This collection contains the personal and professional papers of California lawyer and political activist Frank Wheat (1921-). The papers chiefly date from the mid 1980s-2005 and cover his work on the California Desert Protection Act; the California Desert Miracle, The Fight for Desert Parks and Wilderness (1999), and other environmental issues, particularly including mining's effect on the environment; the Alliance for Children's Rights, the Center for Law in the Public Interest and Human Rights Watch and his involvement with Ralph M. Parsons Foundation. The collection also contains information on Wheat's legal career, including his presidency of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, his tenure as an SEC Commissioner, his expertise in securities and corporate law, and his involvement with the California Citizens Budget Commission and California Commission on Campaign Financing.

Frank Wheat (1921-), California lawyer and political activist. Born in Los Angeles, California, on February 4, 1921, Francis Millspaugh Wheat graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Pomona College in 1942. During World War II Wheat spent three and a half years on destroyers as a gunnery officer on active duty from 1942-46. He received his law degree cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1948 and joined Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher that year in Los Angeles, becoming a partner in 1955. One of the top securities lawyers in the nation, he was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 to the Securities and Exchange Commission and moved to Washington, D.C., returning to Los Angeles and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in 1969.

154 boxes (64.22 linear feet)

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.