Guide to the Spencer C. Olin papers MS.F.024

Machine-readable finding aid created by Audrey Pearson, 2007. Updated by Gabrielle Wood, 2023.
Special Collections and Archives, University of California, Irvine Libraries
(cc) 2023
The UCI Libraries
P.O. Box 19557
University of California, Irvine
Irvine 92623-9557
spcoll@uci.edu


Contributing Institution: Special Collections and Archives, University of California, Irvine Libraries
Title: Spencer C. Olin papers
Creator: Olin, Spencer C.
Identifier/Call Number: MS.F.024
Physical Description: 3.8 Linear Feet (5 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1944-2006
Date (bulk): 1966-2006
Abstract: This collection comprises the extant professional papers of Spencer C. Olin, founding faculty member, administrator, and professor emeritus of history at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). His papers contain research files related to his book Major Problems in California History, teaching materials for two undergraduate courses titled "California in Modern America" and "Utopian Experiments in American History," research files documenting Orange County, and research files documenting the history of UCI. The papers include photographs, clippings, journal articles, correspondence, and notes. The addition to this collection includes materials such as course syllabuse, lecture notes, and reference articles relating to research on the history of California and the American West, Orange County Great Park, "The Nature of Historical Inquiry", and "Postsuburban Analysis of Metropolitan Regions".
Language of Material: English .

Access

The collection is open for research. One file of restricted personnel information has been separated and will be open for research in 2073. Acession 2023-003 is minimally processed, but is open for research.

Publication Rights

Property rights reside with the University of California. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permissions to reproduce or to publish, please contact the Head of Special Collections and Archives.

Preferred Citation

Spencer C. Olin papers. MS-F024. Special Collections and Archives, The UC Irvine Libraries, Irvine, California. Date accessed.
For the benefit of current and future researchers, please cite any additional information about sources consulted in this collection, including permanent URLs, item or folder descriptions, and box/folder locations.

Acquisition Information

Gift of Spencer C. Olin, 2006. Gift of Spencer C. Olin, 2022.

Processing History

Processed by Audrey Pearson, 2007. Updated by Gabrielle Wood, 2023.

Biography

Spencer Olin is a founding faculty member of the University of California, Irvine (UCI), Department of History and has been a prominent professor and administrator throughout UCI's history. A native Californian, Olin received a B.A. from Pomona College (1958) and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Claremont Graduate University (1961, 1965). His focus has been on modern American history, particularly California and the West. Over the years, Olin also served UCI in many administrative capacities, including acting vice chancellor for Student Affairs (1965-1966), chair of the Department of History (1977-1982), chair of the Academic Senate (1986-1988), director of the Humanities Core Course (1989-1991), dean of the School of Humanities (1992-1996), and acting Executive Vice Chancellor (1994). In recognition of his dedication and academic excellence, Olin has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Daniel G. Aldrich, Jr. Distinguished Service Award (1991), the Historical Society of Southern California's Martin Ridge Retrospective Award (2001), the UCI Alumni Association Extraordinarius Award (2006), and the UCI Medal (1998), the highest campus honor.
Olin is the author or co-author of six books relating to American history and has published numerous articles, essays, and book reviews in publications such as The Journal of American History, Western Historical Quarterly, Pacific Historical Review, California History, and Radical History. He was a co-curator of the 2006 UCI Library exhibit Under Construction Indefinitely: Forty Years of Designing UCI, during the campus's fortieth anniversary celebration. As of 2007, Olin is retired and lives in Irvine with his wife, Rita Olin, who retired from UCI as a financial analyst.

