Guide to the Mayor Ron Gonzales Administrative Papers
MSS-2006-07-18
SJSU Special Collections & Archives
© 2010
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
San José State University
One Washington Square
San José, CA 95192-0028
special.collections@sjsu.edu
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
SJSU Special Collections & Archives
Title: Mayor Ron Gonzales Administrative Papers
creator:
Gonzales, Ronald R. (1951-)
Identifier/Call Number: MSS.2006.07.18
Physical Description:
29 boxes
(28.4 Linear Feet)
Date (inclusive): 1989-2006 1998-2006
Date (inclusive): 1998-2006
Abstract: The Mayor Ron Gonzales Administrative Papers documents the political career of Ron Gonzales. Gonzales contributed to Santa
Clara County politics, first serving two terms as the Mayor of Sunnyvale (1979-1987), and an eight-year term on the Santa
Clara County Board of Supervisors (1989-1996). In 1998 he was elected to the office of mayor in San José, where he served
another eight years (1998-2006). The bulk of this collection documents San José city politics, which includes interactions
between city, state, and the federal government. The collection includes audiovisual materials, correspondence, constituent
letters, memos, newspaper and magazine articles, speeches, and press releases. Some of the topics covered include extending
BART service to South San José, creation of new jobs for women and minorities, the opening of the Martin Luther King Jr. Library,
education, gang prevention, and other civic related issues. The collection is arranged into two series: Series I: Political
Records, 1989-2006 (bulk 1998-2006); Series II: VHS Tape Recordings 1992-2006 (bulk 1999-2006).
Access
The collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Copyright is assigned to the San Jose State University Special Collections & Archives. All requests for permission to publish
or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Special Collections. Permission for publication
is given on behalf of the Special Collections & Archives. Copyright restrictions may apply to digital reproductions of the
original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes.
Preferred Citation
Mayor Ron Gonzales Administrative Papers, MSS-2006-07-18, San José State University Library Special Collections & Archives.
Processing History
Collection processed by Robert Donahue. Finding aid EAD encoded by Robert Donahue. Reviewed by Danelle Moon. Boxes 28 and
29 added to the collection in February 2019 by Samira Habibi.
Biographical History
Ronald R. Gonzales (1951- ) attended De Anza College before moving on to the University of California at Santa Cruz where
he graduated with a degree in Community Studies (1973). Gonzales became active in California politics, serving on the Sunnyvale
City Council (1979-1987), and the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors (1989-1996). Ron Gonzales briefly left politics
to work as an executive at Hewlett-Packard, a Silicon Valley based company. From 1999-2006 Gonzales served as the first Latino
mayor of San José since California became a state in 1850, and was one of the first Latino mayors of a large U.S. city.
While in office, Gonzales initiated several programs to help attract new teachers to San José schools including a home purchasing
assistance program. Gonzales also advocated extending Bay Area Regional Transport service to downtown San José and used San
José Redevelopment Agency funds to help revitalize downtown San José. While delivering a State of the City address on January
28, 2004, Ron Gonzales suffered a stroke but returned to his duties on February 16th of that year. In June 2006 Mayor Ron
Gonzales and one of his top aids, Joe Guerra, were accused of corruption involving a waste contract in 2000 with Norcal Waste
Systems. Gonzales denied any wrongdoing and in 2007 a judge dismissed the charges. Gonzales was succeeded by Chuck Reed in
2007.
Scope and Content of Collection
The Mayor Ron Gonzales Administrative Papers documents the political career of Ron Gonzales. Gonzales contributed to Santa
Clara County politics, first serving two terms as the Mayor of Sunnyvale (1979-1987), and an eight-year term on the Santa
Clara County Board of Supervisors (1989-1996). In 1998 he was elected to the office of mayor in San José, where he served
another eight years (1998-2006). The bulk of this collection documents San José city politics, which includes interactions
between city, state, and the federal government. The collection includes audiovisual materials, correspondence, constituent
letters, memos, newspaper and magazine articles, speeches, and press releases. Some of the topics covered include extending
BART service to South San José, creation of new jobs for women and minorities, the opening of the Martin Luther King Jr. Library,
education, gang prevention, and other civic related issues.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into two series: Series I: Political Records, 1989-2006 (bulk 1998-2006); Series II: VHS Tape Recordings
1992-2006 (bulk 1999-2006).
