Series Descriptions
Records of the Commission of Credentials
1917-1962
R359.01, Box 1/1-Box 2/11
Series 1.
Minutes.
1918-1962
Physical Description:
31 file folders and 2 volumes
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically by meeting date.
Scope and Content Note
This series contains the meeting minutes from the Commission of Credentials. Minutes include the date and location of the
meeting, a list of members present, and a brief summary of the investigative information for teachers appearing before the
Commission during that meeting. The primary purpose of the Commission's meetings was to review teacher credentials and determine
whether they should be renewed or revoked based on illegal or immoral behavior. The Commission sometimes discussed decisions
made at past meetings, past or upcoming legislation affecting the status of the Commission, or possible procedural and administrative
changes to the structure of the meetings. For Minutes after 1962 see the Minutes series under the Committee of Credentials
and the Commission for Teacher Preparation and Licensing.
R359.01(1-2) Two volumes include meeting minutes beginning in 1918 and ending in 1929. These minutes contain similar information
to that found in the unbound minutes. Each volume also includes a date and subject index to the minutes found within that
volume as well as a list of all credentials issued during this time period.
Duplicates of the minutes ranging from 1954 to 1962 can also be found within the Records of the State Board of Education.
R359.02, Box 3/15-Box 10/13
Series 2.
Investigative Files.
1927-1963
Physical Description:
124 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by last name.
Scope and Content Note
The records in this series that are less than 75 years old are RESTRICTED because they contain records of complaints to, or
investigations conducted and compiled by a state agency for licensing purposes and are restricted per California Government
Code section 7923.600-7923.625 (formerly California Government Code section 6254 (f)).
The Investigative Files include detailed investigations of California teachers applying for or renewing teaching credentials.
These files were used by the Commission of Credentials to determine if a teacher was involved with illegal or immoral behavior
that should result in the denial or revocation of their credentials. These files contain criminal background checks, newspaper
clippings, correspondence between the Commission and the teacher, court records from legal proceedings in which the teacher
was involved, professional information gained from previous employers, personal information gained from the friends and relatives
of the teacher, correspondence with private investigators about unprofessional or immoral behavior on the part of the teacher,
and other sensitive information gained during the course of the investigations. Some files include fingerprint cards or photographs
of the teacher in question. Possible reasons for revocation or denial of credentials included criminal history, participation
in Communist Party activity, suspicious sexual behavior, or substance abuse.
See Appendix A for an alphabetical name index.
R359.03, Box 10/14-Box 10/18
Series 3.
House Un-American Activities Committee Investigative Files.
1959
Physical Description:
5 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by last name.
Scope and Content Note
The records in this series that are less than 75 years old are RESTRICTED because they contain records of complaints to, or
investigations conducted and compiled by a state agency for licensing purposes and are restricted per California Government
Code section 7923.600-7923.625 (formerly California Government Code section 6254 (f)).
This series contains investigatory material related to hearings held by the House Un-American Activities Committee in San
Francisco in the spring of 1959. During the hearings over one hundred California teachers were subpoenaed to answer questions
about their involvement in Communist activity. These files are mostly composed of correspondence between the House Un-American
Activities Committee and the Commission of Credentials about the individual teachers in question. Some court records and
evidence gained from interviews with friends and relatives of the teachers can also be found in these files. Several of the
individuals listed with files in this series also had separate files kept by the Commission of Credentials in the Investigative
Files series.
See Appendix B for an alphabetical name index.
R359.04, Box 10/19-Box 12/6
Series 4.
Subject Files.
1917-1963
Physical Description:
33 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by subject.
Scope and Content Note
Subject files for the Commission of Credentials include reports, notes, correspondence, interoffice memoranda, forms, newspaper
clippings, and other materials that the commission kept on specific individuals, topics, or organizations. The majority of
the subject files relate to councils, associations, or committees operating in the field of public education and teacher credentialing
in California. Examples include the Accreditation Committee and the California Teachers Association. Prominent topics on
which the commission retained files are Communist activity, higher education studies and surveys, and statistical data on
credentials.
R359.05, Box 12/7-Box 12/20
Series 5.
Correspondence.
1929-1962
Physical Description:
14 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by subject.
Scope and Content Note
This series consists of letters and supplementary materials received by the Commission of Credentials. In some cases photocopies
of letters that were sent by the Commission to outside agencies or individuals are also included. The correspondence is organized
into subjects, many related to public education in California. Examples of important topics include credential procedures
or Dilworth Act revocations. Some correspondence has been organized under the name of an individual or agency who sent or
received the letters or about whom the letters have been written, such as Evelyn A. Clement or the House Un-American Activities
Committee.
Records of the Dept. of Education - Committee of Credentials
1963-1971
R359.06, Box 2/12-Box 3/14
Series 1.
Minutes.
1963-1971
Physical Description:
22 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically by meeting date.
Scope and Content Note
The records in this series are RESTRICTED because they contain records of complaints to, or investigations conducted and compiled
by a state agency for licensing purposes and are restricted per California Government Code section 7923.600-7923.625 (formerly
California Government Code section 6254 (f)).
