Access
Publication Rights
Preferred Citation
Processing History
Biographical History
Scope and Content of Collection
Arrangement
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
SJSU Special Collections & Archives
Title: Mayor Ron Gonzales Administrative Papers
creator:
Gonzales, Ronald R. (1951-)
Identifier/Call Number: MSS.2006.07.18
Physical Description:
29 boxes
(28.4 Linear Feet)
Date (inclusive): 1989-2006 1998-2006
Date (inclusive): 1998-2006
Abstract: The Mayor Ron Gonzales Administrative Papers documents the political career of Ron Gonzales. Gonzales contributed to Santa
Clara County politics, first serving two terms as the Mayor of Sunnyvale (1979-1987), and an eight-year term on the Santa
Clara County Board of Supervisors (1989-1996). In 1998 he was elected to the office of mayor in San José, where he served
another eight years (1998-2006). The bulk of this collection documents San José city politics, which includes interactions
between city, state, and the federal government. The collection includes audiovisual materials, correspondence, constituent
letters, memos, newspaper and magazine articles, speeches, and press releases. Some of the topics covered include extending
BART service to South San José, creation of new jobs for women and minorities, the opening of the Martin Luther King Jr. Library,
education, gang prevention, and other civic related issues. The collection is arranged into two series: Series I: Political
Records, 1989-2006 (bulk 1998-2006); Series II: VHS Tape Recordings 1992-2006 (bulk 1999-2006).
Access
The collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Copyright is assigned to the San Jose State University Special Collections & Archives. All requests for permission to publish
or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Special Collections. Permission for publication
is given on behalf of the Special Collections & Archives. Copyright restrictions may apply to digital reproductions of the
original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes.
Preferred Citation
Mayor Ron Gonzales Administrative Papers, MSS-2006-07-18, San José State University Library Special Collections & Archives.
Processing History
Collection processed by Robert Donahue. Finding aid EAD encoded by Robert Donahue. Reviewed by Danelle Moon. Boxes 28 and
29 added to the collection in February 2019 by Samira Habibi.
Biographical History
Ronald R. Gonzales (1951- ) attended De Anza College before moving on to the University of California at Santa Cruz where
he graduated with a degree in Community Studies (1973). Gonzales became active in California politics, serving on the Sunnyvale
City Council (1979-1987), and the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors (1989-1996). Ron Gonzales briefly left politics
to work as an executive at Hewlett-Packard, a Silicon Valley based company. From 1999-2006 Gonzales served as the first Latino
mayor of San José since California became a state in 1850, and was one of the first Latino mayors of a large U.S. city.
While in office, Gonzales initiated several programs to help attract new teachers to San José schools including a home purchasing
assistance program. Gonzales also advocated extending Bay Area Regional Transport service to downtown San José and used San
José Redevelopment Agency funds to help revitalize downtown San José. While delivering a State of the City address on January
28, 2004, Ron Gonzales suffered a stroke but returned to his duties on February 16th of that year. In June 2006 Mayor Ron
Gonzales and one of his top aids, Joe Guerra, were accused of corruption involving a waste contract in 2000 with Norcal Waste
Systems. Gonzales denied any wrongdoing and in 2007 a judge dismissed the charges. Gonzales was succeeded by Chuck Reed in
2007.
Scope and Content of Collection
The Mayor Ron Gonzales Administrative Papers documents the political career of Ron Gonzales. Gonzales contributed to Santa
Clara County politics, first serving two terms as the Mayor of Sunnyvale (1979-1987), and an eight-year term on the Santa
Clara County Board of Supervisors (1989-1996). In 1998 he was elected to the office of mayor in San José, where he served
another eight years (1998-2006). The bulk of this collection documents San José city politics, which includes interactions
between city, state, and the federal government. The collection includes audiovisual materials, correspondence, constituent
letters, memos, newspaper and magazine articles, speeches, and press releases. Some of the topics covered include extending
BART service to South San José, creation of new jobs for women and minorities, the opening of the Martin Luther King Jr. Library,
education, gang prevention, and other civic related issues.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into two series: Series I: Political Records, 1989-2006 (bulk 1998-2006); Series II: VHS Tape Recordings
1992-2006 (bulk 1999-2006).
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Gonzales, Ronald R. (1951-)
United States -- Politics and Government
Santa Clara County (Calif.) -- Politics and Government
Santa Clara County (Calif.) -- Board of Supervisors
San José (Calif.) -- Politics and Government
Local Transit -- California -- Santa Jose
Gonzales, Ronald R., 1951-