This collection documents the life, work, and engaged scholarship of William Herbert Friedland, covering his early education and work as a labor organizer with the United Auto Workers (UAW), his role founding the Community Studies program at UC Santa Cruz, and his scholarship on the sociology of agriculture. The collection contains writings from his undergraduate years, along with notes, pamphlets, reports, and an FBI file from Friedland's time as a labor organizer with the UAW while he was employed by the Hudson Motor Company in Detroit, MI. The collection also documents his interest and work on labor songs. The bulk of the collection pertains to Friedland's turn to academia in the mid-1950s, and especially his dedication to socially-relevant research and engagement of students. The collection contains writings and diaries from his dissertation fieldwork, as well as detailed field notes from students and researchers involved in the Cornell Migrant Labor Project. The collection has materials related to the founding of the UCSC Community Studies Program, including teaching files, syllabi, student life information, and administrative correspondence. It also contains memos and certificates regarding the founding and institutionalization of the Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS) at UCSC, in which Friedland was involved. The collection contains field notes, research interviews, project proposals, manuscripts, and other contents that pertain to his work in the sociology of agriculture.

William Herbert Friedland was a labor organizer, educator, researcher of the sociology of agriculture, and founder of the Community Studies program at UC Santa Cruz, which he established in 1969. While at UCSC, Friedland conducted groundbreaking research in what is now considered the sociology of agriculture, for which he is considered one of the founders. In his earlier life, he worked as a labor organizer with the United Auto Workers in automobile assembly plants in Detroit, Michigan. In 2005, Friedland received a lifetime achievement award from the Rural Sociological Society, and in 2012 he was named Distinguished Rural Sociologist by the Rural Sociological Society. Friedland also received the UC's first Distinguished Social Sciences Emeriti Faculty Award in 2007 in recognition of his impact as an educator and scholar. William Friedland passed away in 2018.

15.5 Linear Feet 12 boxes

Copyright for the items in this collection is owned by the creators and their heirs. Reproduction or distribution of any work protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires permission from the copyright owner. It is the responsibility of the user to determine whether a use is fair use, and to obtain any necessary permissions. For more information see UCSC Special Collections and Archives policy on Reproduction and Use. Note: Upon donation of his field notes, William Friedland requested for "anyone using the material in any way to assign pseudonyms to any person(s) mentioned in the field notes."

Collection open for research. Audiovisual media is unavailable until reformatted. Digital files are available in the UCSC Special Collections and Archives reading room. Some files may require reformatting before they can be accessed. Technical limitations may hinder the Library's ability to provide access to some digital files. Access to digital files on original carriers is prohibited; users must request to view access copies. Contact Special Collections and Archives in advance to request access to audiovisual media and digital files.