Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- Hawkins, Adelia Victoria, 1884-1945 and O'Melveny, Henry, 1859-1941
- Abstract:
- Adelia Hawkins was secretary to Los Angeles attorney and civic leader Henry O'Melveny (1859-1941). The collection includes newspaper clippings, photographs, and printed materials related to O'Melveny and his experience in Southern California collected by Hawkins.
- Extent:
- .42 Linear Feet (1 box)
- Language:
- English
- Preferred citation:
-
[Box/folder# or item name], Adelia Hawkins Papers, Collection no. 0002, Special Collections and Archives, University Library, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The collection includes materials written by or pertaining to the life of Los Angeles attorney and civic leader Henry O'Melveny (1859-1941). The materials were collected by his former personal secretary Adelia Hawkins and include photographs, newspaper clippings, his personal writings, and programs from events he attended.
Henry O'Melveny was born on August 10, 1859, in Central City, Illinois. His family moved to Los Angeles in 1869, and O'Melveny was later part of Los Angeles High School's first graduating class. After high school, he attended the University of California at Berkeley and graduated in 1879. In 1885, he founded the law firm Graves & O'Melveny with Jackson A. Graves. The firm would undergo a total of nine name changes (always including the name O'Melveny) before becoming O'Melveny & Myers in 1939.
Although devoted to the practice of law, O'Melveny's greatest passion was being in nature and he spent much of his time hiking and fishing in the San Gabriel Mountains. In 1897, he bought an abundantly forested 350-acre lot for his retreat. In addition, O'Melveny held several civic positions and was a member of the California Club. He died in 1941, having practiced law for almost 60 years.
Apart from items on O'Melveny, the collection also contains a letter from and two photographs of J. Whitcomb Brougher, former pastor of the Temple Baptist Church, where Hawkins was an active member.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Adelia Victoria Hawkins was born on December 23, 1884, in Minnesota to Swedish immigrant parents. She trained as a stenographer and by 1921 was living in Los Angeles. For many years, Hawkins worked as the personal secretary to Henry O'Melveny, a Los Angeles attorney and civic leader. She never married and had no children, dedicating much of her time to Temple Baptist Church, where she actively served as a choir member until her death on August 19, 1945.
- Acquisition information:
- The collection was given to California State Polytechnic University, Pomona by Adelia Hawkins' great-niece, Betty Webster on February 11, 2016.
- Processing information:
-
The collection was arranged and described by Caitlin White under the supervision of Katie Richardson in February 2016. The finding aid was revised and updated in March 2025 to include digital objects by Andrew Kopp.
- Arrangement:
-
The collection is organized into the following series: 1. Printed Materials and 2. Photographs.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Advance notice required for access to physical materials. Digitized materials are available and can be accessed via the respective links in the item-level descriptions.
- Terms of access:
-
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Box/folder# or item name], Adelia Hawkins Papers, Collection no. 0002, Special Collections and Archives, University Library, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
- Location of this collection:
-
3801 West Temple Ave.Pomona, CA 91768, US
- Contact:
- (909) 869-3775