The bulk of the materials in the B.S. Crittenden Collection are publications relating to the creation and development of the Central Valley Project (1923-1949). The collection also contains personal papers, including correspondence, photographs and business papers relating to Crittenden's San Joaquin County agricultural properties (1944-1952).

Graduate of the University of the Pacific and a practising attorney, Bradford Samuel Crittenden (1876-1952) was first elected Assemblyman (1920-1930), then State Senator (1930-1951) representing San Joaquin County. He was chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee (1933-1950). Crittenden also chaired the Joint Legislative Committee on State Water Problems. He and his wife, Edith MacChesney Crittenden, owned several Central Valley farms. The Crittendens had two children: Bradford M. (1912-1982) and Edith Eudora. The former was State Highway Patrol Commissioner during the 1950s. His papers (Mss238) are also in Holt Atherton Special Collections.

Access Collection is open for research.