Diane E. Watson papers, 1978-2011

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Summary

Creators:
Watson, Diane E.
Abstract:
Diane E. Watson is an American politician who served as a United States Representative, United States Ambassador to the Republic of Micronesia, California State Senator, and Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education member. The collection covers Watson's time in the California State Senate, Ambassadorship to Micronesia, and in the U.S. Congress. It includes press clippings collected and arranged by Watson's staff, a sizable collection of photographs from events throughout Watson's career, correspondence, and documents from various events, meetings, and conferences.
Extent:
24 boxes (13.25 linear ft.)
Language:
Finding aid is written in English.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection covers Watson's time in the California State Senate, Ambassadorship to Micronesia, and the U.S. House of Representatives. Note that there are only a limited number of items from her time as ambassador. The collection includes press clippings collected and arranged by Watson's staff, a sizable collection of photographs from events throughout Watson's career, correspondence, and documents from various events, meetings, and conferences. The collection also contains materials related to specific areas of interest for Watson, including the controversy over Ebonics in the Oakland, Calif., School District in the mid-1990s, the Sherrice Iverson Justice Committee, and the debate over the downsizing of the King/Drew medical center. Additionally, the collection includes mementos from Watson's trip to South Korea in August, 2010-particularly significant as her Congressional district included Los Angeles's Koreatown, the largest population of Koreans outside of Korea. Mementos from the trip include Watson's honorary doctorate from Chung Ang University, Korean literature panels, and souvenir menus from banquets in Watson's honor.

Biographical / historical:

Diane E. Watson (born November 12, 1933) is a former United States Representative (2001-2011), United States Ambassador to the Republic of Micronesia (1999-2000), California State Senator (1978-1998), and Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education member (1975-1978). Watson's Congressional (32nd/33rd) and Senatorial (26th/28th/30th) districts are located entirely within Los Angeles County, including Culver City, portions of the city of Los Angeles, and unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. She is a life-long resident of the area.

Watson attended Los Angeles City College and UCLA, where she earned a B.A. in Education. She also earned an M.A. in School Psychology from California State University, Los Angeles, and a Ph.D. in Educational Administration from Claremont Graduate University.

She was elected to the California State Senate in 1978, making history by being the second woman and first African American woman to serve in that body. During her time in office, she chaired the Senate Health and Human Services Committee (1981-1998) and served on the Senate Judiciary Committee. President Bill Clinton appointed her United States Ambassador to Micronesia in 1999.

Watson was elected to the 107th U.S. House of Representatives in 2001 in a special election for the seat vacated due to the death of Congressman Julian C. Dixon. She was re-elected four times before her retirement in 2011 at the end of the 111th Congress. While in Congress, Watson chaired the Congressional Entertainment Industries Caucus, and was a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Diane Watson, March 2011.
Arrangement:

Arranged in the following series:

  1. State senate
  2. Ambassadorship to Micronesia and Congress.
It is further arranged into subseries according to either item type or subject.

Physical / technical requirements:

COLLECTION CONTAINS DIGITAL MATERIALS: Special equipment or further processing may be required for viewing. To access digital materials you must notify the reference desk in advance of your visit.

Physical location:
Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact UCLA Library Special Collections for paging information.
Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

Access and use

Location of this collection:
A1713 Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575, US
Contact:
(310) 825-4988
AskLSC@library.ucla.edu
Website