Guide to Margaret Connell papers SBHC Mss 146
Collection processed and arranged by Campbell Hannan, 2024. Finding aid prepared by Campbell Hannan, 2024.
UC Santa Barbara Library, Department of Special Research Collections
University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara 93106-9010
Phone Number: (805) 893-3062
special@library.ucsb.edu
2024-02-05
Title: Margaret Connell papers
Identifier/Call Number: SBHC Mss 146
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
UC Santa Barbara Library, Department of Special Research Collections
Physical Description:
2 Linear Feet
(2 cartons, 17 VHS, 8 DVD, 23 audio cassettes)
Abstract: This collection documents the career of Margaret Connell, a public servant in Santa Barbara County who held roles on the Santa
Barbara School Board, with Planned Parenthood of Santa Barbara, the Goleta City Council, and as the first Mayor of Goleta.
She was a major player in the campaign that led to Goleta's incorporation as a city in 2001 and thus was elected to its first
City Council. She was elected its first Mayor in 2008.
Physical Location: Special Research Collections, UC Santa Barbara Library
Creator:
Connell, Margaret, 1930 -
Date (inclusive): 1965 December - 2005
Content Description
Materials related to the professional career of Margaret Connell, the first Mayor of Goleta. Majority of materials relate
to her time on the Santa Barbara School Board in the 1980s-1990s.
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Margaret Connell, 2024.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged into four series:
- Series 1, Santa Barbara School Board
- Series 2, Planned Parenthood of Santa Barbara
- Series 3, GoletaNow! Campaign
- Series 4, Campaigns for Goleta Offices
- Series 5, Goleta City Council Issues
Biographical Note
Margaret Connell was born in England. She moved to Goleta in 1956 and has lived there ever since. She began her career in
public service in 1970 when she was elected to the Santa Barbara School Board. She served until 1988, then joined the Board
of Planned Parenthood of Santa Barbara, where she worked to make abortion and reproductive care more accessible across Santa
Barbara county until 1992.
Connell played a large role in the GoletaNow! campaign that sought cityhood for the then-unincorporated community of Goleta.
Incorporation was successfully approved in a 2001 ballot, and Connell was elected to the first City Council. She was inaugurated
on February 1, 2002, and incorporation was officially celebrated the next day. Although Connell lost her 2006 re-election
campaign, she returned in 2008 and was elected the first Mayor of the City of Goleta.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of Item], Margaret Connell papers, SBHC Mss 146. Department of Special Research Collections, UC Santa Barbara
Library, University of California, Santa Barbara.
Use Restrictions
Property rights to the collection and physical objects belong to the Regents of the University of California acting through
the Department of Special Research Collections at the UCSB Library. All applicable literary rights, including copyright to
the collection and physical objects, are protected under Chapter 17 of the U.S. Copyright Code and are retained by the creator
and the copyright owner, heir(s), or assigns.
All requests to reproduce, quote from, or otherwise reuse collection materials must be submitted in writing to the Department
of Special Research Collections at UCSB at special@ucsb.edu. Consent is given on behalf of the Regents of the University of
California acting through the Department of Special Research Collections at UCSB as the owner of the physical items and is
not intended to include or imply permission from the copyright owner. Such permission must be obtained from the copyright
owner, heir(s), or assigns. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the
copyright owner or their assigns for permission to publish where the UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
box 1, box 2
Series 1, Santa Barbara School Board
1965 December - 1994 November
Scope and Contents
This series contains material from Margaret Connell's tenure as a member of the Santa Barbara School Board. Includes several
folders with legal documents from suits, mostly class action, of the School Board, most notably the 1980 "Pay for Play" suit
and its subsequent appeal. Also contains files from Connell's elections to the Board, correspondence from constituents, and
formal grievances. Four election certificates for Connell's wins in 1975, 1979, 1983, and 1987 are also included.
Contains 10 audio cassettes and 1 VHS.
V/17504/VHS
Parent Connection: Finding the Village Part 3
undated
A44174/CS
Margaret Connell for School Board 30 Sec Spot
1983 October
A44175/CS
Jim Cummins Bilingual Ed Tape I 3/11/85
1985 March 11
A44176/CS
"Kids Come to Us with All They've Got" CBSA Annual Conference '85 CIS 3 Dec. 13-15, 1985 S.F.
1985 December 13 - 15
A44177/CS
KTMS "Voices" 5/1/86 Gordon Burney, PPH
1986 May 1
A44178/CS
Thur 12-4-86 "1st General Session" Billy Reagan Civic Theatre 1:00 to 2:15
1986 December 4
A44179/CS
"Middle Grade Task Force" 12/4/86 Copper Rm: 227
1986 December 4
A44180/CS
"School Facilities Schools are Bustin'"
1986 December 5
A44181/CS
"Kids at Risk, Schools at Risk," 12-5-86
1986 December 5
A44182/CS
Immigrant Students and the Schools CSBA 12/11/87 San Francisco
1987 December 11
A44183/CS
Julia Robinson - Sole parent pension I
undated
box 2
Series 2, Women's Issues in Santa Barbara
1989 - 2000
Scope and Contents
This series contains material from Margaret Connell's time on the board of Planned Parenthood Santa Barbara, the Santa Barbara
Women's Political Committee, and other women's advocacy organizations in Santa Barbara County. This includes abortion fact
sheets, Planned Parenthood Action Fund literature, the impact of abortion accessibility on Santa Barbara County, and a floppy
disk of Connell's records from the Women's Political Committee. Also contains material from the American Civil Liberties Union
Santa Barbara Chapter Bill of Rights Banquet on March 7, 1993, where Connell was honored with the Beulah Englesberg Award.
