Collection context
Summary
- Title:
- George M. Healy Papers
- Dates:
- 1913-1971
- Creators:
- Healy, George M., 1891-1971
- Abstract:
- Photographs, scrapbooks, and a small amount of personal papers (police-related correspondence, ephemera, periodicals, and a few loose newsclippings) documenting Healy's SFPD career, from patrolman to Acting Chief of Police; and, to a lesser extent, his personal life. The collection reflects Healy's interests in crime and police news.
- Extent:
- 4 flat boxes (3.0 linear feet)
- Language:
- Collection materials are in English.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], George Healy Papers (SFH 367), San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
Photographs, scrapbooks, and a small amount of personal papers (police-related correspondence, ephemera, periodicals, and a few loose newsclippings) documenting Healy's SFPD career and, to a lesser extent, his personal life.
Photographs are mostly 8" x 10" black-and-white prints, with a handful of snapshots and 11"x17" prints depicting Healy in his various positions as cadet, Detective, Lieutenant, and Acting Chief of Police, both singly and in group portraits with colleagues, officials, and members of the public; a file of photos for the television show "The Line Up", including shots of Healy with cast members; and a file of photo postcards of San Inigo Jesuit Retreat in Los Altos in the 1930s-1950s, which depict group shots of participants. Other occasions and groups represented include Opening Day of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, a baseball game between the Police and Fire departments, a Policeman's Ball, the South End Rowing Club, and a group portrait of officers outside the County Jail, probably in the 1920s.
There are four scrapbooks, probably compiled by Healy, from the 1910s to the 1940s, containing newspaper and magazine clippings and a lesser amount of documents, correspondence, and ephemera. The earliest (1913-1930s) contains articles about Healy’s career in the SFPD and the department in general, crime, and a 1922 convention of the International Assoc. of Chiefs of Police. Many clips are from Douglas 20 Police Journal. Healy hand-copied the city Health, Fire, Police, and Jitney ordinances. Included are a few of his documents from the Civil Service Commission and Selective Service. Also, this volume was originally used as the minutes book for Court Washington #37, Foresters of America, c. 1911-1915.
The second scrapbook is devoted to the Nov. 2, 1920 election and charter Amendment 23, a campaign for a salary increase for policemen. It includes signed endorsements of the proposed amendment, a 9 p. typescript (copy) of a speech/article, campaign advertisements, and a sampling of print material generated by the campaign. The third scrapbook contains clippings from the 1920s relating to individual crimes and a national crime wave; youth crime; laws and law enforcement; the death penalty; auto deaths; and the San Francisco Police Department. Many clippings are from out-of-town/out-of-state newspapers.
The fourth scrapbook contains clippings (which are indexed) relating to crime and law enforcement in the San Francisco, Oakland and Los Angeles; and the death of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Several stories deal with wartime black-outs and other emergency measures. Includes Healy’s long-hand notes taken from the vehicle code.
- Biographical / historical:
-
George M. Healy served in the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) for 43 years, from 1913-1955. He began as a beat officer in the Central District, joined the Bureau of Inspectors in 1924, then rose through the ranks to become Deputy Chief of Police in 1953. He was appointed Acting Chief of Police in Nov. 1955 when Chief Michael Gaffey retired. Healy retired after 2-and-a-half months, on Feb. 1, and was replaced by Chief Frank Ahern. Healy was a member of the Police Widows and Orphans Association, the Veteran Police Officers Association, the South End Rowing Club, and Castro Parlor 232 of the Native Sons of the Golden West.
He was Irish-Catholic, married with daughters, and had a brother, William Healy, a police captain who died in 1938.
- Acquisition information:
- Gift of Albert Lawson, son-in-law of George Healy, received Dec. 2000 and June 2001, Accession number 2000-58.
- Arrangement:
-
Materials are arranged by type: photographs, personal papers, scrapbooks.
- Physical location:
- Open for research. The collection is offsite and advance notice is required for retrieval. Material must be requested at least 4 business days in advance of visit.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed terms
About this collection guide
- Date Prepared:
- 2014
- Date Encoded:
- This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2014-09-04T16:55-0700
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
The collection is open for research and available for use during San Francisco History Center hours. Photographs are available during Photo Desk hours. This collection must be requested at least 4 business days in advance of visit.
- Terms of access:
-
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the City Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the San Francisco Public Library as the owner of the physical items.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], George Healy Papers (SFH 367), San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
- Location of this collection:
-
San Francisco Public Library100 Larkin StreetSan Francisco, CA 94102, US
- Contact:
- (415) 557-4567