Biographical/Historical note

Chronology

1937 February 13 Born in Los Angeles, California
1958 Received B.A. from Pomona College
1961 Received M.A. from Claremont Graduate University
1965 Received Ph.D. from Claremont Graduate University
1964-1965 Instructor in history, Pomona College
1965 Joined UCI's faculty as assistant professor of history
1965 September - June 1966 Acting vice chancellor for Student Affairs
1968 California's Prodigal Sons: Hiram Johnson and the Progressives
1969-1978 Associate professor of history, UCI
1971-1972 Visiting lecturer in history, University of Stirling, Scotland
1972 Racism in California: A Reader in the History of Oppression
1977 - 1982 Chair of the Department of History
1979 Why War? Ideology, Theory, and History
1981 California Politics, 1846-1920: The Emerging Corporate State
1982-1997 Professor of history, UCI
1983-1989 Member and vice president of the board of directors for the Irvine Campus Housing Authority
1986 - 1988 Chair of the Irvine Division of the Academic Senate
1989 - 1992 Director of the Humanities Core Course, UCI
1989 - 1991 With Sandra Campbell, co-chair of the UCI Campus Campaign
1991 Postsuburban California: The Transformation of Orange County Since World War II
1991 Received First Annual Daniel G. Aldrich, Jr. Distinguished Service Award
1992 Acting dean of the School of Humanities
1992 - 1996 Dean of the School of Humanities
1994 Acting Executive Vice Chancellor
1997 Major Problems in California History: Documents and Essays
1997 Professor emeritus of history, UC Irvine
1998 Awarded the UCI Medal
2001 - 2002 Acting director of the Center for Global Peace and Conflict Studies
2001 California's Prodigal Sons
2004-2006 Appointed Edward A. Dickson Emeritus Professor, in honor of the longest-serving regent in University of California history, to work with the University Archivist on UCI's Fortieth Anniversary Historical Records Project
2006 Received UCI Alumni Association Extraordinarius Award

Collection Scope and Content Summary

This collection comprises the extant professional papers of Spencer C. Olin, founding faculty member, administrator, and professor emeritus of history at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). His papers contain research files related to his book Major Problems in California History, teaching materials for two undergraduate courses titled "California in Modern America" and "Utopian Experiments in American History," research files documenting Orange County, and research files documenting the history of UCI. The papers include photographs, clippings, journal articles, correspondence, and notes. The addition to this collection includes materials such as course syllabuse, lecture notes, and reference articles relating to research on the history of California and the American West, Orange County Great Park, "The Nature of Historical Inquiry", and "Postsuburban Analysis of Metropolitan Regions".

Collection Arrangement

This collection is arranged in 4 series:
  • Series 1. University of California, Irvine files, 1979-2006. 0.5 linear feet
  • Series 2. Research files, 1950-2004. 2.5 linear feet
  • Series 3. Teaching materials, 1970-1985. 0.2 linear feet
  • Series 4. Writings, 1966-1997. 0.2 linear feet
Acession 2023-003, a minimally processed addition to the collection is listed at the end.

Separation Note

Publications authored by Olin were removed and catalogued separately in Special Collections. Several widely available journals were removed and discarded.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Clippings -- 20th century.
Utopias -- United States
Letters -- California -- Orange County -- 20th century.
Photographic prints -- California -- Orange County -- 20th century.
California -- History -- Sources
Lecture notes -- 20th century.
Offprints -- 20th century.
Historians.
College teachers.
University of California, Irvine -- Faculty -- Archives
University of California, Irvine -- Archives
Olin, Spencer C. -- Archives

 

University of California, Irvine files Series 1. 1979-2006

Physical Description: 0.5 Linear Feet
General Physical Description note: no content

Series Scope and Content Summary

This series comprises materials generated by Olin as a faculty member and administrator at UCI. Contents include materials related to the UCI Historical Records Project, the groundbreaking ceremony of the Humanities Instructional Building, the UCI Fortieth Anniversary celebration, a search for a dean of Humanities in 1992, and campus honors that Olin received. The series contains correspondence, articles, clippings, transcripts of speeches, and ephemera.

Arrangement

Alphabetical by topic

Restrictions

A restricted personnel file has been separated and will be open for research in 2073.
box 1, folder 1-3

Chan, Sucheng: articles, correspondence and other materials 1981-1998

Biographical/Historical note

Chan was a founder of Asian American and ethnic studies as a scholarly discipline in the United States, especially at the University of California. Chan is professor emeritus, University of California, Santa Barbara and former provost at University of California, Santa Cruz. Chan also co-edited Major Problems in California History with Olin. Olin tried to recruit Chan to come to UCI.
box 1, folder 4

Clippings featuring Olin 1994-1998

box 1, folder 5

Contributions to UCI Strategic Plan: correspondence and articles 1997-2004

 

Dean of Humanities search

box 1, folder 6

Correspondence, interview transcript, and other materials 1992-1997

file-cabinet 568-H-2

Correspondence and search committee remarks 1992-1997

Conditions Governing Access note

Access restricted until 2073.
box 1, folder 7, 49

Edward A. Dickson Emeritus Professor / UCI Historical Records Project: correspondence, clippings, and other materials 2002-2005

box 1, folder 8

Essays and lectures by Olin concerning UCI administration 1989-2002

box 1, folder 9

Historical Society of Southern California -- Martin Ridge Retrospective Award: program and correspondence 2001

box 1, folder 10

Humanities Instructional Building groundbreaking: invitation, Olin's remarks, and other materials 1996

box 1, folder 11

Remarks on retirements, awards, and eulogies: transcripts, photographs, and programs 1993-2005

