Rosenthal (Herschel) Papers, 1975-1998

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Summary

Title:
Guide to the Herschel Rosenthal Papers
Dates:
1975-1998
Creators:
Rosenthal, Herschel
Abstract:
The Herschel Rosenthal Papers consist of 18 cubic feet of textual records and 14 artifacts and cover the years 1975 to 1998. The records are organized into the following record series: Bill Files, 1975-1998; Bill Records, 1975-1998; and Artifacts, 1975-1998.
Extent:
18 cubic feet of textual records and 14 artifacts
Language:
Languages represented in the collection: English
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Herschel Rosenthal Papers, LP[number]:[folder number], California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California.

Background

Scope and content:

The Herschel Rosenthal Papers consist of 18 cubic feet of textual records and 14 artifacts and cover the years 1975 to 1998. The records are organized into the following record series: Bill Files, 1975-1998; Bill Records, 1975-1998; and Artifacts, 1975-1998.

The Bill Files document his legislative activity during his term as a member of the California State Legislature. The Bill Records provide a summary of the bills introduced by Rosenthal during each legislative session. The bills introduced by Herschel Rosenthal pertain to a wide array of subjects including public utilities, health, horseracing, and the environment.

He played a major role in passing legislation to protect the Santa Monica Mountains (SB1323 (1989-1990) and was a leader in the efforts to create more locally based film industry jobs by encouraging California-based production (SB2293, SB2294, SB2295, SJR26 all from the 1985-1986 session). A strong supporter of Israel, two particularly intriguing bills in this collection are SJR54 as well as SJR 58. SJR54 concerned the release of Dr. Yosef Begun from his exile in Siberia, while persuading the government of theSoviet Union to permit his emigration to Israel. SJR 50 requested that the President and Congress support and ratify the Genocide Convention.

Biographical / historical:

Herschel Rosenthal, Democrat, served California as a State Assembly Member from 1975 through 1982 and as a State Senator from 1983 through 1998. He represented the 45th Assembly District, which included the Los Angeles communities of Beverly-Fairfax, Miracle Mile, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Hancock Park, Hollywood Hills, parts of North Hollywood, and Studio City. In 1982, he won election as State Senator to represent the 22nd Senatorial District. Rosenthal was endorsed by every major Democratic incumbent in the state. Subsequently, he took office as a member of the Legislature's upper house on December 6, 1982, where he served until 1998. His 22nd Senatorial District included the cities of Encino, Sherman Oaks, Beverly Hills, Pacific Palisades, West Los Angeles, Culver City, Santa Monica, Westwood, Tarzana, and Woodland Hills. After redistricting in 1991, Rosenthal's 20th Senatorial District included Canoga Park, East Los Angeles, North Hollywood, San Fernando, Van Nuys, Pacoima, Reseda, Panorama City, Sepulveda, and Sylmar.

Herschel Rosenthal was born on March 13, 1918, in St. Louis, Missouri. His father worked as a pattern cutter in the garment industry, and his mother was a homemaker. Herschel established residency in California in 1929 and lived in the Boyle Heights area of Los Angeles. He attended UCLA where he studied at their School of Engineering. During World War II, he served in the Navy. Then, in 1946, he married Patricia (Staman) Rosenthal, with whom he had two children, a son, Joel Rosenthal, and a daughter, Suzanne Hellerstein. The Rosenthal's marriage lasted over 62 years until Herschel's death in 2009.

Rosenthal was very active in the Jewish Centers movement. He was President of the Westside Jewish Community Center, Vice President of the Jewish Centers Association, President of the American Jewish Congress, President of the National Association of Jewish Legislators, and was a member of the American Jewish Committee as well as the Jewish Community Alliance. He also served as Commissioner for the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency and was a member of the American Civil Liberties Union, Americans with Disabilities Association, California Delegation to Democratic National Convention, Common Cause, International Typographical Union No. 174, the Los Angeles County Democratic Central Committee, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Herschel Rosenthal died on June 19, 2009, at a nursing home in Hollywood, California shortly after being treated for a case of pneumonia.

