Collection Guide
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Hawkins (Adelia) Papers
0002
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Table of contents
Title: Adelia Hawkins Papers
Creator:
Hawkins, Adelia Victoria, 1884-1945
Creator:
O'Melveny, Henry, 1859-1941
Identifier/Call Number: 0002
Contributing Institution:
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Special Collections and Archives
Language of Material: English
Physical Description:
.42 Linear Feet
(1 box)
Date (inclusive): 1900-1940
Abstract: Adelia Hawkins was secretary to Los Angeles attorney and civic leader Henry O’Melveny (1859-1941). The collection includes
newspaper clippings, photographs, and printed materials related to O’Melveny and his experience in Southern California collected
by Hawkins.
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Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.
[Box/folder# or item name], Adelia Hawkins Papers, Collection no. 0002, Special Collections and Archives, University Library,
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection was given to California State Polytechnic University, Pomona by Adelia Hawkins' great-niece, Betty Webster
on February 11, 2016.
Adelia Victoria Hawkins was born in Minnesota on December 23, 1884 to Swedish immigrant parents. She trained as a stenographer
and by 1921 was living in Los Angeles. For many years, Hawkins worked as the personal secretary to Henry O’Melveny, a Los
Angeles attorney and civic leader. She never married, had no children, and devoted much of her time to Temple Baptist Church,
where she actively served as a choir member until her death on August 19, 1945.
The collection includes materials written by or pertaining to the life of Los Angeles attorney and civic leader Henry O’Melveny
(1859-1941). The materials were collected by his former personal secretary Adelia Hawkins and include photographs, newspaper
clippings, his personal writings, and programs from events he attended.
Henry O’Melveny was born on August 10, 1859 in Central City, Illinois. His family moved to Los Angeles in 1869 and O'Melveny
was later part of Los Angeles High School's first graduating class. After high school, he attended the University of California
at Berkeley and graduated in 1879. In 1885, he founded the law firm Graves & O'Melveny with Jackson A. Graves. The firm would
undergo a total of nine name changes (always including the name O'Melveny) before becoming O'Melveny & Myers in 1939.
Although devoted to the practice of law, O’Melveny’s greatest passion was being in nature and he spent much of his time hiking
and fishing in the San Gabriel Mountains. In 1897, he bought an abundantly forested 350-acre lot for his retreat. In addition,
O’Melveny held several civic positions and was a member of the California Club. He died in 1941, having practiced law for
almost 60 years.
Apart from items on O’Melveny, the collection also contains a letter from and two photographs of J. Whitcomb Brougher, former
pastor of the Temple Baptist Church, where Hawkins was an active member.
The collection is organized into the following series: 1. Printed Materials and 2. Photographs.
Henry William O'Melveny Collection. The Huntington Library, San Marino, CA.
The collection was arranged and described by Caitlin White under the supervision of Katie Richardson in February 2016.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Los Angeles, California
California Club (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Los Angeles High School (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Brougher, Whitcomb
Hawkins, Adelia Victoria, 1884-1945
O'Melveny, Henry, 1859-1941