Description
The Charles Patterson Kenyon Collection contains material that documents the life, career, and retirement of the first administrator
for San Joaquin County. It also includes bound volumes that were either owned or written by ancestors or relatives of Kenyon.
Of particular note is a diary kept by Thomas Pitt, a great-grandfather of Kenyon on his mother's side, that chronicles a journey
he took through California's gold fields between 1851 and 1852.
Background
Charles Patterson Kenyon (1906-1994) was born in Stockton, California, to a family that traced its roots to California's Gold
Rush. Educated in Stockton through his high school years, Kenyon began studies at the University of the Pacific after graduation
but cut short his academic career to enter private business. In 1930, he was working for Standard Oil Company. Sixteen years
later, he entered the employ of San Joaquin County, where he initially served as assistant to the county accountant and efficiency
expert. In 1959, Kenyon became San Joaquin County's first administrator, a position he retained until his retirement in 1970.
Kenyon's authority at the height of his career included jurisdiction over budgets, staffing, workloads, levels of service,
data processing, and facility management. During his tenure, San Joaquin County constructed its third courthouse, which was
dedicated in 1964.