A letter from President Bill Clinton and a photo of Connell and Senator Gary Hart also enclosed.
Contains 7 audio cassettes and 1 VHS. Also includes one floppy disk and one zip disk containing material from Connell's work
on the Santa Barbara Women's Political Committee.
V/17505/VHS
Kathleen Turner PSA for Planned Parenthood Federation of America
1993 July 20
A44184/CS
Roe vs. Wade Copyright by Sarah Weddington
undated
A44185/CS
The Best Pro-Choice Arguments Copyright by Sarah Weddington
undated
A44186/CS
The Legal Issue of Abortion Copyright by Sarah Weddington
undated
A44187/CS
Helen Myles Interview June 1 1995
1995 June 1
A44188/CS
"The Womens Forum" Prop. 174 - Guest: Margaret Connell
undated
A44189/CS
Feminist Majority - Stop Prop 209 :60 Radio Spots "Bruce Springsteen" (x2) 10/29/96 A-3828 No N.R.
1996 October 29
A44190/CS
Prop 208 Mtg - SBWPC 4/2/97
1997 April 2
box 2
Series 3, Goleta Now Campaign
1998 - 2002,
2021 November
Scope and Contents
This series contains material from the 1998-2001 campaign for incorporation of Goleta as a city in Santa Barbara County. Materials
include financial breakdown of cityhood, voting precinct information, planning committee documentation, steering committee
documentation, and details of the Anti-Incorporation campaign. Final folder from 2002 details the Incorporation ceremony on
Febuary 2, 2002.
box 2
Series 4, Campaigns for Goleta Offices
2001 - 2008
Scope and Contents
This series contains materials from Margaret Connell's three election campaigns; 2001 for Goleta City Council, 2006 for re-election
to Goleta City Council, and 2008 for Mayor of Goleta. Materials include precinct data, campaign speeches, campaign advertising
materials, and opposition information.
Campaign Spots
2002 August 26 - 2003 December 12
Scope and Contents
3 VHS tapes and 2 DVDs.
V/17506/VHS
John Buttny for 3rd District Supervisor
2003 December 12
V/17507/VHS
Gail Marshall No on Recall: Margaret Connell's Remarks
2002 August 26
V/17508/VHS
Gail Marshall No on Recall: Spots
2002 November 4
V/17521/DVD
Two 30 second Campaign Spots
undated
V/17522/DVD
Portraits of Mayor Connell
undated
box 2
Series 5, Goleta City Council Issues
2001 - 2006
Scope and Contents
This series contains documents from Margaret Connell's time on the Goleta City Council, foldered by specific issue. Issues
include Goleta zoning, financial information, Goleta land projects, the Santa Barbara Airport, and funding for a mobile home
park. Includes 7 DVDs of photos and videos from various City Council events and 7 audio cassettes.
TV Appearances
2002 January 23 - July 1
Scope and Contents
3 VHS tapes of Margaret Connell's TV appearances around the time she was inaugurated to Goleta's first City Council and the
city was incorporated.
V/17509/VHS
Margaret Connell on KEYT January 23, 2002
2002 January 23
V/17510/VHS
Margaret Connell on TV January - February 1
2002 January - February 1
V/17511/VHS
Margaret Connell on TV July 1, 2002
2002 July 1
V/17512/VHS
Speech 148 on and 423 on 162
undated
V/17513/VHS
Goleta City Council Planning Committee
undated
V/17514/VHS
Swearing in Ceremony of First City Council of the New City of Goleta, February 1, 2002
2002 February 1
V/17515/VHS
Swearing in Ceremony of First City Council of the New City of Goleta, February 1, 2002, Copy 2
2002 February 1
V/17516/VHS
Planning Commission of SBCO January 30, 2003
2003 January 30
V/17517/VHS
Forum of the Chamber of Goleta City Council
2006 October 10
V/17518/VHS
Two City of Goleta Meetings: November 20 and December 4, 2006
2006 November 20 - December 4
V/17519/VHS
Forum of Goleta Council, September 10, 2008
2008 September 10
V/17520/DVD
Calle Real Planting
undated
A44191/CS
KEYT Connell :60s
undated
A44192/CS
Swearing in Ceremonies of New City Council of New City of Goleta at Goleta Valley Community Center 2/1/02 (Original Recording)
1hr + 25 mins.
2002 February 1
A44193/CS
Study Session 1/14/02 - I
2002 January 14
A44194/CS
Goleta City Spec. mtg COPY 6-30-03 Tape 1 of 4 6:03-6:50pm
2003 June 30
A44195/CS
Goleta City Council 6-30-03 Spec. mtg COPY Tape 2 of 4 6:50 - 7:35pm
2003 June 30
A44196/CS
Goleta City Council Spec. 6-30-03 COPY Tape 3 of 4 7:45 - 8:35 pm
2003 June 30
A44197/CS
Goleta City Council Spec. mtg COPY 6-30-03 Tape 4 of 4 8:35 - 9:17 pm
2003 June 30
