Finding Aid to the Robert Levinson papers, 1880-1979, bulk 1962-1979
Finding Aid written by The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life staff
The Bancroft Library
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California, 94720-6000
Phone: (510) 642-6481
Fax: (510) 642-7589
Email: bancref@library.berkeley.edu
URL: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/
© 2011
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Finding Aid to the Robert Levinson papers, 1880-1979, bulk 1962-1979
Collection Number: BANC MSS 2010/715
The Bancroft Library
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California
- Finding Aid Written By:
- The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life staff
- Date Completed:
-
May 2011
© 2011 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Collection Summary
Collection Title: Robert Levinson papers
Date (inclusive): 1880-1979,
Date (bulk): bulk 1962-1979
Collection Number: BANC MSS 2010/715
Creators :
Levinson, Robert E., 1938-1980
Extent:
Number of containers: 9 cartons, 1 box, 1 oversize box, and 3 cardfile boxes
Linear feet: 10.2
Repository: The Bancroft Library
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California, 94720-6000
Phone: (510) 642-6481
Fax: (510) 642-7589
Email: bancref@library.berkeley.edu
URL: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/
Abstract: The collection consists of Robert Levinson's correspondence; files, drafts, and a card file relating to Levinson's dissertation
on Jews and the California Gold Rush; and a small number of files on Camp Swig.
Languages Represented: Collection materials are in English
Physical Location: Many of the Bancroft Library collections are stored offsite and advance notice may be required for use. For current information
on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Information for Researchers
Access
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from or otherwise use collection materials must be submitted in writing to the Head
of Public Services, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, 94720-6000. Consent is given on behalf of The
Bancroft Library as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission from the copyright
owner. Such permission must be obtained from the copyright owner. See:
http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/reference/permissions.html.
Restrictions also apply to digital representations of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research
and educational purposes.All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from or otherwise use collection materials must be submitted
in writing to the Head of Public Services, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, 94720-6000. Consent is
given on behalf of The Bancroft Library as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission
from the copyright owner. Such permission must be obtained from the copyright owner. See:
http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/reference/permissions.html.
Restrictions also apply to digital representations of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research
and educational purposes.Materials in this collection may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition,
the reproduction of some materials may be restricted by terms of University of California gift or purchase agreements, donor
restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing and trademarks. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected
by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public
domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively
with the user.
All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from, or otherwise use collection materials must be submitted in writing to the
Head of Public Services, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley 94720-6000. See:
http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/reference/permissions.html .
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Robert Levinson papers, BANC MSS 2010/715, The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life, The Bancroft
Library, University of California, Berkeley.
Alternate Forms Available
There are no alternate forms of this collection.
Related Collections
Interviews concerning early Jewish settlements in California and Oregon [sound recording] / conducted by Robert E. Levinson,
1966 May-Aug. (BANC CD 424:1-3)
Separated Material
1 reel-to-reel audiotape transferred to the museum holdings of The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life for separate handling
and cataloging.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Levinson, Robert E., 1938-1980--Archives
Judah L. Magnes Memorial Museum. Commission for the Preservation of Pioneer Jewish Cemeteries and Landmarks
Cemeteries--West (U.S.)
Jewish pioneers--California
Jewish pioneers--West (U.S.)
Jews--California
Jews--California--Genealogy
Jews--West (U.S.)
Jews--West (U.S.)--Genealogy
Freemasonry--West (U.S.)--Lodges
California--Gold discoveries
Amador County (Calif.)--History
Calaveras County (Calif.)--History
El Dorado County (Calif.)--History
Mariposa County (Calif.)--History
Nevada County (Calif.)--History
Sierra County (Calif.)--History
Tuolumne County (Calif.)--History
Court records--West (U.S.)
Interviews--West (U.S.)
Biographies--West (U.S.)
Census records--West (U.S.)
Correspondence--West (U.S.)
Genealogies--West (U.S.)
Obituaries--West (U.S.)
