Guide to the California Republican Assembly Records
Processed by Cyndi Shein; machine-readable finding aid created by Cyndi Shein
Special Collections and Archives
The UCI Libraries
P.O. Box 19557
University of California, Irvine
Irvine, California 92623-9557
Phone: (949) 824-3947
Fax: (949) 824-2472
Email: spcoll@uci.edu
URL: http://special.lib.uci.edu
© 2008
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: California Republican Assembly records
Date: 1955-1969,
Date (bulk): bulk 1955-1957
Collection Number: MS-R128
Creator:
California Republican Assembly
Extent:
0.4 linear feet
(1 box)
Languages: The collection is in English.
Repository:
University of California, Irvine. Library. Special Collections and Archives.
Irvine, California 92623-9557
Abstract: The collection comprises records from the California Republican Assembly (CRA), a grassroots political organization that promotes
conservative values, policies, and candidates related to the Republican Party. Over the years CRA has supported several winning
candidates in the national political arena and has helped shape politics in California.
Important Information for Researchers
Access
The collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Property rights reside with the University of California. Copyrights are retained by the creators of the records and their
heirs. For permissions to reproduce or to publish, please contact the Head of Special Collections and Archives.
Preferred Citation
California Republican Assembly Records. MS-R128. Special Collections and Archives, The UC Irvine Libraries, Irvine, California.
Acquisition Information
Unknown.
Processing History
Processed by Cyndi Shein, 2008.
Historical Background
Organizational History
The California Republican Assembly (CRA) is a grassroots, political organization that promotes conservative values, policies,
and candidates within the Republican Party. Dr. Robert Craig and Edward Shattuck began the CRA in 1932 with the intention
of it being free and open to all Republicans, but for the first ten years, CRA sought the membership solely of men under the
age of forty. Shortly after its incorporation in 1935, the CRA had over 8,000 members in 47 of the 48 counties in California.
The CRA had 12,000 members by 1940, over 11,000 by 1956, and over 14,000 by 1963. Although membership in CRA was free initially,
a bylaw requiring paid memberships was eventually adopted. CRA's founding fathers maintained an open and liberal philosophy;
Dr. Robert Craig felt that paid membership betrayed the original concept and goals of CRA. By 1955, there were many members
whose philosophy was opposed to that of CRA's founders. The liberals lost control of CRA with the election of moderate president
Fred Hall in 1962, and CRA has been dominated by a conservative philosophy since 1972.
Over the years CRA has supported several winning candidates in the national political arena and has helped shape politics
in California. Although the CRA supports Republican values and candidates, it does not officially represent the Republican
Party.
The following chronology lists CRA presidents through 1969, the most recent date of the materials in the collection.
Biography/Organization History
Chronology
| 1932-1938 |
Robert Craig, executive secretary |
| 1934 February 11 |
CRA holds its first statewide organizational meeting in San Jose, California. |
| 1934 March 12-1936 |
Sherrill Halbert, president. |
| 1935 July 12 |
CRA is incorporated. |
| 1936-1937 |
Edward S. Shattuck, president. |
| 1937-1938 |
Robert S. Barkell, president. |
| 1938- |
George Newell serves as president and dies while in office. |
| 1938-1939 |
McIntyre Faries, president. |
| 1939-1940 |
Worth Brown, president. |
| 1940-1941 |
William D. Campbell, president. |
| 1941-1942 |
William F. Reichel, president. |
| 1942-1943 |
Carlyle Lynton, president. |
| 1943-1944 |
William C. Troyer, president. |
| 1944-1945 |
Murray Chotiner, president. |
| 1945-1946 |
Arthur C. Carmichael, president. |
| 1946-1947 |
G. Revelle Harrison, president. |
| 1947-1948 |
Arthur F. Strehlow, president. |
| 1948-1949 |
Gordon X. Richmond, president. |
| 1949-1950 |
Ernest L. West, president. |
| 1950-1951 |
Harrison H. McCall, president. |
| 1951-1952 |
Markell C. Baer, president. |
| 1952-1953 |
A. Ronald Button, president. |
| 1953-1954 |
Albert R. Bower, president. |
| 1954-1955 |
Harold C. Ramser, president. |
| 1955-1956 |
Robert H. Power, president. |
| 1956-1957 |
Robert Fenton Craig, president. |
| 1957-1958 |
George W. Milias, president. |
| 1958-1959 |
John J. Philips, president. |
| 1959-1960 |
Gardiner Johnson, president. |
| 1960-1961 |
Harvey Mydland, president. |
| 1961-1962 |
Robert Lindsey, president. |
| 1962-1963 |
Fred Hall, president. |
| 1963-1964 |
William Nelligan, president. |
| 1964-1965 |
Nolan Frizzelle, the first of the "conservative" presidents of CRA. |
| 1965-1966 |
Cyril Stevenson, Jr., president. |
| 1966-1967 |
Dick Darling, president. |
| 1967-1968 |
Frank P. Adams, president. |
| 1968-1969 |
Tirso del Junco, president. |
| 1969-1970 |
James S. Kraemer, president. |
Bibliography
California Republican Assembly. "History of the CRA." California Republican Assembly: 2005. http://www.californiarepublicanassembly.com/history.htm
(accessed June 10, 2008).
California Republican Assembly.
State By-laws. N.p., 1969.
Collection Scope and Content Summary
This collection comprises records of the California Republican Assembly, a grassroots political organization that promotes
conservative Republican platforms. Some of the collection materials once belonged to founder and president Dr. Robert Craig.
Materials include bylaws, meeting minutes, convention materials, and reports.
Collection Arrangement
This collection is arranged alphabetically by type of material.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Subjects
California Republican Assembly -- Archives.
Collection Contents
Box : Folder 1 : 1
Annual convention: minutes, agendas, and event programs
1955-1958
Box : Folder 1 : 2
Articles of incorporation and bylaws
1965,
1969,
undated
Box : Folder 1 : 3
Board meetings: directory, minutes, and newsletter
1955-1959
Box : Folder 1 : 4
Brochures, flier, and bumper sticker
1955,
1963,
undated
Box : Folder 1 : 5
Organizational plans and area master plan
1956,
undated
Box : Folder 1 : 6
Reports published by CRA
1956,
1958-1959
Box : Folder 1 : 7
Speakers' manual compiled by the Republican State Central Committee Speakers Bureau with the CRA and others
circa 1955
