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Quicker (John C.) Collection
SPC.2023.007
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Contributing Institution:
California State University Dominguez Hills, Gerth Archives and Special Collections
Title: John C. Quicker Collection
Creator:
Quicker, John C. (John Charles), 1943-
Identifier/Call Number: SPC.2023.007
Physical Description:
6 boxes
(four record storage boxes; two oversized boxes)
Physical Description:
6 Linear Feet
Date (inclusive): 1941-2022; undated
Date (bulk): 1980-2000
Abstract: This collection contains articles, clippings, reports, newspapers, books, journal issues, notebooks, photographs, and media
belonging to John C. Quicker, professor emeritus of Sociology at California State University Dominguez Hills. A majority of
this collection consists of secondary research material collected by Quicker that relates to gangs. Also included are student
notebooks, course materials, and student research collections of articles from Quicker's days as a professor; as well as books
and articles authored or co-authored by Quicker.
Language of Material:
English
.
Some material in this collection is restricted. Please see Series I, Sub-Series v; and Series II notes for more details.
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Archives
and Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical
materials and not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
For information about citing archival material, see the
Citations for Archival Material guide, or consult the appropriate style manual.
The John C. Quicker collection (1941-2022; undated) contains 6 boxes and 6 linear feet of secondary research materials on
gangs and rebellions; student-produced papers, notebooks, and materials used to teach courses on gangs; and news stories of
personal interest to the collector, including articles and clippings related to the Los Angeles Riots of 1992. The research
materials on gangs include academic articles; reports; research papers; news media coverage of gangs and police response from
newspapers, magazines, and broadcast news; bibliographies; color slides and photographs of gang-affiliated clothing, graffiti
and locations; community organization flyers and handouts aimed at curbing gang-involvement. These materials are located in
Series I: Gang-Related Research Materials; and Series II: California State University, Dominguez Hills course material, student
thesis, and
student research collection.
This collection also contains articles, papers, presentations, books, a thesis, and other documents either authored, co-authored,
or edited by John C. Quicker. Topics of his research includes: juvenile delinquency, goal discrepancy, motorcycling, criminology,
and gangs.
The smaller series of secondary research on rebellions, located in Series IV: Rebellion Materials and Other Research contains
news coverage largely from newspapers of the 1971 Attica Prison Rebellion and the 1992 Los Angeles Rebellion, instigated by
the acquittal of four police officers in the brutal beating of Rodney King. Complete or near-complete copies of the Los Angeles
Times from April 30 to May 7, 1992, provide an in-depth accounting of news coverage and public perceptions of the rebellion
as it unfolded. Also included in this series are magazines, trade publication newsletters, and an early study out of UCLA
on the Los Angeles Rebellion from May 1992; and a U.S. Riot Commission Report from 1968; and material related to topics such
as: criminology, prisoners, meat inspectors, cults, and others; and also contains Southern California economic growth surveys.
This collection is arranged in four series. Series I, II, and IV have sub-series.
- Series I:
- Gang-Related Research Materials
- Series II:
- California State University, Dominguez Hills course material, student thesis, and student research collection
- Series III:
- Articles, Books, and Media by Quicker
- Series IV:
- Rebellion Materials and Other Research
Dr. John Quicker was born in 1943 in New York to John, a police sergeant, and Helen, who worked as an information operator
for a phone company. Experiences of growing up in a working class neighborhood on Long Island such as working odd jobs from
the age of 8 and getting into trouble with other neighborhood kids, would inform his research as a sociologist into delinquency
and gangs throughout his life.
Dr. Quicker knew early on that he wanted to attend college as a way of accessing white collar opportunities. Early experiences
with law enforcement informed his decision to leave New York for his undergraduate experience and ultimately led him to the
University of Colorado, Boulder. There, Dr. Quicker obtained both undergraduate and doctorate degrees in sociology. Professors
in the department such as Howard Higman and Delbert Elliott made significant impacts on Quicker's work, both as a researcher
and an instructor. This period of Dr. Quicker's life in Boulder also coincided with major social upheavals occurring in broader
American life, such as the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, and the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Martin
Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X. These experiences informed his work as a sociologist as they embodied both a culture's capacity
for change and its resistance to such change.
Invited by founding faculty member of the Sociology Department, Herman Loether, Dr. Quicker arrived at California State Unviersity
Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) in 1970. With the school very much in its infancy, Dr. Quicker quickly made his mark on the department,
introducing such popular courses as Criminology, and Delinquency, as well as eventually serving as department chair for a
two-year period during which he guided the department through a campus-wide transition from a quarter to semester-based calendar.
Quicker would go on to introduce the popular Gangs and Adolescent Subcultures course to the department, informed by research
he conducted for the city of Los Angeles regarding Chicana gangs. One of the earliest serious academic investigations into
female gangs, this research would significantly impact the rest of Dr. Quicker's professional life, much of which has been
dedicated to researching gangs, particularly in Southern California. This research was enabled, in part, by Dr. Quicker's
connections with his students. Having learned from his mentors at Boulder, Dr. Quicker strove to treat his students, many
of whom were in their 30s with well-established lives, as equals. This approach to teaching enabled him to connect with his
student Akil S. Batani-Khalfani, also known as "Bird," with whom Dr. Quicker would go on to partner in researching and writing
the 2022 book
Before Crips: Fussin', Cussin', and Discussin' among South Los Angeles Juvenile Gangs.
This collection contains Dr. Quicker's research on gangs, accumulated over decades, as well as related interests in social
rebellions, CSUDH, and political commentary.
Processed by Amy Fleming in June of 2023.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Female gangs
Gangs
Suburban gangs
Police-community relations
Rodney King Riots, Los Angeles, Calif., 1992