Jewish historians--California.
Western Jewish History Center. 181
Judah L. Magnes Museum. WJHC 1967.017
Bancroft Library. Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life
Online Archive of California
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
The Robert Levinson papers were gifted to The Bancroft Library by the Judah L. Magnes Museum in 2010.
Accruals
No future additions are expected.
System of Arrangement
Collection is arranged into 3 series: Correspondence; Dissertation materials; and Camp Swig Files.
Processing Information
Processed by the Judah L. Magnes Museum staff in 1968. Additional processing by The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life
staff in 2011.
Biographical Information
Robert Levinson was an historian, educator, and author who specialized in the history of Jews in the western United States.
His doctoral dissertation, "The Jews in the California Gold Rush", was published in 1978 and it remains the major work about
the history of the Jews during the California Gold Rush. Levinson was a professor of history (1967-1980) and the director
of the Sourisseau Academy for State and Local History (1973-1976) at California's San Jose State University. He played a leading
role in founding San Jose State's Jewish Studies Program in 1975 and he was its first director. As an executive vice-president
for the Judah L. Magnes Museum's Commission for the Preservation of Pioneer Jewish Cemeteries and Landmarks (1968-1973, 1977-1978),
Levinson helped renovate and publicize pioneer Jewish cemeteries in California's Mother Lode. He also served as a cantor for
Congregation Beth David in Saratoga, Caliifornia and as a cantor, leader of services, and a lecturer for Congregation Shir
Ami in Castro Valley, Calif.
Scope and Content of Collection
The collection consists of Robert Levinson's correspondence; files, drafts, and a card file relating to Levinson's dissertation
on Jews and the California Gold Rush; and a small number of files on Camp Swig, a California youth camp affiliated with the
Union of American Hebrew Congregations (now the Union for Reform Judaism). The correspondence includes personal correspondence,
professional correspondence (on writings, conferences, and general academic matters), research correspondence, correspondence
relating to Levinson's work with the Commission for the Preservation of Pioneer Jewish Cemeteries and Landmarks, genealogy
and family history correspondence, correspondence with historical societies, museums and other Jewish heritage organizations,
and correspondence from Levinson's cantorial and rabbinical work. The research correspondence, which dates between 1962 and
1979, is particularly rich with information about the Jews of California and the western United States during the Gold Rush.
Among the dissertation materials in the collection are research files on a range of Gold Rush era subjects, towns, and families;
drafts of Levinson's thesis; and a card file that consists of Levinson's attempt to index Mother Lode newspapers from circa
1850 through 1880 for Jewish content. Newspapers indexed include those from the following California towns: Angels, Columbia,
Downieville, Grass Valley, Jackson, Mammoth Tree Grove, Mariposa, Mokelumne Hill, Nevada City, Placerville, San Andreas, San
Francisco (for content relating to Jews in the Mother Lode counties), Sonora, Sutter Creek, and Volcano. The Camp Swig series
in this collection consists of files relating to Levinson's work with the camp during the 1960s and 1970s.
Series 1
Correspondence.