Scope and Contents note

Includes two 7 x 5 inch color photographs of Olin wearing the UCI Medal.
box 1, folder 12

Third Annual Seminar on Social History and Theory: photograph 1980

Scope and Contents note

Includes one 7 x 5 inch black-and-white photograph of Olin with UCI Chancellor Daniel G. Aldrich, Jr. at the 3rd Annual Seminar on Social History and Theory.
box 1, folder 13

UCI Alumni Association Extraordinarius Award: programs, speech transcript, and other materials 2006

box 1, folder 14-15

UCI architecture research: articles, correspondence, and other materials 1979-2005

box 1, folder 16-17

UCI Fortieth Anniversary planning materials: correspondence, notes, and other materials 2005

box 1, folder 18

UCI Fortieth Anniversary Symposium: correspondence, clippings, and other materials 2005

box 1, folder 19

UCI University Club anniversary pamphlets 1987-1997

 

Research files Series 2. 1950-2004, bulk 1972-1997

Physical Description: 2.5 Linear Feet
General Physical Description note: no content

Series Scope and Content Summary

This series comprises subject files that Olin created related to his research. Subjects include Orange County regional history and profiles of Orange County cities, the Oneida Colony and the Townerites of Santa Ana, and Olin's book Major Problems in California History.

Arrangement

Alphabetical by topic
box 1, folder 20

Anaheim: report, newsletter, and other materials 1950-1957, 1972-1985

box 1, folder 21

Brea: clippings 1957, 1988-1989

box 1, folder 22

Chinese-Americans: clippings, programs, and other materials 1984-1985

box 1, folder 23

City councils composition: reports and notes undated

Scope and Contents note

Includes information about the city councils of Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Fullerton, Garden Grove, and Santa Ana, California.
box 1, folder 24

Costa Mesa Historical Society Quarterly newsletters 1977-1984

box 1, folder 25

Costa Mesa Oral History: transcripts, pamphlet, and other materials 1978-1984

box 1, folder 26

Costa Mesa: reports, pamphlet, and other materials 1983-1987

box 1, folder 27

Cypress: clipping 1984

box 1, folder 28

Dana Point: clipping 1989

box 1, folder 29

Fountain Valley: notes undated

box 1, folder 30

Fullerton: clippings and notes 1957

box 1, folder 31

Garden Grove: pamphlet, clipping, and other materials 1987, undated

box 1, folder 32

Globalization of Orange County economy: articles, report, and other materials 1972-1973, 1984-1989

box 1, folder 33

Hispanics: clippings, essay, and other materials 1984-1988

box 1, folder 34

Huntington Beach: clippings and report 1982-1990

box 1, folder 35

Industrial League of Orange County: newsletters and notes 1985-1989

box 1, folder 36

"Intra-Class Conflict and the Politics of Regional Fragmentation" coded data 1986

box 1, folder 37

Irvine: clippings and notes 1976-1991

box 1, folder 38

Japanese-Americans: clippings 1975-1984

box 1, folder 39

Laguna Niguel: clipping 1985

box 1, folder 40

La Habra: clipping 1986

box 1, folder 41

La Palma: notes 1981-1986

box 1, folder 42

Los Alamitos: clippings 1984-1986

 

Major Problems in California History

 

Chapter 2. The First Californians:

box 1, folder 43

Newsletters, article, and other materials 1968-1978, 1992-1993

box 1, folder 44

Photographs, articles, and other materials 1855, 1958, 1984-1997

Scope and Contents note

Materials older than 1958 are reproductions from other sources.Includes two 8 1/2 x 11 inch black-and-white photographs. One photograph is of Native American artifacts, the other is of a Native American man.
 

