James Richardson papers on the Ku Klux Klan in Southern California, 1910-1985 (bulk 1975-1985), bulk 1975-1985

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Summary

Creators:
Richardson, James
Abstract:
Research materials, notes, transcripts and audio cassette interviews relating to the Ku Klux Klan group based in Southern California in the late 1970s and early 1980s. These materials were created, collected and assembled by James Richardson (b. 1953), who was a journalist and investigative reporter for The Press-Enterprise (Riverside, Calif.) and other California newspapers. The collection contains Richardson's materials for his investigative reporting on the Ku Klux Klan in Riverside. This includes Richardson's coverage of the 1980 43rd Congressional District election between Republican Clair Burgener and Democrat Tom Metzger, the leader of the Ku Klux Klan in California. The only material in the collection with no connection to the Ku Klux Klan is Richardson's reporting of the conspiracy and perjury trial of San Diego Mayor Roger Hedgecock.
Extent:
2.2 linear feet (5 boxes, 1 shoe box)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], James Richardson papers on the Ku Klux Klan in Southern California (Collection 1818). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection contains Richardson's notes, transcripts and audio cassettes of interviews, and research materials for his investigative reporting on the Ku Klux Klan in Riverside. This includes Richardson's coverage of the 1980 43rd Congressional District election between Republican incumbent Clair Burgener and Democrat Tom Metzger, the leader of the Ku Klux Klan in California.

The only material in the collection with no connection to the Ku Klux Klan is Richardson's reporting of the conspiracy and perjury trial of San Diego Mayor Roger Hedgecock.

Biographical / historical:

The bulk of the collection relates to the Ku Klux Klan group based in the Riverside-San Bernardino area in the late 1970s and early 1980s. These materials were created, collected and assembled by James Richardson (b. 1953), who was a journalist and investigative reporter for The Press-Enterprise (Riverside, Calif.) and other California newspapers.

During this period, the Ku Klux Klan had three branches in California, with the Riverside-San Bernardino group probably being the largest. The Riverside-San Bernardino area "Realm of California" branch was initially part of the national organization "Knights of the Ku Klux Klan," but split from the group in 1979 after disputes between Klan leader Thomas Metzger and Grand Wizard David Duke. Metzger then created the separate organization "Ku Klux Klan of California" (also referred to as the "California Knights of the Ku Klux Klan") and appointed himself State Director.

In 1980, Metzger made headlines when he won the Democratic Party nomination for the U.S. House of Representatives with over 40,000 votes in a San Diego-area district. The Democrats disavowed his candidacy, instead endorsing incumbent four-term Republican Clair Burgener. Metzger lost by over 200,000 votes, which was 86 percent of the vote.

Acquisition information:
Gift of James Richardson, August 8, 2008.
Processing information:

Processed by Krystal Appiah in the Center for Primary Research and Training (CFPRT), with assistance from Kelley Wolfe Bachli, 2008.

Collections are processed to a variety of levels depending on the work necessary to make them usable, their perceived user interest and research value, availability of staff and resources, and competing priorities. Library Special Collections provides a standard level of preservation and access for all collections and, when time and resources permit, conducts more intensive processing. These materials have been arranged and described according to national and local standards and best practices.

We are committed to providing ethical, inclusive, and anti-racist description of the materials we steward, and to remediating existing description of our materials that contains language that may be offensive or cause harm. We invite you to submit feedback about how our collections are described, and how they could be described more accurately, by filling out the form located on our website: Report Problematic Content and Description in UCLA's library collections and archives.

Arrangement:

The original arrangement of the creator was maintained during processing. The only exceptions are for the notebooks and audio cassette tapes which had no discernable order. The notebooks are arranged alphabetically by subject and the cassettes are arranged chronologically.

Physical location:
Stored off-site. All requests to access special collections material must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

CONTAINS UNPROCESSED AUDIO MATERIALS: Audio materials are not currently available for access and will require further processing and assessment. If you have questions about this material please email spec-coll@library.ucla.edu.

Terms of access:

Property rights to the objects belong to UCLA Library Special Collections. All other rights, including copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], James Richardson papers on the Ku Klux Klan in Southern California (Collection 1818). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

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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