 Linear feet
38 boxes
Date (inclusive): 1956-1974
Abstract: The collection includes correspondence, administrative records, regulations and legislation, campaign finances, budget reports
for the State of California, commission and agency agendas, speeches, newspaper clippings, articles, and photographs from
Houston Flournoy's political career from 1956 to 1974.
creator:
Flournoy, Houston I., (Houston Irvine), 1929-
Biographical note
Houston Irving Flournoy, better known as Hugh, was born on October 7, 1929 in New York City, New York. He spent most of his
childhood on Long Island with brief stints in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Flournoy was an excellent student and attended
Garden City High School where he played in the band and managed the soccer team. In 1946, at the age of 16, Flournoy enrolled
at Cornell University where he studied under Clinton Rossiter, a Cornell faculty member who was an authority on
The Federalist. Flournoy was active in campus organizations and was a member of the Cornell University Glee Club, the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity,
the Senior Class Council, and in the Air Force Reserve Training Corps. He graduated from Cornell in 1950 with a degree in
government and proceeded to enroll in a graduate studies program at Princeton University. He entered Princeton as the holder
of the Henry P. DuBois Fellowship in American Government and received a Master's degree in Political Science in June of 1952,
the same year he was called for military service.
While stationed in Denver as a student in Combat Intelligence Officer's School, Flournoy met his future wife, Marjorie (Midge)
Westerkemp. In 1953 the two became engaged, and shortly thereafter, Flournoy was shipped out to Taegu, Korea to serve a year's
tour as a combat intelligence officer with a fighter-bomber group. Midge and Flournoy married in July of 1954 and together
they had three children, Jean, Ann, and David.
Following his military service, Flournoy re-enrolled at Princeton University to pursue a doctorate degree in politics. During
this time, he worked part-time as a Research Assistant in the Division of Legislative Information and Research of the New
Jersey Legislature. In October of 1955, Flournoy became the Legislative Assistant to New Jersey State Senator H. Alexander
Smith. He remained so until he finished his dissertation and received his Ph.D. in June of 1956.
In 1957, Flournoy took an Assistant Professor position in the Pomona College Department of Political Science and thus moved
his family to California. He quickly earned tenure status and remained at Pomona College until 1960 when he decided to run
for office. In 1960, he successfully ran for California State Assembly as a Republican Party candidate. At this time, members
of the legislature only had to serve for half the year so Pomona College agreed to give Flournoy a leave of absence every
Spring to go to Sacramento. Early in his Assembly career, he was recognized as an expert in the field of education and school
financing. He served in the Assembly from 1961 to 1966.
In 1966, he ran for California State Controller. He beat out incumbent Alan Cranston for the position and served as Controller
from 1966 to 1974. As a legislator, Flournoy supported a state land-use plan and a full-time air-pollution control board.
He also advocated a larger state role in equalizing the funding of rich and poor school districts, in part by imposing a statewide
property tax.
In 1974, Flournoy ran for Governor of California. He defeated the Lt. Governor Ed Reinecke in the GOP primary but lost a close
election to Democratic candidate, Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown, Jr. Flournoy blamed the loss on President Ford's pardon of ex-President
Richard Nixon which came just a few weeks before California's general election. This move damaged the political campaigns
of many Republican candidates, even moderates such as Flournoy. Flournoy never ran for office again.
In 1976, Flournoy was appointed a Professor position at USC. He taught at the School of Public Administration (now part of
the School of Policy, Planning, and Development) until 1993. He also served as a governmental affairs advisor for USC administration
until 1999. In addition, Flournoy served on the boards of several corporations. After retirement he resided in Ponte Vedra
Beach, Florida, and Bodega Bay, California. Flournoy was a heavy smoker for years and developed emphysema. He died of heart
failure during a flight from San Diego to Santa Rosa on January 7, 2008.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into three series correspondence, subject files related to Flournoy, and subject files related
to other republican party politicians, events, and activities. For the most part, original folder titles were kept in describing
the collections contents.
Scope and Content
The collection includes correspondence, administrative records, regulations and legislation, campaign finances, budget reports
for the State of California, commission and agency agendas, speeches, newspaper clippings, articles, and photographs from
Houston Flournoy's political career from 1956 to 1974. The material is primarily print, originals, and photocopies.
Conditions Governing Access
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE. Advance notice required for access.
Conditions Governing Use
The collection contains published articles; researchers are reminded of the copyright restrictions imposed by publishers on
reusing their articles and parts of books. It is the responsibility of researchers to acquire permission from publishers when
reusing such materials. The copyright to unpublished materials belongs to the heirs of the writers. Permission to publish,
quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.
Preferred Citation
[Box/folder# or item name], Houston Flournoy papers, Collection no. 0219, Regional History Collections, Special Collections,
USC Libraries, University of Southern California
Acquisition
USC acquired the collection in 1987.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Brown, Jerry, 1938- -- Archives
California. Governor's Office. -- Archives
California. Legislature. Assembly. -- Archives
California. Office of State Controller. -- Archives
California. Tax Reform Advisory Commission. -- Archives
Flournoy, Houston I., (Houston Irvine), 1929- -- Archives
Goldwater, Barry M., (Barry Morris), 1909-1998 -- Archives
Nixon, Richard M., (Richard Milhous), 1913-1994 -- Archives
Pomona College (Claremont, Calif.). -- Archives
Reagan, Ronald -- Archives
Republican National Convention. -- Archives
Republican Party (Calif.). -- Archives
Rockefeller, Nelson A., (Nelson Aldrich), 1908-1979 -- Archives
Unruh, Jesse, 1922-1987 -- Archives
California--Politics and government--1951---Archival resources
Clippings
Correspondence
Education, Higher--California--Archival resources
Elections--California--Archival resources
Photographs
Political campaigns--California--History--20th century--Archival resources
Political campaigns--United States--Archival resources
Political parties--Law and legislation--California--Archival resources
Politicians--California--Archival resources
Reports
Speeches, addresses, etc., American--Archival resources