The Papers of Florence Richardson Wyckoff document Wyckoff's personal and professional life. Raised in Berkeley, California and trained as an artist, Wyckoff became interested in social service during the Great Depression. Over the course of her life, this early interest led to her involvement on a number of fronts, from public health and housing to literacy and children's rights. She remained active in national, state, and local politics until her death. Wyckoff described herself as a "packrat" and her papers give great insight into her personal character and childhood that further leads to an understanding of the development of her social consciousness. Her work with various Boards and Committees, including the State Board of Public Health, the Migrant Health Project Review Committee, and the Governor's Advisory Committee on Children and Youth are especially well documented in the collection. Manuscripts in the collection date from 1869, in the form of family papers collected by Wyckoff in the course of her genealogy research, and continue on through her death in 2000 at the age of 94. The bulk of the collection spans from the 1940s to 1990s, documenting the most active periods of Wyckoff's professional career.

Florence Richardson Wyckoff dedicated her long life to social reform. Raised in Berkeley, California and trained as an artist, Wyckoff became interested in social service during the Great Depression. Living in San Francisco in the 1930s, Wyckoff worked with and befriended many key figures in the local labor movement. This work piqued her interest in the political process and she campaigned for Culbert L. Olson in the 1938 gubernatorial election. Upon his election, Olson invited Wyckoff to take a position in the State Relief Administration (SRA), which became her first formal job in the social services profession. Over the course of her life, Wyckoff's commitment to the rights of children and laborers led to her involvement on a number of fronts, from public health and housing to literacy and women's rights. She remained active in national, state, and local politics until her death in 2000.

Number of containers: 32 cartons, 9 boxes, and 2 volumes Linear feet: circa 45

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Collection is open for research.