The main body of the collection is approximately 100 typed manuscripts of speeches written by Wood, circa 1904-1931. There are photographs of Wood, and ephemera, for the period 1900-1939. The collection also contains 50 typewritten manuscripts of Wood's speeches, primarily on education subjects (ca. 1919-1927); correspondence, 1927-1930, relating to banking and the Bank of Italy merger of 1927; photographs and ephemera.

William Christopher Wood was born December 10, 1880 on his father's ranch in Solano County, California. He was educated in local public schools, Stanford University, and the University of California, Berkeley. He began his career in education as a teacher in Fairfield, Solano County in 1901, and later moved to Alameda where he was a school principal and Superintendent of Schools. He advance to the state level, becoming California State Commissioner for secondary schools in 1914 and State Superintendent of Public Instruction in 1919. He became State Superintendent of Banks in 1927, and joined Bank of America in 1931. Wood, best known as an educator and influential public speaker, died in Piedmont, California, May 15, 1939.

Please credit California State Library.

Unrestricted.