1962-1979
Physical Description:
Cartons 1-6; Carton 7, folders 1-5
Carton 1
Personal correspondence,
1968-1976
Carton 2, Folder 1-10
Personal correspondence,
1977-1979
Carton 2, Folder 11-20
Professional correspondence (writings and conferences),
1965-1974
Carton 3, Folder 1-6
Professional correspondence (writings and conferences),
1975-1979
Carton 3, Folder 7-12
Professional correspondence (academic matters),
1967-1979
Carton 3, Folder 13-20
Research correspondence (general),
1958,
1963-1969
Carton 4, Folder 1
Research correspondence (Altman, Hal),
circa 1962-1969
Carton 4, Folder 2
Research correspondence (Bingham, Edwin R.),
circa 1962-1969
Carton 4, Folder 3
Research correspondence (Blumenthal, Louis),
circa 1962-1969
Carton 4, Folder 4
Research correspondence (Chyet, Stanley),
circa 1962-1969
Carton 4, Folder 5
Research correspondence (Fromer, Seymour),
circa 1962-1969
Carton 4, Folder 6
Research correspondence (Glaser, Joseph),
circa 1962-1969
Carton 4, Folder 7
Research correspondence (Kellison, Elsie),
circa 1962-1969
Carton 4, Folder 8
Research correspondence (Latz, Jacob),
circa 1962-1969
Carton 4, Folder 9
Research correspondence (Levy, Pauline),
circa 1962-1969
Carton 4, Folder 10
Research correspondence (Liebman, Seymour B.),
circa 1962-1969
Carton 4, Folder 11
Research correspondence (Millard, Dorothy and Roeder, Sylvia),
circa 1962-1969
Carton 4, Folder 12
Research correspondence (Pomeroy, Earl),
circa 1962-1969
Carton 4, Folder 13
Research correspondence (Postal, Bernard),
circa 1962-1969
Carton 4, Folder 14
Research correspondence (Rischin, Moses),
circa 1962-1969
Carton 4, Folder 15
Research correspondence (Slater, Jacqueline),
circa 1962-1969
Carton 4, Folder 16-17
Research correspondence (Stern, Norton),
circa 1962-1969
Carton 4, Folder 18
Research correspondence (Camp Swig),
circa 1962-1969
Carton 4, Folder 19
Research correspondence (Tornheim, William),
circa 1962-1969
Carton 4, Folder 20
Research correspondence (Tumen, Bernice),
circa 1962-1969
Carton 4, Folder 21
Research correspondence (Zellerbach, Stephen A.),
circa 1962-1969
Carton 4, Folder 22-23
Research correspondence (form letters to Jewish organizations, institutions),
circa 1962-1969
Carton 4, Folder 24
Research correspondence (mining),
circa 1962-1969
Carton 4, Folder 25-34
Research correspondence (general),
1969-1972
Carton 5, Folder 1-11
Research correspondence (general),
1972-1979,
undated
Carton 5, Folder 12-21
Cemeteries Commission correspondence,
1968-1973
Carton 6, Folder 1-8
Cemeteries Commission correspondence,
1973-1979
Carton 6, Folder 9-15
Genealogy and family history correspondence,
1970-1979
Carton 6, Folder 16-25
Historical societies, museums, organizations correspondence,
1968-1979
Carton 7, Folder 1-5
Cantorial and rabbinical correspondence,
1968-1979
Series 2
Dissertation.
circa 1880-1972
Physical Description:
Carton 7, folders 6-54; Carton 8; Carton 9, folder 1-6; Cardfile Boxes 1-3
Carton 7, Folder 6
Dissertation research files: Gold Rush articles,
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 7
Dissertation research files: Gold Rush bibliographies and publication lists,
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 8
Dissertation research files: Gold Rush biographies and genealogies,
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 9
Dissertation research files: California Historical Society,
circa 1962-1969
Oversize Box 1
Dissertation research files: Baer family prayer book (Sonora, Calif.),
circa 1880
Carton 7, Folder 10
Dissertation research files: Bancroft Library,
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 11
Dissertation research files: interviews lists,
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 12
Dissertation research files: interviews,
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 13
Dissertation research files: Segerstrom, Donald I. (interview and notes),
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 14
Dissertation research files: Mordecai Manuel Noah's Ararat Project,
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 15
Dissertation research files: library holdings of materials needed for thesis,
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 16
Dissertation research files: miscellaneous ephemera,
circa 1922-1950
Carton 7, Folder 17
Dissertation research files: newspaper articles file,
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 18
Dissertation research files: newspaper clippings,
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 19
Dissertation research files: 19th century newspaper clippings,
circa 1880
Carton 7, Folder 20
Dissertation research files: Daily Alta California, 1850-1862 (photocopies)
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 21
Dissertation research files: notes, handwritten,
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 22
Dissertation research files: Wells Fargo Bank, notes on,
