Dianne Feinstein papers, 1955-1994

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Summary

Creators:
Feinstein, Dianne (1933-2023)
Abstract:
The Dianne Feinstein papers cover the political career of Dianne Feinstein (1933-2023) from her involvement in San Francisco politics during the 1960s; her election to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in the 1970s; her tenure as Mayor of San Francisco during the 1980s; and her campaigns for the California governorship and the US Senate in the 1990s.
Extent:
65 Linear Feet [142 total boxes - 130 manuscript boxes, 9 flat boxes, 2 card boxes, 1 carton]
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

[identification of item], Dianne Feinstein papers (M1549). Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford Libraries, Stanford, Calif.

Background

Scope and content:

The Dianne Feinstein papers include materials from throughout her career in California politics. The collection covers her time on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, her tenure as Mayor of San Francisco, her unsuccessful campaign for California Governor, and her election to the US Senate in 1992. Materials include official press releases, itineraries, photographs, newspaper clippings and articles, and a variety of audiovisual materials. Also included are Feinstein's notes on policy, drafts of speeches and articles, correspondence, itineraries, and appointment books. The bulk of the collection covers her time as mayor, although there is a substantial amount of audiovisual material relating to campaigns and elections. Materials provide a good overview of Feinstein's activities as mayor and supervisor, but are not exhaustive.

Biographical / historical:

Dianne Feinstein (1933-2023) was born and raised in San Francisco. She received her BA degree in history from Stanford University in 1955 and was a Coro Foundation fellow in San Francisco the following year. In 1969, she was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. She remained on the Board for nine years, becoming its first female president. In 1978, upon the assassination of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, she automatically ascended to the mayoral office. She was elected in her own right in 1979 and re-elected in 1983. As mayor, she led the city through the HIV/AIDS epidemic and overhauled the cable car system. In 1990, she made an unsuccessful bid for Governor of California, losing to Republican Senator Pete Wilson, who vacated his seat in the Senate to assume the governorship.

In 1992, Feinstein won a special election to fill the Senate seat which Wilson had left. With the election of Barbara Boxer to California's other Senate seat on the same day, California became the first state to be represented by two women simultaneously in the Senate. Feinstein won complete Senate terms in 1994, 2000, 2006, 2012, and 2018. While in the Senate, she was known for her work on gun control issues, spearheading the 1994 federal assault weapons ban. She also investigated the Central Intelligence Agency's detention and interrogation programs after the 9/11 attacks. During her Senate tenure, she was the first woman to chair the Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Acquisition information:
This collection was given by the Estate of Senator Dianne Feinstein of California to Stanford University, Special Collections in May 2024.
Arrangement:

The collection was arranged into four record groups. The first two follow the trajectory of Feinstein's political career in San Francisco; the third record group covering her career in the US Senate became its own collection (M2973); and the fourth covers Feinstein's electoral history. The record groups are:

  • 1. City Supervisor
  • 2. San Francisco Mayor
  • 3. US Senator (now a separate collection)
  • 4. Campaigns and Elections

Physical location:
Special Collections and University Archives materials are stored offsite and must be paged 36 hours in advance.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for research. Note that material must be requested at least 36 hours in advance of intended use. Audiovisual and born-digital materials are not available in original format, and must be reformatted to a digital use copy. Additionally, Boxes 39-42 are restricted until 2065.

Terms of access:

While Special Collections is the owner of the physical and digital items, permission to examine collection materials is not an authorization to publish. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study. Any transmission or reproduction beyond that allowed by fair use requires permission from the owners of rights, heir(s) or assigns.

Preferred citation:

[identification of item], Dianne Feinstein papers (M1549). Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford Libraries, Stanford, Calif.

Location of this collection:
Department of Special Collections, Green Library
557 Escondido Mall
Stanford, CA 94305-6004, US
Contact:
(650) 725-1022
specialcollections@stanford.edu
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