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Inventory of the Fletcher Bowron Collection, 1934-1970
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Title: Fletcher Bowron Collection,
Date (inclusive): 1934-1970
Creator:
Bowron, Fletcher
Extent: Approximately 20,000 manuscript items, many printed
reports and brochures
21 boxes of clippings
21 boxes of clippings
Repository: The Huntington Library
San Marino, California 91108
Language:
English.
Gift of Mrs. Fletcher Bowron, 1974 and 1976
Materials in addenda received 12/9/83, 5/31/84 and 1/10/85
Materials in addenda received 12/9/83, 5/31/84 and 1/10/85
Collection is open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information
please go to following
URL .
In order to quote from, publish, or reproduce any of the manuscripts or visual materials, researchers must obtain formal permission
from the office of the Library Director. In most instances, permission is given by the Huntington as owner of the physical
property rights only, and researchers must also obtain permission from the holder of the literary rights. In some instances,
the Huntington owns the literary rights, as well as the physical property rights. Researchers may contact the appropriate
curator for further information.
[Identification of item], Fletcher Bowron Collection, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Fletcher Bowron (1887-1968), who was mayor of the city of Los Angeles from 1938 to 1953, came into office as a reform candidate
in a recall election. His goal was to eradicate political corruption and establish a professional municipal government. For
15 years he was continually reelected to this important position-fifteen years of tremendous growth and unusual problems for
the Los Angeles area.
Mayor Bowron had spent the years 1911 to 1917 as a newspaper reporter, followed by a return to college for a law degree, two
years in private practice, then six years as Judge of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County. During his terms as mayor,
World War II brought the sudden expansion of war-related industries to Los Angeles and the immediate need for laborers, public
housing, mass transportation, and pollution control. As mayor he worked not only for solutions to these problems but also
for the creation of long range city planning and commercial development.
After his years as mayor, Bowron was reelected to the bench as Judge of the Superior Court. In 1962 he retired and devoted
himself to a Metropolitan History Project. When Judge Bowron passed away in 1968, the project continued under the supervision
of Mrs. Bowron and reached its fruition in the publication of the bibliography of Los Angeles history,
Los Angeles and Its Environs in the Twentieth Century, with Doyce B. Nunis, Jr., as editor.
The collection is divided into three main sections. The first consists of carbon copies of Bowron's letters while he was mayor
of Los Angeles, personal correspondence (1934-1965), reports, and information on the election campaigns of 1945, 1947, 1949,
and 1950. The second section pertains to Bowron's Metropolitan Los Angeles History Project. The source material he gathered
is filed alphabetically by subject and contains information on city planning and zoning, public housing, sanitation, transportation,
water and power and many other topics. Following this are the notes, outlines, drafts, bibliographical material, card index
files, etc., for the project. The third main section consists of boxes of clippings which are arranged in folders in chronological
order, some with listings of subjects. There are also three photograph albums and some memorabilia.