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Gonzales, Ronald R. (1951-)
United States -- Politics and Government
Santa Clara County (Calif.) -- Politics and Government
Santa Clara County (Calif.) -- Board of Supervisors
San José (Calif.) -- Politics and Government
Local Transit -- California -- Santa Jose
Gonzales, Ronald R., 1951-
Political Records Series I:
1989-2006 1998-2006
1998-2006
Physical Description: 13.0 boxes
Series Scope and Content Summary
The material in this series documents the political career of Mayor Ron Gonzales. Gonzales served the city of San José from
1999-2006. The bulk of this collection documents San José city politics, which includes interactions between city, state,
and the federal government. The contents include files pertaining to his efforts to extend BART service into San José, the
renaming of the San José airport to the Mineta International Airport, creation of new jobs for women and minorities, the opening
of the Martin Luther King Jr. Library, education, gang prevention, and other civic related issues, Also included are records
of the Federal Aviation Administration's plan to use San José airspace to help alleviate overcrowded approach vectors at San
Francisco International Airport. Gonzales and other San José politicians fought the over flight plan on the grounds that it
would disturb air traffic at Mineta International Airport and would violate San José's air traffic curfew law.
Arrangement
This series is arranged by subject and chronologically by date range.
Box 1
BART Line to San José, Correspondence, Newspaper Clippings, Press Releases, Memos
1989-1998
Box 2
Memos, Press Releases, Budget, Art Groups
1990-2006
Box 3
Getting Families to Work, Coyote Valley Plan, SJ Proposal for Regenerative Stem Cell Research, Cinequest
1995-2006
Box 4
Bond Survey, BART Extention Fact Sheets, Public Relations Material, FAA Overflight Proposal & Response, Tobacco Settlement
Fund Allocation
1998-2000
Box 6
Creating Jobs, Woman and Minority Owned Businesses, Employment Training
1998-2006
Box 7
Press Releases, 9/11 Remembrance, Airport Curfew, Santana Row and Moorpark Fires
1998-2006
Box 8
Notes, State of the City, MLK Library Opening, John Kerry Visit, Letters to Mayor, Legislative Priorities: Housing, Transportation,
Schools
1999-2006
Box 9
Civic Center, Letters to Mayor: New City Hall Letters of Support, Meeting Notes and Agenda
1999-2006
Box 10
Gang Prevention Task Force
2000-2005
Box 11
School-Related Issues, Gang/Crime Prevention, Strong Neighborhoods Initiative, Affordable Housing
2000-2006
Box 28
Daily Calenders, Homelessness and Housing, Correspondence, Getting Families Back to Work, "Counter to Council"
1999-2006
VHS Tape Recordings Series II:
1992-2006 1999-2006
1999-2006
Physical Description: 16.0 boxes
Series Scope and Content Summary
The VHS tapes in this series provide a snapshot of some of the local public events that Mayor Gonzales attended or participated
in during his tenure as mayor. As Mayor of one the largest cities in the U.S., Gonzales appeared on television to talk about
city governance, social issues, and local and national disasters, such as hurricane Katrina disaster relief, as well as speaking
to local problems such as homelessness, gang prevention, anti-graffiti initiatives, and state of the city addresses.
Arrangement
This series is arranged chronologically by date range.
Box 12
VHS Tapes: Local Events, Helicopter Crash, Gonzales Interview
1992-1999
Box 13
VHS Tapes: State of the city, BART
1999-2002
Box 14
VHS Tapes: News and Local Events, Mineta Airport, Same Sex Marriage
1999-2004
Box 15
VHS Tapes: Homelessness, Gonzales, City Hall
2000
Box 16
VHS Tapes: Federal Aviation Administration, City Council, BART, Democratic National Convention
2000
Box 17
VHS Tapes: Airport Overflight Plan, Ronald Gonzales
2000
Box 18
VHS Tapes: Downtown Development Plan, Energy Issues
2000-2001
Box 19
VHS Tapes: Calpine Agreement, Gonzales Re-Election, National Guard, Airport Overflight
2001-2001
Box 20
VHS Tapes: BART, Calpine, Re-Election
2001-2002
Box 21
VHS Tapes: San José Safety, Various Speeches, Downtown Zoning, Diridon/Arena Re-Development
2001-2003
Box 22
VHS Tapes: Election Night, Santana Row Fire
2002
Box 23
VHS Tapes: Public Info Office Video Library, 9/11 Events, Mineta Airport, Santana Row
2002-2003
Box 24
VHS Tapes: Gangs, Cisco, Anti-Graffiti Initiative, Measure S, Safe Surrender Law
2002-2004
Box 25
VHS Tapes: Stem Cell - Ron Newsome, City Council Meetings, New San José City Hall
2003
Box 26
VHS Tapes: State of the City, Senator, Feinstein, San José Re-Development, Blue Ribbon Task Force
2004-2005
Box 27
VHS Tapes: Katrina Disaster Relief, State of the City
2005-2006
