Inventory of the William P. (Bill) Campbell Papers

Processed by Archives Staff and Rebecca L. Wendt

California State Archives

1020 "O" Street

Sacramento, California 95814

Phone: (916) 653-2246

Fax: (916) 653-7363

Email: ArchivesWeb@sos.ca.gov

URL: http://www.sos.ca.gov/archives/

Inventory of the William P. (Bill) Campbell Papers

Collection number: LP175:134-166, LP195:124-170, LP332:1-357

California State Archives

Office of the Secretary of State

Sacramento, California

Processed by:: Archives Staff and Rebecca L. Wendt
Date Completed:: May 2002
Encoded by:: Lisa DeHope

Descriptive Summary

Title: William P. (Bill) Campbell Papers

Dates: 1967-1989

Collection number: LP175:134-166, LP195:124-170, LP332:1-357

Creator: William P. Campbell, California Legislator

Collection Size: 19 cubic feet

Repository: California State Archives

Sacramento, California

Abstract: William P. (Bill) Campbell, Republican, was a State Assembly Member, 1967-1972 and 1975-1976, and a State Senator, 1977-1989. The William P. Campbell Papers consist of 19 cubic feet of records reflecting his activities during his time in the legislature. Campbell's main interests were in lowering taxes and state spending, and in "sunset" legislation.

Physical location: California State Archives

Languages: Languages represented in the collection: English

Administrative Information

Access

Collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

For permission to reproduce or publish, please consult California State Archives staff. Permission for reproduction or publication is given on behalf of the California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, as the owner of the physical items. The researcher assumes all responsibility for possible infringement that may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the California State Archives' collections.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], William P. Campbell Papers, LP[number]:[folder number], California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California.

Acquisition and Custodial History

The California State Archives received the William P. Campbell Papers over a number of years and archives staff arranged them at various times. Therefore, the physical arrangement of the records does not necessarily follow the inventory's order.

Biography

William P. (Bill) Campbell, Republican, was a State Assembly Member, 1967-1972 and 1975-1976, and a State Senator, 1977-1989. He represented cities within Los Angeles County in the 50th Assembly District and, after his reelection, in the 64th Assembly District. He continued to represent communities in Los Angeles County in the 33rd Senate District. After 1985 reapportionment, he represented parts of Los Angeles and Orange Counties in the 31st Senate District.

Campbell was born in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania in 1935. He attended Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania and Columbia University in New York and served in the 101st Airborne Division of the US Army. Before entering politics he made his living as a school administrator. Campbell married Margene Taylor with whom he had three daughters: Kimberly Ann, Michelle Lynn, and Stephanie Jo.

In addition to politics, Bill Campbell was also a member of the American Cancer Society, a Kiwanis member, and a La Puente-Industry Chamber of Commerce member. He was a charter member of the Southern California Chapter of the National School Public Relations Association and Chair of the Board of Directors La Puente-City of Industry United Way.

Bill Campbell initially ran for a seat in the State Assembly in 1964 but was not elected until his second attempt in 1966. He served in the Assembly through 1972 when he resigned to run for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Unsuccessful in his bid and without an Assembly seat to return to, he worked first as an executive with prepaid health plan firms and then as a lobbyist. He returned to the Assembly (although in a different district) in the 1974 election and served through 1976 when he was elected to the Senate. He was the first freshman Senator to be elected to the Senate Rules Committee since 1939 and served as Senate Minority Floor Leader, 1978-1983. Campbell's main interests were in lowering taxes and state spending, and in "sunset" legislation. He also ran an unsuccessful campaign for State Controller in 1986. According to the California Legislature at Sacramento (Handbooks), Campbell served on the following committees:

California State Assembly, 1967-1972; 1975-1976

Standing Committees
Commerce and Public Utilities, 1971-1972
Education, 1967-1970; 1975-1976
Finance and Insurance, 1971-1972
Governmental Organization, 1970-1972; 1975-1976
Health, 1971-1972
*Chair, 1971-1972
Health and Welfare, 1969-1970
Housing and Community Development, 1975-1976
Municipal and County Government, 1967-1968
Public Utilities and Corporations, 1967-1968
Urban Affairs and Housing, 1969
*Vice Chair, 1969
Utilities and Commerce, 1993-1994
Ways and Means, 1993-1994
Subcommittees
Medi-Cal, 1971
Select Committees
Fire Services, 1976
*Chair, 1976
Health Manpower, 1972
Joint Committees
Higher Education, 1970
*Chair, 1970
Special Committees
Subcommittee on Bilingual-Bicultural Education Programs, 1976

