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Finding Aid for the Norris Poulson Papers, 1938-1976
787
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Title: Norris Poulson Papers,
Date (inclusive): 1938-1976
Collection number: 787
Creator: Poulson, Norris, 1895-1982
Extent:
5 boxes (2.5 linear ft.)
23 oversize boxes
Abstract: Charles Norris Poulson (1895-1982) was elected and served in the California State Assembly (1938-42), was elected to the House
of Representatives in 1942, served as mayor of Los Angeles (1953-61), and was a member of the California Water Commission
(1965-68). The collection consists of scrapbooks, clippings, documents, correspondence, photographs, and memorabilia related
to the life of Norris Poulson including Poulson's autobiography, and materials related to his career as a California assemblyman,
U.S. Congressman, and Los Angeles mayor.
Repository:
University of California, Los Angeles. Library.
Department of Special Collections.
Los Angeles, California 90095-1575
Physical location: Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact the UCLA Library, Department
of Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.
Charles Norris Poulson was born on July 23, 1895; attended Oregon Agricultural College, 1914-15; farmed 1916-23; moved to
Los Angeles in 1923; attended Southwestern University, 1923-25; began his own accounting business about 1925, passing the
California CPA examination in 1933; was elected and served in the California State Assembly (1938-42); first elected to the
House of Representatives in 1942; served as mayor of Los Angeles (1953-61); served as a member of the California Water Commission
(1965-68); he died on September 25, 1982.
| July 23, 1895 | Born Charles Norris Poulson, Baker County, Oregon |
| Fall 1913 | Attended Oregon Agricultural College |
| Fall 1914 | Attended business college in Baker City, Oregon |
| February, 1915 | Became accountant for J.F. Bryant, Haines, Oregon |
| December 25, 1916 | Married Erna June Loennig |
| 1916-1923 | Farmed in Baker County, Oregon |
| Spring 1923 | Moved to Los Angeles, California; became a bookkeeper for Square Oil Company |
| ca. 1925 | Began accounting business of his own |
| 1933 | Passed California CPA examination |
| 1938 | Elected to the California State Assembly for the Los Angeles 56th District |
| 1939 | Investigated the California Athletic Comm. |
| 1940 | Re-elected to the California State Assembly |
| November, 1942 | Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for the California 13th District |
| November, 1944 | Lost the congressional race for re-election to Ned Healy |
| 1945 | State lobbyist for California CPA Association |
| November, 1946 | Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives |
| 1948, 1950, 1952 | Re-elected to serve as Representative; served on the House Public Lands Comm. (now the Interior Comm.) |
| December, 1952-May, 1953 | Campaigned as Los Angeles mayoralty candidate against Fletcher Bowron |
| May 26, 1953 | Elected mayor of Los Angeles |
| July, 1953 | Settled the Los Angeles Public Housing issue |
| 1956 | Involved in the Los Angeles rubbish issue; served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention for Richard M. Nixon |
| 1957 | Was re-elected mayor of Los Angeles |
| 1957-1959 | Involved in the Los Angeles Major League Baseball issue |
| September, 1959 | Hosted Premier Nikita Khrushchev during his visit to Los Angeles |
| 1961 | Lost the mayoralty election to Samuel Yorty |
| 1965-1968 | Served as member of the California Water Commission, participating in the California bond issue. |
| 1969- | Retired and residing in Tustin, California |
Collection consists of scrapbooks, clippings, documents, correspondence, photographs, memorabilia, and related material of
former Los Angeles mayor Norris Poulson. Includes Poulson's autobiography,
The genealogy and life story of Erna and Norris Poulson. Includes materials related to his career as a California assemblyman, U.S. Congressman, and Los Angeles mayor, as well as
signed letters and photographs of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard M. Nixon, Mayor Fletcher Bowron, Mayor Samuel Yorty, Nikita
Khrushchev, Earl Warren, and others.
Norris Poulson's career as a California Assemblyman, Representative and member of the House Committee on Public Lands, and
mayor of Los Angeles spans the time period 1938-1961. The Collection of his papers consists, in the greater part, of 39 scrapbooks
containing clippings and memorabilia covering Poulson's political career. The majority of the material covers Poulson's two
terms as mayor. There is very little correspondence of a personal or official nature, but there are many letters signed by
prominent political figures, foreign dignitaries, and celebrities.
Particularly of interest are the extensive materials concerned with the California/Arizona water issue, the coverage of Nikita
Khrushchev's visit to Los Angeles, and materials pertaining to the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chavez Ravine deal with Walter
O'Malley.
As Congressman and Mayor, Poulson knew and associated with many prominent political figures and citizens. As Mayor Poulson
met and hosted many celebrities and foreign dignitaries. The Collection contains many signed letters from and photographs
of prominent people. Of note are: Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard M. Nixon, Mayor Fletcher Bowron, Mayor Samuel Yorty, Nikita
Khrushchev, Earl Warren, and others.
Also included in the Collection is an autobiography "The Genealogy and Life Story of Erna and Norris Poulson." The autobiography,
like Poulson's oral history "Who would have ever dreamed," gives detailed accounts of Poulson's political career.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Poulson, Norris, 1895-1982--Archives.
Mayors--California--Los Angeles--Archival resources.
Legislators--United States--Archival resources.
Scrapbooks.