Chapter 3. The Spanish Mission System, 1769-1821

box 1, folder 45

Articles, clippings, and other materials 1978-1997

box 2, folder 1

Articles, draft, and other materials 1970-1983, 1989-1993

box 2, folder 2

Chapter 4. Mexican California and the Transition to American Rule, 1821-1848: notes and articles 1849, 1888, 1939, 1964-1971, 1983-1992

Scope and Contents note

Articles prior to 1964 are photocopies of original materials from other sources.
box 2, folder 3

Chapter 5. Conflicts over Land in a New State, 1850-1870: articles and notes 1971, 1985-1986

box 2, folder 4

Chapter 5. The Gold Rush and American Conquest: notes, articles, and other materials 1990-1994, undated

box 2, folder 5

Chapter 6. Problems of Land and Water: articles and book reviews 1987-1995

box 2, folder 6

Chapter 7. The Railroads and Corporate Power, 1860-1900: notes, articles, and other materials 1981-1993, undated

box 2, folder 7

Chapter 8. Labor and Social Conflict, 1850-1915: articles and book reviews 1981-1996

box 2, folder 8-9

Chapter 8. The Progressive Era: notes and articles 1911, 1969, 1987-1997

Scope and Contents note

Items older than 1969 are photocopies of original materials from other sources.
box 2, folder 10

Chapter 17. Conservativism Revived; Liberalism Transformed: Political Culture, 1960-1980: notes, clippings, and other materials 1975-1984, 1991

box 2, folder 11

Minority rights in the 1950s and 1960s research: notes, articles, and other materials 1972, 1988-1994

box 2, folder 12

Naturism, extermination, and anti-orientalism research: notes, articles, and other materials 1877, 1920, 1967-1974, 1984-1990

Scope and Contents note

Items older than 1967 are photocopies of original materials from other sources.
box 2, folder 13

Newport Beach: clipping 1986

 

Oneida Community

box 2, folder 14-15

Correspondence 1975-1988

box 2, folder 16

Diary of R. Victor Hawley: transcripts 1876-1877

Scope and Contents note

Folder contains typed transcripts created in 1978 of Hawley's diaries.
box 2, folder 17

General materials: prospectus, bibliography, and other materials 1977, undated

box 2, folder 18

Notes from manuscript collections and newspapers 1978, undated

box 2, folder 19

Notes from Oneida Community Historical Collection in Kenwood, New York 1977

box 2, folder 20

Oneida Circular / The American Socialist: notes 1975

box 2, folder 21

"The Oneida Community and the Instability of Charismatic Authority:" correspondence, notes, and other materials 1974-1977

box 2, folder 22-24

Photographs and copy negatives from various sources undated

Scope and Contents note

Includes 32 copy negatives and 9 black-and-white photographs of members and buildings of the Oneida Community in New York and Townerite Group in Santa Ana, California.
box 2, folder 25-27

Photograph album circa 1875-1915

Processing Information note

The album was dissembled and housed in archival photograph sleeves. The original pages were photocopied to show the original format of the album; the photocopies are in Box : Folder 2 : 28.

Scope and Contents note

Includes 34 black-and-white photographs of members and buildings of the Oneida Community in New York and the Townerites in Santa Ana, California. The photographs are undated reproductions of originals. Olin presumably created the album.
box 2, folder 28

Preservation photocopies of photograph album

box 2, folder 29

Towner, James W., frontier law, and utopian socialism: notes, articles, and other materials 1877, 1911-1913, 1931, 1972

Scope and Contents note

Materials older than 1972 are photocopies of originals from other sources.
box 2, folder 30

Women and Family in the Oneida Community, 1837-1881, photocopies of dissertation by Marlyn Hartzell Dalsimer 1975

box 2, folder 31

Orange: clipping and pamphlet 1982-1988

 

Orange County

box 2, folder 32

Bankruptcy: clippings 1994-1995

box 2, folder 33

Board of Supervisors research: clippings, articles, and other materials 1967-1991

box 2, folder 34

City Councils composition research: notes undated

box 2, folder 35

Immigration: clippings, essays, and other materials 1983-1984, 2002

box 2, folder 37

Land and real estate: clippings and pamphlets 1984-1991

box 2, folder 38-39

Military-industrial complex: articles 1967-1990

box 2, folder 36

Orange County and Irvine research materials: clippings, report, and other materials 1987-1998

box 3, folder 1

Political development: clippings and article 1980-1990, 2004

box 3, folder 2

Political history: notes 1983

box 3, folder 3

Political leadership: notes and appendix of occupational composition of Orange County Board of Supervisors and selected city councils 1984, undated

box 3, folder 4-5

Slow-growth initiative: clippings 1984-1992

box 3, folder 6

Social history of Orange County: clippings, report, and other materials 1967-1989

box 3, folder 7-8

Statistical analysis of occupations of Orange County City Council members, 1940-1985: report 1987

