Lagomarsino
Archives
Lagomarsino's
public serve as a United
States Congressman from 1974
to 1992. The collection also
includes current events. The
collection consists of
correspondence, congressional
bills, memoranda,
newsletters, press releases,
news articles, research
publications, special
reports, and speeches.
Lagomarsino
Collection,
California State University
Channel Islands; Leg. Issue
Files, 1/7; Letter to Ronald
Reagan from Robert
Lagomarsino
; 2/1/80.
Lagomarsino
to the Robert J. and
Norma M.
Lagomarsino
Archives.
Lagomarsino
first
voted to authorize funds for
an advance acquisition site
study for a state college. At
that time, he also introduced
Senate Bill #70, which called
for the establishment of a
state college for Ventura
County. Almost twenty-five
years later, Mr.
Lagomarsino
continued his fight for a
Ventura County university at
a 1990 California State
University site selection
meeting. In 1992, Mr.
Lagomarsino
generously
dedicated his papers,
furniture, and memorabilia to
California State University,
Northridge's satellite campus
in Ventura, California. The
donated collection was
transferred in 2000 to
California State University
Channel Islands, Ventura
County's own four year
university.
Lagomarsino
is a native of
Ventura County with a long
and distinguished career in
public service. He was born
on September 4, 1926 in
Ventura, California and
attended Ventura High School.
Mr.
Lagomarsino
served in the
United States Navy as a
pharmacist mate during World
War II. He graduated from the
University of California at
Santa Barbara in 1950 and
later, the Santa Clara
University School of Law in
1954. In 1958, he was elected
to the Ojai City Council and
shortly thereafter, served as
its mayor at the age of 32.
In 1961, he was elected to
the California Senate and in
that same year, was named as
one of five outstanding young
men in the State by the
California Junior Chamber of
Commerce.
Lagomarsino
gained a
reputation as a hard-working,
effective legislator and was
re-elected three times
(1961-1974), the later years
under then governor, Ronald
Reagan. At the time of his
election to the U.S.
Congress, Mr.
Lagomarsino
was
the senior ranking senator
from Southern California and
a member of the five person
Senate Rules Committee, after
having served as Chairman of
the Senate Committee on
Natural Resources and
Wildlife. Major legislative
achievements from this time
period include the
Garrigus-
Lagomarsino
Act
(1963), which authorized
vocational education centers
in each county of the State;
the California Child
Anti-Pornography Act (1969);
the Marine Resources
Protection Act (1970); the
California Wild and Scenic
Rivers legislation; the Jury
Reform Act (1972); the
Consumer Protection Act
(1972), which authorized
cities to create anti-fraud
units; and the Welfare Reform
Act (1973).
Lagomarsino
became the only Republican
elected to the United States
House of Representatives in
March of 1974, in a special
election, when his own
congressional 19th district
representative, Charles
Teague, suddenly passed away.
During his service as a
United States Congressman
from 1974-1992, Robert
Lagomarsino
was an active
member of two major House
Committees: the Foreign
Affairs Committee, as the
third-ranking Republican and
the Committee on Interior and
Insular Affairs, as the
second-ranking Republican. He
was a Congressional Observer
to the Geneva Arms Controls
Talks and Vice Chairman of
the Subcommittee on Western
Hemisphere Affairs, which
oversaw U.S. relations with
Canada, Central America, and
South America. He was also
Chairman of the National
Republican Institute for
International Affairs,
Co-Chairman of the
Congressional Task Force on
Afghanistan, and a member of
the Asian and Pacific Affairs
Committee. In addition, Mr.
Lagomarsino
served as
Chairman of the POW/MIA Task
Force, the only official body
of Congress that was chaired
by a Republican and was House
author of a measure creating
the Prisoner of War medal.
Lagomarsino
made several
trips abroad, by way of a
study or investigative group,
which would subsequently
generate a report or
commentary based upon notable
observations and perceptions.
He toured South America, the
Far East, the Pacific Region,
the Soviet Union, and Europe
numerous times, but held a
particular interest in
Southeast Asia; meeting with
the Laos government in 1989
and, later, the Vietnamese
government in 1990, to obtain
information on POWS/MIAS in
Southeast Asia.
Lagomarsino
also attended annual
interparliamentary
conferences held in Mexico
and on the European
continent.
Lagomarsino
specialized in
environmental concerns,
foreign affairs (particularly
Latin America), and illegal
drug trafficking. He authored
legislation which created the
Channel Islands National
Park, the Dick Smith
Wilderness Area, the Los
Padres National Forest, and
co-authored the Drug War Bond
Act and the Violent Crime and
Drug Control Act. He was a
leader in efforts to open
overseas markets to U.S.
products and to ban transfer
of strategic goods or
technology. Congressman
Lagomarsino
also maintained a
voting record of 99%, with a
resounding NO vote to every
proposed congressional pay
raise.
Lagomarsino
met regularly
with President Ronald Reagan
while Congress was in
session. He was the
President's congressman.
