Rotkin (Michael) papers, 1970-1989

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Summary

Title:
Michael Rotkin papers
Dates:
1970-1989
Creators:
Rotkin, Mike
Abstract:
This collection documents Mike Rotkin's involvement in the progressive movement of Santa Cruz, California through the late 1970s and early 1980s, primarily in the New American Movement (NAM), Westside Neighbors, and in Santa Cruz city politics. The collection contains various files created and collected by Rotkin, including meeting minutes, notes, reports, correspondence, planning documentation, and regional and national materials from NAM and other organizations.
Extent:
3.5 Linear Feet 3 boxes
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

Michael Rotkin papers, MS 78, Special Collections and Archives, University Library, University of California, Santa Cruz.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection documents Mike Rotkin's involvement in the progressive movement of Santa Cruz, California through the late 1970s and early 1980s, primarily in the New American Movement (NAM), Westside Neighbors, and in Santa Cruz city politics. The collection contains various files created and collected by Rotkin, including meeting minutes, notes, reports, correspondence, planning documentation, and regional and national materials from NAM and other organizations.

Biographical / historical:

Michael "Mike" Rotkin (1945-2025) was a community organizer, educator, and local politician in Santa Cruz, California. He was born in New York City in 1945, spent much of his young life in College Park, Maryland, and attended Cornell University. Before graduating from Cornell with a degree in English Literature, he spent a year in the Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA), also known as the Domestic Peace Corps, working with migrant workers in Florida. Rotkin then moved to Santa Cruz in 1969, where earned a PhD in History of Consciousness, worked as a lecturer in Community Studies, and directed the Community Studies field program from 1979 to 2011. Rotkin was politically active in the New American Movement (NAM) in Santa Cruz, served in leadership positions in many organizations including the Santa Cruz Metro Transit Board and the Regional Transportation Commission, was an organizer for the University Council - American Federation of Teachers (UC-AFT), and served as mayor of Santa Cruz five times. Rotkin passed away in Santa Cruz, California on June 18, 2025, at the age of 79.

Acquisition information:
Gifts of Michael Rotkin, 1993 and 2009.
Processing information:

Processed by Alix Norton in 2025-2026, with initial processing conducted by Maureen Carey in 2016. Nearly all titles in this collection were derived from the original folder titles as received from the donor. Original folders were used when they were deemed to be serviceable, in order to retain as much materiality and context as possible. Newsletters and other publications were separated from the collection and cataloged separately, and are available via UCSC Library Search.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged in four series:

  • Series 1: New American Movement (NAM) files
  • Series 2: Westside Neighbors and Health Care Coalition files
  • Series 3: Santa Cruz politics and organization subject files
  • Series 4: Tim Jenkins files
Materials within each series are arranged chronologically by date of creation, unless otherwise specified.

Physical location:
Collection stored off-site at SLF-N: Advance notice is required for access.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Alix Norton
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2026-01-27 08:51:49 -0800 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection open for research. Audiovisual media is unavailable until reformatted. Contact Special Collections and Archives in advance to request access to audiovisual media.

Terms of access:

Copyright for the items in this collection is owned by the creators and their heirs. Reproduction or distribution of any work protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires permission from the copyright owner. It is the responsibility of the user to determine whether a use is fair use, and to obtain any necessary permissions. For more information see UCSC Special Collections and Archives policy on Reproduction and Use.

Preferred citation:

Michael Rotkin papers, MS 78, Special Collections and Archives, University Library, University of California, Santa Cruz.

Location of this collection:
Special Collections and Archives, University Library
1156 High Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95064, US
Contact:
(831) 459-2547
speccoll@library.ucsc.edu
Website