box 3, folder 9

Transportation: clippings 1984-1989

box 3, folder 10

Placentia: clipping 1984

box 3, folder 11

Postindustrial California: notes and articles 1980-1994

box 3, folder 12

Postsuburban California: reviews -- clippings and correspondence 1984-1995

box 3, folder 13-14

Racial minorities: clippings, language census report, and other materials 1982-2004

box 3, folder 15

Santa Ana: report and clippings 1984-1997

box 3, folder 16

Social and political history in the Progressive Era: articles 1962, 1986-1990

box 3, folder 17

Space and built environment research: articles and book reviews 1991-1998

box 3, folder 18

Theory and metropolitan/urban history research: articles and book reviews 1983-1996

box 3, folder 19-20

Urban history and global cities research: articles 1983-2001

box 3, folder 21-24

Urban politics and urban growth research: articles, notes and other materials 1972-1997

box 3, folder 25

Vietnamese: research studies, clippings, and other materials 1983-1984

box 3, folder 26

Westminster: notes and clipping 1985-1986

box 3, folder 27

Why War? reviews: book reviews, correspondence, and other materials 1978-1982

box 3, folder 28

Women, family, and gender relations: articles and book reviews 1982-1991

box 3, folder 29

World War II and its aftermath, 1940-1965: articles and book reviews 1984-1991

box 3, folder 30

Yorba Linda: clipping 1984

 

Teaching materials Series 3. 1944-1985, bulk 1974-1985

Physical Description: 0.2 Linear Feet
General Physical Description note: no content

Series Scope and Content Summary

This series comprises teaching materials Olin used for two undergraduate upper-division courses called "California in Modern America" and "Utopian Experiments in American History." Included are lecture notes, supplementary articles, class syllabi, and exam questions.

Arrangement

Alphabetical by course and topic
 

"California in Modern America"

box 4, folder 1

Eden in Jeopardy: Literary and Social Countercultures: lecture notes, articles, and other materials 1979-1991

 

"Utopian Experiments in American History"

box 4, folder 2

California's Utopian colonies: lecture notes, articles, and other materials 1979-1983

box 4, folder 3

European Utopian socialists: lecture notes and articles 1974-1985

box 4, folder 4

Fourierism in America: lecture notes undated

box 4, folder 5

Free love and sexual anarchism: lecture notes and article circa 1980-1982

box 4, folder 6

Introductory material: syllabi, course notes, and other materials 1981-1982

box 4, folder 7

The Mormons: lecture notes, articles, and other materials 1974-1985

box 4, folder 8

The Oneida Community: lecture notes and articles 1980-1981

box 4, folder 9

Photographs of Olin at Llano del Rio Cooperative Colony historic site undated

Scope and Contents note

Includes three 3.5 x 4.5 inch color photographs of Olin at the dedication of the historic site.
box 4, folder 10

Science and utopia in the Marxist tradition: lecture notes and articles 1970-1980

box 4, folder 11

The Shakers: lecture notes, articles, and other materials 1944, 1979, undated

 

Writings Series 4. 1966-1997

Physical Description: 0.2 Linear Feet
General Physical Description note: no content

Series Scope and Content Summary

This series comprises offprints and photocopies of articles and book reviews written by Olin.

Arrangement

Alphabetical by title
box 4, folder 12

Book reviews by Olin: clippings and correspondence 1973-1996

box 4, folder 13

"European Immigrant and Oriental Alien: Acceptance and Rejection by the California Legislature of 1913," offprint 1966

box 4, folder 14

"Free Markets and Corporate America," offprint 1991

box 4, folder 15

"Globalization and the Politics of Locality: Orange County, California, in the Cold War Era 'The Great Adventure,'" offprint 1991

box 4, folder 16

"Los Angeles as a 'World City,'" article photocopy 1997

box 4, folder 17

"The Oneida Community and the Instability of Charismatic Authority," article photocopy 1980

box 4, folder 18

"Toward a Synthesis of the Political and Social History of the American West," offprint 1986

box 4, folder 19

"Utopianism," article photocopy 1984

box Accn2023-003 001

Unprocessed addition 2023 1949-1998

Scope and Contents Note

This addition to the Spencer C. Olin papers contains materials relating to research on the history of California and the American West, Orange County Great Park, "The Nature of Historical Inquiry", and "Postsuburban Analysis of Metropolitan Regions". These materials contain course syllabuses, lecture notes, and reference articles.