Inventory of the William H. Lancaster Papers

Lola Aguilar

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 Papers

Collection number: LP211:164-186, LP356

California State Archives

Office of the Secretary of State

Sacramento, California

Processed by:: Lola Aguilar
Date Completed:: June 2006
Encoded by:: Lola Aguilar

Descriptive Summary

Title: William H. Lancaster papers

Dates: 1973-1992

Collection number: See series description

Creator: Lancaster, William H.

Collection Size: 6 cubic feet.

Repository: California State Archives

Sacramento, California

Abstract: Assembly Member William H. Lancaster, Republican, was elected to the Legislature in a special election in June 1972. The William L. Lancaster Papers consist of 6 cubic feet of records reflecting Lancaster's activities during his time as an Assembly Member from 1972 to 1992. The bill files document his legislative activity during his term as a member of the California State Legislature.

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 contact the California State Archives. Permission for reproduction or publication is given on behalf of the California State Archives as the owner of the physical items. The researcher assumes all responsibility for possible infringement which may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the California State Archives collections.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], William H. Lancaster papers, LP[number]:[folder number], California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California.

Acquisition Information

California State Archives acquired the William H. Lancaster Papers following his final term in the California State Legislature.

Biography

Assembly Member William H. Lancaster, Republican, was elected to the Legislature in a special election in June 1972, called to fill a vacancy created when Pete Schabarum resigned to accept an appointment to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. For twenty years, Lancaster represented Assembly District 62, which includes Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties and is comprised of the cities of Claremont, Covina, Charter Oak, Glendora, La Verne, San Dimas, Upland, and portions of Pomona and West Covina.

Lancaster was born in Bakersfield on April 29, 1931 and attended public schools in Sacramento and Southern California, graduating from Palm Springs High School. He worked as a retail clerk for Alpha Beta markets, as a driver and salesperson for Pepsi, and as a salesperson for Sunshine Bakery. Lancaster was elected to the Duarte City Council in 1958, and served three terms as Mayor during his seven-year tenure. He served as president of the Duarte Citizens' Association, as a member of the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles County Sanitation District, and as Vice President of the League of California Contract Cities. In 1965 Lancaster resigned from the Duarte City Council to serve as field representative for the California Taxpayers' Association, a private non-profit organization located in Sacramento. In 1967, U.S. Congressman Charles E. Wiggins appointed Lancaster as his district representative, where he gained experience in resolving problems between local government and constituents and agencies and jurisdictions of the federal government. He held that position until his election to the Legislature in 1972. In 1991, the California League of Cities named him Legislator of the Year in recognition of his efforts to protect city finances. Lancaster retired from the Assembly in 1992 and died at the age of sixty-eight on January 2, 2000.In 2002, Assemblyman Dennis Mountjoy (R-Monrovia) introduced Assembly Concurrent Resolution 2, which named the Foothill Freeway (210) from Duarte to the Interstate 15 Freeway as the "William H. Lancaster Memorial Highway."

According to the California Legislature at Sacramento (Handbooks), William L. Lancaster served on the following committees:

California State Assembly, 1973-1992

Standing Committees
Banking, Finance, and Bond Indebtedness, 1991-1992
Commerce and Public Utilities, 1973-1974
Vice-Chair 1973-1974
Education, 1975
Finance and Insurance, 1983-1989
Finance, Insurance, and Commerce, 1975-1982
Governmental Efficiency and Cost Control, 1985
Governmental Organization, 1979-1982
Housing and Community Development, 1989
Intergovernmental Relations, 1973-1974
Judiciary, 1983-1984
Local Government, 1973-1978; 1985-1992
Vice Chair 1985
Policy Research Management, 1979-1982
Public Employees and Retirement, 1985
Public Employees, Retirement, and Social Security, 1987
Rules, 1976-1982
Vice-Chair 1979-1982
Transportation, 1983-1992
Water, 1973-1974
Subcommittees
Health and Workers' Insurance, 1989
Mobilehomes, 1989

Scope and Content

The William H. Lancaster Papers consist of 6 cubic feet of records reflecting Lancaster's activities during his time as an Assembly Member from 1972 to 1992. The bill files document his legislative activity during his term as a member of the California State Legislature. The bills introduced by William H. Lancaster include a wide array of subjects. He authored bills concerning freeway construction in his district, banking institutions, insurance liability, real estate agents and appraisers, and student loan funding.

Arrangement

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

Indexing Terms

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

Lancaster, William H.

California. Legislature. Assembly

File folders: LP211:164-186, LP356:1-87

Series 1. Bill Files 1973-1992

Physical Description: 110 file folders

Scope and Content

Bill files created by William H. Lancaster may include bill analyses, amendments, author's statements, correspondence, committee statements, author's statements, press releases, newspaper clippings, and background information.

California State Assembly

1973-1974 AB73-AB4410, AJR10 (7ff) LP211:164-170

1975-1976 AB405-AB4265, ACR127-ACR156, AJR4 (8ff) LP211:171-178

1977-1978 AB29-AB3791, ACR147, AJR79 (8ff) LP211:179-186

1979-1980 AB140-AB2837, ACR99-ACR141 (6ff) LP356:1-6

1981-1982 AB334-AB3583, ACR105, AJR17-AJR48 (8ff) LP356:7-14

1983-1984 AB66-AB4029, ACR86-ACR110, AJR17-AJR48 (16ff) LP356:15-30

1985-1986 AB140-AB4400, AJR66, HR5-HR28 (16ff) LP356:31-46

1987-1988 AB84-AB4617, ACA45, ACR15, HR29 (15ff) LP356:47-61

1989-1990 AB264-AB4228, ACA7, ACR15, AJR17 (15ff) LP356:62-76

1991-1992 AB26-AB3738 (11ff) LP356:77-87