Lagomarsino
compiled a
consistent record over his
twenty-five year career in
support of clean air and
water, conservation,
governmental efficiency, law
enforcement, safe
transportation of hazardous
materials, tax reform, strong
military defense, veterans
affairs, and was an early
leader in preventive efforts
of nuclear proliferation.
Lagomarsino
lost the primary
congressional election to
multimillionaire Michael
Huffington by five points. A
congressional reapportionment
plan that aided Republicans
in California by eliminating
a Democratic gerrymander,
also placed Congressman
Lagomarsino
in an enormously
complicated position, before
the primary election. Mr.
Lagomarsino
ended up in the
same district as his Simi
Valley colleague,
Representative Elton
Gallegly.
Lagomarsino
, not wishing to
split the Republican party,
chose to leave his hometown
and stay with the Santa
Barbara portion of his old
district. There, he ran into
Huffington, who challenged him
in the primary. Despite
considerable encouragement by
his constituents to become a
write-in candidate for the
general election, Congressman
Lagomarsino
realized the inherent obstacles of
finances and ballot
technicalities and graciously
declined. Huffington went on
to serve one term as a member
of Congress; losing a 1994
bid for the Senate.
Lagomarsino
has been honored
by organizations as diverse
as the California and
National Wildlife Federation,
which named him Legislative
Conservationist of the Year
and the California Peace
Officers Association, which
bestowed the title of
Legislator of the Year. The
Channel Islands National Park
Visitors Center even bears
his name: The Robert J.
Lagomarsino
Visitors'
Center.
Lagomarsino
continues to play a part in
history through abundant
community involvement. A
devoted member of the
American Legion, Elks, Moose,
and Rotary Club, he currently
serves on the Community
Advisory Board of the Channel
Island campus of California
State University, the Santa
Cruz Island Foundation, the
Santa Barbara Channel
Foundation, and as Chairman
of the Advisory Board for
Food Share of Ventura.
Lagomarsino
continues to
sharpen his foreign relations
skills as the Chairman of the
Board of the American
Alliance for Tax Equity and
Vice Chairman of the American
Samoa Economic Advisory
Commission. He is also a
member of the World Affairs
Council of Ventura County and
the Santa Barbara Committee
on Foreign Relations.
Scope and Contents of Collection
Lagomarsino
Collection
documents Mr.
Lagomarsino's
service as a California State
Senator (1961-1974) under
governors Brown and Reagan
and as a United States
Representative (1974-1992)
under presidents Nixon, Ford,
Carter, Bush, and Reagan. The
collection includes original
furniture as displayed in the
library exhibit room,
artifacts, photographs, and a
special compilation of
original correspondence and
memorabilia from government
officials and celebrities.
The collection also details
the
Lagomarsino
family
history, documenting Ventura
County's early beginnings in
the State.
Lagomarsino
Archives also
maintains its own Special
Collections, consisting of
original (signed) letters
from the administrations of
Richard Nixon to George Bush and autographed
photographs from celebrities
and government officials.
Record Group 1: Legislative Issue Files 1973-1992 (Congressional Terms: 93-102)
Record Group 2: Constituent Files 1973-1992 (Congressional Terms: 93-100)
Series I: Constituent Case Files
Lagomarsino
, requesting his
assistance to resolve the
matter. The
constituent case files
address issues which can be
resolved by a governmental
agency.
Series II: Constituent Departmental Files
Series IV: Constituent Issue Files
Series VII: Constituent Academy Appointment Files
Lagomarsino's
district who wished to be
considered for an Academy
appointment to either
Westpoint, Annapolis, the
U.S. Air Force Academy or the
Merchant Marines Maritime
Academy.
Record Group 3: Voting Record Files 1973-1992 (Congressional Terms: 93-102)
Series I: Legislative Activity Guide
Lagomarsino's
voting
activity, but also a detailed
explanation of all other
voting activity, such as
voice, division, and teller
votes.
Series III: Weekly Voting Record
Series IV: Individual Record and Subject Guide
Subseries III: Roll Call Subject Guides
Series V: Vote Analysis and Justification
Subseries I: House Record Vote Analysis
Subseries II: Congressional Veto of Executive Actions
Subseries III: Vote Justifications
Series VI: Questionnaires and Form Responses (A-H)
Series VII: Form Responses (Topical)
Series VIII: Legislative Profile
Subseries I: Legislative Profiles
Lagomarsino
and
encompasses the following:
(1) List of Sponsored
Measures; (2) List of
Co-Sponsored Measures; (3)
List of Sponsored Measures
Organized by Committee
Referral; and (4) List of
Co-Sponsored Measures
Organized by Committee
Referral. (This subseries
begins with January 1977.)
