John Alpheus Hockett Papers Regarding the California State Commission on School Districts, 1945-1949

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Summary

Creators:
Hockett, John Alpheus, 1894-
Abstract:
John Alpheus Hockett (1894-1988) began teaching in the Department of Education at UC Berkeley in 1928 before coming to UCLA in 1941 as director of elementary education. He worked to establish a democratic educational system in West Germany after World War II, served as a member of the California State Curriculum Commission, and with the State Commission on School Districts, established by the California legislature in 1945. The collection consists of some 185 items, including mimeographed reports, studies, and recommendations of the California State Commission on School Districts. Much of the collection is arranged by county.
Extent:
7 boxes (3.5 linear ft.)
Language:
English.

Background

Scope and content:

Collection consists of some 185 items, including mimeographed reports, studies, and recommendations of the California State Commission on School Districts, of which UCLA director of elementary education, John Hockett, was a member. Much of the collection is arranged by county.

Biographical / historical:

Hockett was born in 1894 in Illinois; came to California, and taught high school mathematics in Manteca; received doctorate at Teachers College, Columbia University; began teaching in the Department of Education at UC Berkeley in 1928; came to UCLA in 1941 as director of elementary education; worked to establish a democratic educational system in West Germany after World War II; served as a member of the California State Curriculum Commission; also served with the State Commission on School Districts, established by the California legislature in 1945; the Commission was directed to carry on a study of the state through local survey committees, working with regional commissions; it was charged to consider recommendations by local committees for reorganization and to direct the calling of local reorganization elections; from 1947-49 the Commission approved 58 recommendations for local reorganization; it sought to establish a strong, locally controlled school district structure; it issued its findings and recommendations in 1949; Hockett also published his own studies, including Modern practices in the elementary school (c1938); retired in 1960; he died on November 6, 1988 in San Diego.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Dr. John A. Hockett. Collection was transferred from the UCLA Education-Psychology Library, August 1969.
Arrangement:

Arranged in the following series:

  1. Policies and procedures, reports of the commission, special studies, and legislation affecting school district reorganization (Box 1).
  2. Minutes of the state commission (Box 2).
  3. Articles and statements on reorganization (Box 3).
  4. Reports and recommendations by local and survey committees, special area reports by regional survey directors (Boxes 4-7).

Physical location:
Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact the UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.

Access and use

Location of this collection:
A1713 Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575, US
Contact:
(310) 825-4988
AskLSC@library.ucla.edu
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