California State Senate, 1977-1989

Standing Committees
Appropriations, 1985-1989
Bonded Indebtedness and Methods of Financing, 1989
Education, 1977-1980
*Vice Chair, 1977-1978
Elections and Reapportionment, 1980-1982
Finance, 1979-1984
Governmental Organization, 1977-1989
*Vice Chair, 1981-1989
Health and Human Services, 1985-1989
Health and Welfare, 1977-1984
Industrial Relations, 1987-1989
*Vice Chair, 1987-1989
Local Government, 1985-1986
Rules, 1977-1978
Select Committees
Business Development, 1984-1989
*Chair, 1984-1989
Fire Services, 1979-1981
*Chair, 1980-1981
Fish and Game Wildlife, 1980
Nutritional and Environmental Influences Upon Human Health, 1982-1984
Public Transportation Problems in L.A., 1980
Joint Committees
Fire, Police, Emergency and Disaster Services, 1982-1989
*Chair, 1982-1989
Legislative Budget, 1982; 1984-1989
*Chair, 1987-1989

Senator Campbell resigned from the legislature on December 15, 1989 to assume the presidency of the California Manufacturers Association (CMA), a lobbying and trade group. He retired from the CMA in 1998.

Scope and Content

The William P. Campbell Papers consist of 19 cubic feet of records reflecting Campbell's activities during his time as both an Assembly Member and a Senator. The records contain Assembly and Senate bill files, 1975-1989; subject files, 1967-1989; correspondence, 1975-1989; newsletters, 1968-1988; press releases, 1975-1980; opinions, 1975-1989; proposed legislation, 1979-1989; and resolutions, 1979-1989.

The bill files in the collection document Campbell's activity during the latter period of his service in the California State Legislature (bill files for 1967-1972 were not transferred to the Archives). Bills introduced by Campbell cover a wide array of subjects including tax cuts, election reform, and freedom of choice in medical treatment. Subject files include background information for possible legislation and focus on such topics as state-agency oversight ("sunset" legislation), education, and the Peripheral Canal. Newsletters and press releases give a snapshot view of constituents' issues, highlight Campbell's concerns, and document his efforts to address such issues. Opinions are from either the Attorney General or Legislative Counsel in response to Campbell's queries on behalf of constituents or his own contemplated legislation. These files, together with the proposed legislation files, clearly illustrate the foundations of the legislative process. Resolutions, authored or co-authored by Campbell, honor individuals for commendable service or commemorate events or individuals and can be a source of genealogical information.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Campbell, William P.

Elections California

Taxation

LP175:134-166; LP195:159-169; LP332:1-196

Series 1 Bill Files 1975-1989

Physical Description: 240 file folders

Arrangement

Bill files are arranged chronologically by legislative session and alphabetically and numerically by bill number.

Scope and Content Note

Bill files created by William Campbell may include bill analyses, amendments, conflict statements, correspondence, position statements, author's statements, press releases, newspaper clippings, background information, and reports. Of particular interest to researchers are those bills pertaining to tax reform, the battle for the legalization of the controversial cancer drug, Laetrile (Amygdalin), and attempts to increase voter turnout through adding "none of the above" to the ballot or changing California's Primary date.

Bill files for his first years in Assembly were not transferred to the California State Archives.

1975-1976: AB591-AB4202;ACA80; AB14XX-AB21XX (11ff) LP195:159-169

1977-1978: SB62-SB2229; SCAs; SCRs; SR52 (37ff) LP175:134-166, LP332:1-4

1979-1980: SB29-SB2036; SCR26-SCR49; SJR2; SR10; SR34 (33ff) LP332:5-37; AB21; AB60; AB1128; ACR45; AJR7; AJR38 (1ff) LP332:38

1981-1982: SB19-SB2098; SCA6; SCR15; SCR48; SJR12-SJR66 (23ff) LP332: 39-61

1983-1984: SB22-SB2292; SCA25; SCR14; SCR95; SJR55 (23ff) LP332:62-84

1985-1986: SB5-SB2581; SCR32; SCR58; SJR5 (37ff, 1 audiotape) LP332:85-121; AB2536; AB2905 (1ff) LP332:122