Subseries II: Members of the California Legislature and Other State Officials
Subseries III: Legislative Digest
Subseries VII: House Resolutions
Series IX: Congressional Records
Record Group 4: Co-Sponsored Bill Files 1973-1992 (Congressional Terms: 93-102)
Series II: Legislative Information
Series III. Co-Sponsored Bills-Related Matters
Series IV: Co-Sponsored Bills-Correspondence
Record Group 5: Committee on Committees Files 1986-1988 (Congressional Terms: 99-100)
Lagomarsino
was
asked by the House Leader to
chair a task force to analyze
and develop recommendations
for the system of selection
of standing committee
assignments. The
Lagomarsino
Task Force or the Task Force
on Conference Rules and
Procedures, Subcommittee on
Committee Assignments files
consist in that regard, of
correspondence, memoranda,
special reports, and talking
points referencing Republican
conference membership, voting
procedures, agenda of
meetings, conference
procedures, possible
arrangements of regional
representation, chairmanship
vacancies, and elections.
These files are arranged in
chronological order and Alpha
order by sub-topic.
Record Group 6: Committee On Interior and Insular Affairs Files 1975-1992 (Congressional Terms: 94-102)
Lagomarsino
acted as
Vice Chairman of the
Committee on Interior and
Insular Affairs and Vice
Chairman for the National
Parks on the National Parks
and Public Lands
Subcommittee. The majority of
the files contain
congressional bills,
correspondence, hearing
testimonies, and special
reports regarding the
establishment of the Channel
Island National Park, the
Dick Smith Wilderness Area,
and the Los Padres National
Forest.
Lagomarsino
addressed the
land-rich but cash-poor
dilemma with fellow
congressman and urged a bill
providing tax relief in cases
where estate taxes become due
during a transfer of
property.
Record Group 7: The Watergate Hearing Files 1974 (Congressional Term: 93)
Lagomarsino
was a part of the
House investigative hearing,
a broad information-gathering
technique, which is conducted
when there is suspicion of
wrongdoing on the part of
public officials in
governmental operations. The
Watergate records in the
Lagomarsino
Collection
consist of reports on the
events leading up to and
following the Watergate
break-in, the White House
staff and its re-election
campaign, White House
surveillance activities, and
the Department of Justice's
ITT litigation.
Record Group 8: Office Files 1975-1992 (Congressional Terms: 94-102)
Lagomarsino's
office files
are arranged into five
subgroups, as designated by
the session dates of
Congress, per every two
Congresses. They are further
divided into four
sub-subgroups, based upon the
content of the materials.
Within each sub-subgroup, the
files are separated into
chronological and Alpha order
by sub-topic.
Lagomarsino
''Ode'' and
''March''; commentary
literature on the Reagan
presidency; and President
George Bush's State of the
Union address.
Lagomarsino's
re-elections and contains
materials of a varied nature:
official election
certifications;
congratulations on
reelection and thank-yous
for support from government
officials, private
individuals, and
organizations;
Lagomarsino
campaign analysis data; voter
handouts; fundraising
correspondence and
invitations; and campaign
committee corrrespondence.
Record Group 9: Press Release Files 1973-1992 (Congressional Terms: 93-102)
Record Group 10: Speech Files 1984-1992 (Congressional Terms: 98-102)
Record Group 11: Newsletter Files 1973-1992 (Congressional Terms: 93-102)
Lagomarsino
regularly dispatched interest
newsletters to his
constituents, which cited his
successes with bill passages;
revealed his participation in
current events, both local
and international; and gave
basic commentary on
governmental policy.
Record Group 12: Notepad Files 1986-1988 (Congressional Terms: 99-100)
Record Group 13: Newspaper Files 1975-1992 (Congressional Terms: 94-102)
Lagomarsino's
newspaper files consist solely of articles and editorials from California newspapers. They are arranged into series by chronological
year and then, by general topic.
Record Group 14: Post-Congressional Files 1992-Current
Subgroup I: Pre-Channel Islands
Lagomarsino
Archives: the
initial donation to
California State University,
Northridge's Ventura branch
campus and later, its current
home at Channel Islands.
Included are inventory lists
of transferred items,
fundraising letters,
promotional flyers, and
newspaper articles.
Record Group 15: Certificates of Award 1976-1992 (Congressional Terms: 94-102)
Record Group 16: Trophies and Plaques 1973-1992 (Congressional Terms: 93-102)
Record Group 17: Stamps 1973-1992 (Congressional Terms: 93-102)
Record Group 18: Maps 1973-1992 (Congressional Terms: 93-102)
Record Group 19: Miniature Flags 1973-1992 (Congressional Terms: 93-102)
Record Group 20: Memorabilia and Gifts 1973-1992 (Congressional Terms: 93-102)
Record Group 21: Books (Gifts) 1973-1992 (Congressional Terms: 93-102)
Record Group 22: Office Wall Decorations 1973-1992 (Congressional Terms: 93-102)
Record Group 23: Photographs 1961-Current
Record Group 24: Video Collection 1992-Current
Genres and Forms of Materials:
Other Index Terms Related to this Collection:
Lagomarsino
Collection can also be
utilized in conjunction with
that of the Ronald Reagan
Presidential Library in Simi
Valley, California or the
Richard Nixon Presidential
Library in Yorba Linda,
California.
Issues/Topics in Container List: