Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- Catholic Human Relations Council
- Abstract:
- The Catholic Human Relations Council Collection consists of the administrative and organizational records, and resource files of a lay Catholic civil-rights organization of the 1960s and 1970s active in Los Angeles.
- Extent:
- 14 archival document boxes, 3 oversized document boxes, and 1 oversized folder.
- Language:
- Languages represented in the collection: English
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Series number, Box and Folder number, Catholic Human Relations Council Collection, CSLA-27, Department of Archives and Special Collections, William H. Hannon Library, Loyola Marymount University.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The materials in the Catholic Human Relations Council Collection are all textual, consisting of correspondence, newspaper articles, newspapers, magazines, brochures, flyers, pamphlets, board minutes and agendas, formerly in the possession of Mr. Horace Williams, past president of the organization. The inclusive dates of the collection are from 1958 through 1992, with the bulk dates 1969 through 1971. The majority of the collection's materials, eg, publications and press releases, are related to issues in which the Catholic Human Relations Council (CHRC) was involved but which the organization itself did not produce. These materials often originated with organizations of the "New Left" of the 1960s such as the Los Angeles committee supporting the Berrigan brothers (Series 4, Box 1, Folder 6), and have research value for this reason. Organizational and administrative records of the Catholic Human Relations Council are less in quantity (see especially Series 3 and Series 3, Subseries A).
The arrangement of this collection in series is based on the original order that Horace Williams established. These CHRC materials most likely served a dual purpose, both as organizational and administrative records of the CHRC and as personal resource files for Mr. Williams. One subseries (in Series 3: Subject Files) was set up to account for loose materials. A scrapbook was also transferred to the Research Collection but because of its extremely poor condition its contents had to be separated from the scrapbook. Materials separated from the scrapbook are noted in the content field of the box and folder list.
- Biographical / historical:
-
The Catholic Human Relations Council (CHRC) was founded in Los Angeles in 1963 and officially incorporated in January 1964, with the purpose--according to its constitution--to "promote better relations among the people of this community through the practical application of the Christian principles of charity and justice, as expressed by the Catholic bishops of the United States in their joint statements of 1943, 1958, and 1963, and relevant papal encyclicals."
The CHRC was also part of the National Catholic Conference on Inter-Racial Justice. Its first president was Emil J. Seliga, and Horace Williams and William Fitzgerald, Loyola University political science professor, were among its first members (which numbered around 150 persons). Although a Catholic organization, membership was open to non-Catholics as well. An initial major activity was the organization's work against Proposition 14, an initiative on the California ballot spearheaded by California realtors to repeal California's fair housing act, the Rumford Act. This included participation in meetings and demonstrations against the proposition, as well as educational outreach to Catholic churches and officials. In addition, the CHRC worked for school integration in Los Angeles and lobbied against legislation considered harmful to civil rights in California. The CHRC was also a strong supporter of Cesar Chavez and the United Farmworkers' strike against the owners of vineyards in California. In short, the Catholic Human Relations Council participated in some of the major issues of the civil rights movement of the 1960s.
Besides political activities, the CHRC provided practical assistance in the form of money and referral services to indigent persons. By 1966 its work in civil rights was respected enough to receive from the Community Relations Conference of Southern California an award for "distinguished achievements dedicated to the ideals of democracy and the advance of unity." To publicize its work and ideals the CHRC had its own newsletter, The Witness, that, besides articulating the CHRC's philosophy, recorded the activities of Roman Catholic social activism in general in southern California. By 1967, Horace Williams had succeeded Emil Seliga as president of the CHRC. Williams' work for the CHRC, as well as for other Catholic organizations, resulted in his being made a Knight of St. Gregory, an honor bestowed on lay Catholics only by the pope.
Date Event 1963 The Catholic Human Relations Council (CHRC) was founded in Los Angeles. 1963 CHRC works against Proposition 14 1964 CHRC officially incorporated. 1966 Presented award by the Community Relations Conference of Southern California 1967 Horace Williams succeeds Emil Seliga as president in 1967 - Acquisition information:
- Gift of Mr. Horace Williams, past president of the Catholic Human Rights Council, 2003. Accession number: 2003.55.
- Arrangement:
-
This collection is arranged in five series based on the original order of Horace Williams' filing system: Series 1: Organization Files, Series 2: Publications, Series 3: Subject Files, Series 4: Issues Files, Series 5: National Catholic Conference for Interracial Justice.
- Physical location:
- William H. Hannon Library
- Rules or conventions:
- Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard
Indexed terms
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Collection is open to research under the terms of use of the Department of Archives and Special Collections, William H. Hannon Library, Loyola Marymount University.
- Terms of access:
-
Materials in the Department of Archives and Special Collections may be subject to copyright. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, Loyola Marymount University does not claim ownership of the copyright of any materials in its collections. The user or publisher must secure permission to publish from the copyright owner. Loyola Marymount University does not assume any responsibility for infringement of copyright or of publication rights held by the original author or artists or his/her heirs, assigns, or executors.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Series number, Box and Folder number, Catholic Human Relations Council Collection, CSLA-27, Department of Archives and Special Collections, William H. Hannon Library, Loyola Marymount University.
- Location of this collection:
-
1 LMU DriveLos Angeles, CA 90045-2659, US
- Contact:
- (310) 338-5710