Restrictions on Access
Restrictions on Use and Reproduction
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
Preferred Citation
Processing Information
UCLA Catalog Record ID
Biography
Chronology
Scope and Content
Expanded Scope and Content
Related Oral History
Contributing Institution:
UCLA Library Special Collections
Title: Norris Poulson papers
Creator:
Poulson, Norris
Identifier/Call Number: LSC.0787
Physical Description:
2.5 Linear Feet
(5 boxes and 23 oversize boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1938-1976
Abstract: Charles Norris Poulson (1895-1982) was elected and served in the California State Assembly (1938-42), was elected to the House
of Representatives in 1942, served as mayor of Los Angeles (1953-61), and was a member of the California Water Commission
(1965-68). The collection consists of scrapbooks, clippings, documents, correspondence, photographs, and memorabilia related
to the life of Norris Poulson including Poulson's autobiography, and materials related to his career as a California assemblyman,
U.S. Congressman, and Los Angeles mayor.
Physical Location: Stored off-site. All requests to access special collections material must be made in advance using the request button located
on this page.
Language of Material: Materials are in English.
Restrictions on Access
Open for research. All requests to access special collections materials must be made in advance using the request button located
on this page.
Restrictions on Use and Reproduction
Property rights to the physical objects belong to UCLA Library Special Collections. All other rights, including copyright,
are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright
and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
Gift of Norris Poulson, 1966 & 1976.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Norris Poulson Papers (Collection 787). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research
Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
Processing Information
Processed by Patricia Sue Webb, 1977.
Collections are processed to a variety of levels depending on the work necessary to make them usable, their perceived user
interest and research value, availability of staff and resources, and competing priorities. Library Special Collections provides
a standard level of preservation and access for all collections and, when time and resources permit, conducts more intensive
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UCLA Catalog Record ID
Biography
Charles Norris Poulson was born on July 23, 1895; attended Oregon Agricultural College, 1914-15; farmed 1916-23; moved to
Los Angeles in 1923; attended Southwestern University, 1923-25; began his own accounting business about 1925, passing the
California CPA examination in 1933; was elected and served in the California State Assembly (1938-42); first elected to the
House of Representatives in 1942; served as mayor of Los Angeles (1953-61); served as a member of the California Water Commission
(1965-68); he died on September 25, 1982.
Chronology
Missing Title
July 23, 1895 |
Born Charles Norris Poulson, Baker County, Oregon |
Fall 1913 |
Attended Oregon Agricultural College |
Fall 1914 |
Attended business college in Baker City, Oregon |
February, 1915 |
Became accountant for J.F. Bryant, Haines, Oregon |
December 25, 1916 |
Married Erna June Loennig |
1916-1923 |
Farmed in Baker County, Oregon |
Spring 1923 |
Moved to Los Angeles, California; became a bookkeeper for Square Oil Company |
ca. 1925 |
Began accounting business of his own |
1933 |
Passed California CPA examination |
1938 |
Elected to the California State Assembly for the Los Angeles 56th District |
1939 |
Investigated the California Athletic Comm. |
1940 |
Re-elected to the California State Assembly |
November, 1942 |
Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for the California 13th District |
November, 1944 |
Lost the congressional race for re-election to Ned Healy |
1945 |
State lobbyist for California CPA Association |
November, 1946 |
Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives |
1948, 1950, 1952 |
Re-elected to serve as Representative; served on the House Public Lands Comm. (now the Interior Comm.) |
December, 1952-May, 1953 |
Campaigned as Los Angeles mayoralty candidate against Fletcher Bowron |
May 26, 1953 |
Elected mayor of Los Angeles |
July, 1953 |
Settled the Los Angeles Public Housing issue |
1956 |
Involved in the Los Angeles rubbish issue; served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention for Richard M. Nixon |
1957 |
Was re-elected mayor of Los Angeles |
1957-1959 |
Involved in the Los Angeles Major League Baseball issue |
September, 1959 |
Hosted Premier Nikita Khrushchev during his visit to Los Angeles |
1961 |
Lost the mayoralty election to Samuel Yorty |
1965-1968 |
Served as member of the California Water Commission, participating in the California bond issue. |
1969- |
Retired and residing in Tustin, California |
Scope and Content
Collection consists of scrapbooks, clippings, documents, correspondence, photographs, memorabilia, and related material of
former Los Angeles mayor Norris Poulson. Includes Poulson's autobiography,
The genealogy and life story of Erna and Norris Poulson. Includes materials related to his career as a California assemblyman, U.S. Congressman, and Los Angeles mayor, as well as
signed letters and photographs of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard M. Nixon, Mayor Fletcher Bowron, Mayor Samuel Yorty, Nikita
Khrushchev, Earl Warren, and others.
Expanded Scope and Content
Norris Poulson's career as a California Assemblyman, Representative and member of the House Committee on Public Lands, and
mayor of Los Angeles spans the time period 1938-1961. The Collection of his papers consists, in the greater part, of 39 scrapbooks
containing clippings and memorabilia covering Poulson's political career. The majority of the material covers Poulson's two
terms as mayor. There is very little correspondence of a personal or official nature, but there are many letters signed by
prominent political figures, foreign dignitaries, and celebrities.
Particularly of interest are the extensive materials concerned with the California/Arizona water issue, the coverage of Nikita
Khrushchev's visit to Los Angeles, and materials pertaining to the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chavez Ravine deal with Walter
O'Malley.
As Congressman and Mayor, Poulson knew and associated with many prominent political figures and citizens. As Mayor Poulson
met and hosted many celebrities and foreign dignitaries. The Collection contains many signed letters from and photographs
of prominent people. Of note are: Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard M. Nixon, Mayor Fletcher Bowron, Mayor Samuel Yorty, Nikita
Khrushchev, Earl Warren, and others.
Also included in the Collection is an autobiography "The Genealogy and Life Story of Erna and Norris Poulson." The autobiography,
like Poulson's oral history "Who would have ever dreamed," gives detailed accounts of Poulson's political career.
Related Oral History
The following oral history is available through the UCLA Library Center for Oral History Research:
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Scrapbooks.
Mayors -- California -- Los Angeles -- Archives.
Legislators -- United States -- Archives.
Poulson, Norris -- Archives