1987-1988: SB305-SB2731; SCA13; SCA25; SCR39-SCR89; SB5X; SB8X (50ff, 1 audiotape) LP332:123-172

1989-1990: SB27-SB1672; SCA7; SCA10; SCR29; SCR44; SJR9-SJR39; SB7X-SB40X (24ff) LP332:173-196

LP195:124-158; LP332:197-249

Series 2 Subject Files 1967-1989

Physical Description: 88 file folders

Arrangement

Subject files are arranged alphabetically by subject heading.

Scope and Content Note

Subject files created by William Campbell may contain correspondence, reports, newspaper clippings, press releases, speeches, opinions, and background materials. They relate to the general areas of proposed and pending legislation, community activities, and district affairs.

See Appendix A in the Master Finding Aid for a complete list of subject file headings.

LP332:250-309

Series 3 Correspondence 1975-1989

Physical Description: 60 file folders

Arrangement

Correspondence is arranged by type then chronologically thereunder.

Scope and Content Note

Correspondence files include letters written by either William Campbell or his staff, particularly Chief of Staff Jerry Haleva. Mostly outgoing letters, both personal and business, are included.

Rules Committee Correspondence, 1976-1985 (2ff) LP332:250-251

Personal Correspondence, 1975-1985 (3ff) LP332:252-254

Chronological Files, 1984-1989 (52ff) LP332:255-306

Staff Memos, 1986-1988 (1ff) LP332:307

Congratulatory Letters, 1987-1989 (1ff) LP332:308

Thank You Letters, 1986-1989 (1ff) LP332:309

"Loony" Letters, (1ff) LP332:310

LP332:311

Series 4 Newsletters 1968-1988

Physical Description: 1 file folder

Arrangement

Newsletters are arranged chronologically.

Scope and Content Note

Each newsletter sent out by Campbell contains a brief article on what he considered to be important issues of the time. The bulk is from the 1979-1980 session, although some newsletters are from his earlier legislative service.

LP195:170; LP332:312

Series 5 Press Releases 1975-1980

Physical Description: 2 file folders

Arrangement

Press releases are arranged chronologically.

Scope and Content Note

Press releases, prepared by Campbell's staff, emphasize Campbell's opinions on current events, his response to legislation, and the status of bills that he sponsored.

Press Releases, 1975-1976 LP195:170

Press Releases, 1979-1980 LP332:312

LP332:313-318

Series 6 Opinions 1975-1989

Physical Description: 6 file folders

Arrangement

Opinions are arranged chronologically.

Scope and Content Note

Attorney General and Legislative Counsel Opinions were written in response to questions from Campbell. These may regard constituent questions or background information for Campbell's contemplated legislation.

Attorney Generals Opinions, 1975-1989 (1ff) LP332:313

Legislative Counsel Opinions, 1979-1989 (5ff) LP332:314-318

LP332:319-324

Series 7 Proposed Legislation 1979-1989

Physical Description: 6 file folders

Arrangement

Proposed legislation is arranged chronologically by legislative session.

Scope and Content Note

Proposed legislation files include ideas generated by Campbell, his staff, and his constituents that were not fully developed for the legislative process. The distinction between these files and carried legislation should be maintained.

Bills not introduced, 1979-1989 (6ff) LP332:319-324

LP332:325-357

Series 8 Resolutions 1979-1989

Physical Description: 33 file folders

Arrangement

Resolutions are arranged chronologically by legislative session.

Scope and Content Note

Resolutions written or supported by William Campbell include: Member's Resolutions (MRs), Joint Rules Committee Resolutions (JRCRs), and Senate Rules Committee Resolutions (SRCRs).

JRCRs; MRs; SRCRs, 1979-1980 (2ff) LP332:325-326

JRCRs, 1981-1982 (1ff) LP332:327

JRCRs; MRs; SRCRs, 1983-1984 (5ff) LP332:328-332

JRCRs; MRs; SRCRs, 1985-1986 (9ff) LP332:333-341

JRCRs; MRs; SRCRs, 1987-1988 (10ff) LP332:342-351

JRCRs; MRs; SRCRs, 1989 (6ff) LP332:352-357