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Ellen Stern Harris papers
LSC.1287
LSC.1287
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Title: Ellen Stern Harris papers
Identifier/Call Number: LSC.1287
Contributing Institution:
UCLA Library Special Collections
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
18.4 linear feet
(46 document boxes and 1 flat box)
Date (inclusive): 1942-2005
Abstract: The Ellen Stern Harris papers document the efforts and accomplishments of a California environmental activist whose concerns
ranged from protecting the California coastline to cleaning up campaign finances. Harris established herself as a leading
activist through exhaustive correspondence, editorials, committee testimonies, lectures, cable television shows, and a Los
Angeles Times consumer advocate column. Highlights of the collection include papers concerning her fight against the San Onofre
Nuclear Generating Station (1971), the writing and passing of Proposition 20 (1972), her term as Vice Chairwoman of the California
Coastal Zone Conservation Commission (1972-1976), and her internal investigation of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern
California (1978). Also included is her research on such topics as media power, financial reform, electromagnetic field health
concerns, and Beverly Hills community issues. This collection documents Harris’ lifelong dedication to promoting citizen rights
in both her professional appointments and personal interests.
Physical location: Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact UCLA Library Special Collections
Reference Desk for paging information.
Creator:
Harris, Ellen Stern
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Open for research. Advance notice required for access. Contact the UCLA Library Special
Collections Reference Desk for paging information.
Restrictions on Use and Reproduction
Property rights to the physical object belong to UCLA Library Special Collections. Literary 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.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
COLLECTION CONTAINS DIGITAL MATERIALS: Special equipment or further processing may be required for viewing. To access digital
materials you must notify the UCLA Library Special Collections Reference Desk in advance of your visit.
[Identification of item], Ellen Stern Harris Papers (Collection 1287). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young
Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
UCLA Catalog Record ID:
7160329
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
Gift of Ellen Stern Harris, April 27, 2011.
Processed by Lindsay Chaney in 2013 in the
Center for Primary Research and Training (CFPRT) with assistance from Jillian Cuellar. Preliminary processing by Loretta Ayeroff.
Ellen Stern Harris (1929-2006) was an environmental activist primarily concerned with water management and coastal protection.
She grew up in Beverley Hills, California and was largely self-taught—she did not attend college. She was the mother of two
children and was divorced in the mid-1960s. Harris served on a number of environmental committee boards and has a diverse
set of accomplishments to her name, including founding the non-profit organization the Fund for the Environment in 1970 and
serving as Executive Director until her death.
Harris got her start as an activist as a lobbyist for the Friends of the Santa Monica Mountains. In 1966, Governor Pat Brown
appointed Harris to the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board. During her time here, she helped found the Council
for Planning and Conservation. This experience made her more determined to fight for the preservation of the California coast.
She held gatherings in her home to discuss environmental issues and continued to hold these gatherings throughout her life.
Between 1971 and 1978, she also wrote a Consumer Advocate column for the Los Angeles Times. The culmination of her hard work
and service came in 1972 with the passing of Proposition 20, which she co-authored. This act mandated the creation of the
California Coastal Commission, which dealt largely with coastal development permits. Harris was Vice Chairwoman of the Commission
for four years, and during this time, she became an advocate for campaign finance reform. Harris served on the Metropolitan
Water District Board of Directors from 1978 to 1981. In 1978, she called for a Grand Jury investigation of unjustified expenses
within the management staff. Harris was concerned not only with environmental issues but also with the power of the media
and citizen access to information. She taught classes on these topics including a class called “Information and Power” at
UCLA Extension. In 1988, she ran unsuccessfully for Beverly Hills City Council. Harris’ interests also included electromagnetic
field health concerns, and she served on the Public Utilities Commission EMF Consensus group from 1991 to 1992.
Harris’s activism and accomplishments as an advocate for citizen rights were widely recognized. She was named the Los Angeles
Times “Woman of the Year” in 1969 and received the United Nations Association World Communications Award in 1983. In 2006,
Harris passed away of cancer at the age of 76.
The collection is primarily composed of letters, clippings, and research related to Harris's personal and professional endeavors.
Highlights of the collection include documentation of her fight against the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (1971),
the writing and passing of Proposition 20 (1972), her term as Vice Chairwoman of the California Coastal Zone Conservation
Commission (1972-1976), and her internal investigation of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (1978). Also
included is her research on such topics as media power, financial reform, electromagnetic field health concerns, and Beverly
Hills community issues.
This collection has been arranged in the following series:
- Series 1: Water Management, 1966-2005
- Series 2: Coastal Conservation, 1968-2008
- Series 3: Public Television and Radio, 1969-2005
- Series 4: Electromagnetic Field Health Concerns, 1974-2003
- Series 5: Los Angeles History Preservation, 1963-1997
- Series 6: Finance Reform, 1965-2004
- Series 7: Subject Files, 1964-2003
- Series 8: Conference Participation and Teaching, 1965-2000
- Series 9: Correspondence, 1960-2004
- Series 10: Biographical and Personal Material, 1942-2005
- Series 11: Beverly Hills Community Participation, 1920-2004
- Series 12: Council for Planning and Conservation, 1967-1986
- Series 13: The Fund for the Environment, 1970-1998
Irene Wolt Papers (Collection 1871). Available at Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, UCLA.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Harris, Ellen Stern
Women environmentalists--California--Archives.