During his term in the California Legislature, Rosenthal served on the following committees according to the California Legislature at Sacramento (Handbooks) and the California Blue Book

Assembly Standing Committees

Aging, 1979-1981

Energy and Natural Resources, 1981-1982

Governmental Organization, 1975-1982

Vice Chair, 1975-1976

Health, 1975-1982

Labor and Employment, 1981-1982

Rules, 1977-1982

Ways and Means, 1977-1978

Assembly Subcommittees

Health Care Investigations, 1977-1978

Health Personnel, 1977-1982

Joint Rules, 1977-1982

Land Use, 1977-1978

Mental Health and Development Disabilities, 1975-1976

Motion Picture Development, 1975-1982

Social Benefits and Services Advisory Board, 1977-1982

Assembly Select Committees

Economic Problems in Timber and Related Industries, 1979-1982

Genetic Diseases, 1977-1982

Chairman 1979-1980

Health Sciences Education, 1975-1976

Landslide Prevention, 1979-1980

Assembly Special Subcommittees

Healthcare Investigations, 1975-1976

Medi-Cal Reform, 1979-1980

Senate Standing Committees

Business and Professions, 1983-1998

Elections and Reapportionment, 1987-1998

Energy and Public Utilities, 1983-1994

Chairman 1983-1992

Energy, Utilities and Communications, 1995-1998

Governmental Organization, 1983-1998

Health and Human Services, 1983-1994

Industrial Relations, 1983-1998

Insurance, 1993-1998

Chairman 1997-1998

Insurance Reform, 1993-1994

Local Government, 1995-1996

Natural Resources and Wildlife, 1991-1992

Revenue and Taxation, 1991-1992

Toxics and Public Safety Management, 1987-1990

Senate Select Committees

California Quincentennial, 1991-1992

Developmental Disabilities and Mental Health, 1997-1998

Entertainment Industry, 1997-1998

Healthcare Delivery Systems 1987-1988

Horseracing, 1997-1998

Insurance Reform, 1993-1994

Motion Picture, Television, Commercial, and Recording Industries 1983-1988

Chairman, 1983-1990

Northridge Earthquake 1995-1996

Chairman 1995-1996

Women in the Workforce 1987-1998

Senate Subcommittees

Bioethics, 1987-1994

Cable Television, 1983-1988

CEQA, 1995-1996

Diseases, 1983-1984

Energy Costs and Industrial Development, 1985-1990

Healthcare Cost Management, 1983-1992

Health and Human Services, 1990-1991

Healthcare Reform, 1995-1998

Chairman, 1995-1996

Horseracing, 1991-1998

Mental Health, 1983-1984

Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Genetic Diseases, 1985-1994

Nuclear Facility Safety, 1985-1986

Prescription Drugs, 1993-1998

Women in the Workforce, 1983-1990

Senate Special Committees

Developmental Disabilities and Mental Health, 1991-1996

Greenhouse Effect, Ozone Depletion, and Atmospheric Pollution, 1989-1990

Senate Joint Committees

1992 California Quincentennial of the Voyages of Christopher Columbus, 1989-1992

Energy Regulation and the Environment, 1989-1990

GAIN Implementation, 1987-1990

Lowering the Cost of Electric Services, 1995-1998

Workers Compensation, 1983-1984, 1997-1998

Accruals:

No further accruals are expected.

Physical location:
California State Archives
Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

About this collection guide

Date Prepared:
© 2014
Date Encoded:
Machine-readable finding aid created by Alicia Castaneda. Machine-readable finding aid derived from MS Word. Date of source: January 2012.

Access and use

Restrictions:

While the majority of the records are open for research, any access restrictions are noted in the record series descriptions.

Terms of access:

For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the California State Archives. Permission for reproduction or publication is given on behalf of the California State Archives as the owner of the physical items. The researcher assumes all responsibility for possible infringement which may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the California State Archives collections.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Herschel Rosenthal Papers, LP[number]:[folder number], California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California.

Location of this collection:
1020 "O" Street
Sacramento, CA 95814, US
Contact:
(916) 653-2246
reference@sos.ca.gov
Website