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 23
Dissertation research files: Masonic Lodges, Mother Lode Counties,
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 24
Dissertation research files: Mother Lode Counties, photographs,
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 25
Dissertation research files: Amador County,
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 26
Dissertation research files: Calaveras County,
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 27-29
Dissertation research files: El Dorado County,
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 30
Dissertation research files: Mariposa County,
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 31
Dissertation research files: Nevada County,
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 32
Dissertation research files: Placer County, Auburn
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 33
Dissertation research files: Sierra County, Downieville
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 34
Dissertation research files: Tuolumne County, records,
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 35
Dissertation research files: Tuolumne County, court records,
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 36
Dissertation research files: Tuolumne County, newspaper photocopies,
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 37
Dissertation research files: Tuolumne County Museum
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 38
Dissertation research files: Tuolumne County, Sonora, Columbia, Eastman correspondence,
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 39
Dissertation research files: Tuolumne County, Baer family
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 40
Dissertation research files: Tuolumne County, Columbia, Levy families, S. and H. Levy and Co.,
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 41
Dissertation research files: Tuolumne County, Sonora, Linoberg family, Tuolumne County, Sonora, miscellaneous, interviews,
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 42
Dissertation research files: Tuolumne County, Sonora, miscellaneous, interviews,
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 43
Dissertation research files: Tuolumne County, Jacobs, Albert and Mary,
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 44
Dissertation research files: Tuolumne County, Sonora, miscellaneous notes,
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 45
Dissertation research files: Tuolumne County, Sonora Cemetery,
1902-1922
Box 1, Folder 1
Dissertation research files: Tuolumne County, Sonora Cemetery, Ledger,
1902-1922
Carton 7, Folder 46
Dissertation research files: Lassen County,
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 47
Dissertation research files: Los Angeles County,
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 48
Dissertation research files: B'nai B'rith Grand Lodge #4, San Francisco,
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 49
Dissertation research files: Idaho, articles on,
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 50
Dissertation research files: St. Louis, Missouri (Donald Makovsky's "The Philipsons, the first Jewish settlers in St. Louis,
1807-1858," (photocopy)
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 51
Dissertation research files: Oregon, miscellaneous,
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 52
Dissertation research files: Oregon, Albany, Odd Fellows records,
1899-1906
Carton 7, Folder 53
Dissertation research files: Oregon, Jacksonville, miscellaneous,
circa 1962-1969
Carton 7, Folder 54
Dissertation research files: Oregon, Portland, B'nai B'rith Lodge #65
1965-1966
Carton 7, Folder 55
Dissertation research files: Oral Histories (Milton Kaspar, Sylvan Durkheimer, Virginia Williams),
1964-1970
Box 1, Folder 2
Dissertation research files: Oakland Community Bulletin,
1939
Carton 7, Folder 54
Dissertation research files: Oregon, Portland, B'nai B'rith Lodge #65
1965-1966
Carton 8
Manuscript drafts of dissertation and book on Jews and the Gold Rush,
circa 1968-1972
Carton 9, Folder 1-6
Manuscript drafts of dissertation and book on Jews and the Gold Rush,
circa 1968-1972
Cardfile Box 1
Index cards: Gold Rush newspapers (Angels, Columbia, Downieville, Grass Valley, Jackson, Mammoth Tree Grove, Mariposa, Mokelumne
Hill, Nevada City),
circa 1850-1880
Cardfile Box 2
Index cards: Gold Rush newspapers (Nevada City, Placerville),
circa 1850-1880
Cardfile Box 3
Index cards: Gold Rush newspapers (Placerville, San Andreas, San Francisco, Sonora, Sutter Creek, Volcano, Miscellaneous newspapers,
IOBB, Jewish Order of KSB, non-newspaper index cards),
circa 1850-1880
Series 3
Camp Swig files.
1965-1969
Physical Description:
Carton 9, folders 7-10
Carton 9, Folder 7-10
Camp Swig files,
1965-1969