This series contains the meeting minutes from the Committee of Credentials. Minutes include the date and location of the
meeting, a list of members present, and a brief summary of the investigative information for teachers appearing before the
committee during that meeting. The primary purpose of the committee's meetings was to review teacher credentials and determine
whether they should be renewed or revoked based on illegal or immoral behavior. As a result, the biographical summaries often
include information about the professional and sometimes personal history of the individuals in question, as well as arguments
about why they should or should not have their credentials revoked. The committee sometimes discussed decisions made at past
meetings, past or upcoming legislation affecting the status of the committee, or possible procedural and administrative changes
to the structure of the meetings. Meetings were usually held once a month in Sacramento and lasted for three consecutive
days. For minutes before 1963 see the Minutes series (R359.01) under the Commission of Credentials.
The minutes of the Committee of Credentials are restricted because they contain investigative information used by the committee
in deciding whether to renew or revoke teacher credentials. These meetings were closed to the public by law for these reasons.
R359.07, Box 12/21-Box 14/13
Series 2.
Agendas.
1965-1971
Physical Description:
35 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically by meeting date.
Scope and Content Note
The Agendas series includes agendas for the meetings of the Committee of Credentials. Agendas list the future date and location
of the meeting, the schedule of events to occur at the meeting, professional background on the individuals who are to appear
before the Committee, and an outline of important events that occurred at the previous meeting. In some cases the agendas
include a detailed list of the individuals appearing at specific times during the meeting.
R359.08, Box 14/14-Box 15/11
Series 3.
Subject Files.
1963-1970
Physical Description:
16 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by subject.
Scope and Content Note
This series contains reports, notes, correspondence, interoffice memos, newspaper clippings, and other materials that the
Committee of Credentials kept on various topics of importance to their operation. The files pertain to commissions and boards
as well as other subjects of interest to the committee. A significant portion of the files are related to Education Code
revisions on the state level. Other important topics include the Attorney General, probationary teacher cases, and the State
Curriculum Commission.
R359.09, Box 15/12-Box 16/1
Series 4.
Legislative Correspondence.
1968-1970
Physical Description:
10 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically by date.
Scope and Content Note
Legislative correspondence includes letters that the Committee of Credentials sent to and received from the California state
legislature on specific bills that were being considered for passage. Copies of bill drafts are included with many of the
letters. The correspondence is organized by year and then by Assembly or Senate bills, and numerically by bill number thereunder.
The exception is 1968, in which Senate and Assembly bills are contained within the same folder. Nearly all of the bills discussed
in the correspondence are related to public schools, the employment of school teachers, policies for credentialing, or other
topics of immediate interest to the commission's function in the public education system of California.
R359.10, Box 16/2-Box 16/8
Series 5.
State Board of Education Correspondence.
1963-1969
Physical Description:
7 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically by date.
Scope and Content Note
This series includes correspondence letters and supplementary materials that the Committee of Credentials received from the
State Board of Education throughout most of the 1960s. In some cases photocopies of letters that the committee sent to the
State Board of Education are also included. The correspondence is separated by year. Topics about which the committee and
the State Board of Education corresponded include credentialing, teacher certification programs, public school teachers, and
legislation affecting the committee.
R359.11, Box 16/9-Box 17/5
Series 1.
Agendas.
1975
Physical Description: 16 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically by meeting date.
Scope and Content Note
Agendas created by the Commission for Teacher Preparation and Licensing include the time, date, and location where the meeting
was to take place, the members that would be present, and a list of the topics that would be discussed at that meeting. The
agenda files also contain a large amount of supplementary materials that would be provided to members of the commission at
the beginning of each meeting. Such materials include reports, informational pamphlets, newspaper and magazine articles,
background information on individuals appearing before the commission, correspondence, graphs, and other documents that the
commission used for reference during the meetings. The commission's meetings were held once a month and usually lasted for
two or three days. Meetings were held to discuss a variety of topics related to public education and the credentialing system
in California, such as upcoming legislation on the matter, current and future policies and procedures of the commission, or
the function and structure of its various committees.
R359.12, Box 17/6-Box 20/46
Series 2.
Subject Files.
1974-1980
Physical Description: 131 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by subject.
Scope and Content Note
This series contains files kept by the commission on a variety of subjects that they deemed important for the operation of
the commission and its various committees. The files include notes, memoranda, correspondence, pamphlets, newspaper and magazine
articles, reports, and other materials related to specific topics of interest. Subject files were maintained on important
issues, various committees working under the Commission for Teacher Preparation and Licensing, outside commissions and agencies,
and individuals that worked closely with the commission. Several files exist on the actions and policies of the Committee
of Credentials after it had come under the purview of the commission. Other important topics include Alan Jones, California
legislators, and the Administrative Council. Peter L. LoPresti, the Executive Secretary of the commission throughout the
1970s, prominently figures in this series.
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