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San Francisco State College Strike Collection

 Collection
Identifier: asc-1977-01

Scope and Contents

This collection contains materials pertaining the 1968-1969 San Francisco State College student strike and the simultaneous and supportive faculty strike. The materials were collected by librarian Helene Whitson during and after the strike events.

The collection contains a large number of student-generated documents that chronicle the strike and its underlying motivations. Topics include the value of "relevant education," questioning the status-quo, student organizing, the empowerment of BIPOC students, and racial tensions on campus and in society.

Materials include position statements, flyers, correspondence, official documents, memos, reports, publications and clippings. Materials also include those generated by the relevant student organizations, the Black Student Union (BSU), the Third World Liberation Front (TWLF) and its member student organizations, the Philippine-American Collegiate Endeavor (PACE), the Latin American Student Organization (LASO), the Mexican-American Student Confederation (MASC), the Intercollegiate Chinese for Social Action (ICSA), the Asian American Political Alliance (AAPA), the Native American Student Organization (NASO), and many other student groups, movements and social committees. The collection also includes student newspapers published during the strike, and books and publications published after the strike.

Other materials include correspondence, memos, publications, leaflets, reports, election information, committees and executive committee minutes and agendas of faculty organizations and groups, including the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the Association of California State College Professors. Other materials document the response to the strike by the College Administration and chancellor's office, including campus presidents, trustees, legislature and Governor Reagan, with correspondence, memos, communications, reports, studies and orders revealing their opposition to the strike and efforts to end it.

Dates

  • 1961-2022
  • Majority of material found within 1968-1970

Creator

Availability

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright has not been assigned to the University Archives. All requests for permission to publish or quote from materials must be submitted in writing to the University Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the University Archives as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.

The collection includes unpublished drafts of manuscripts and articles by third-party authors, including students and other scholars. By accessing the collection, researchers agree to respect the intellectual rights of these individuals and to refrain from citing or publishing from materials without the permission of the authors.

About the 1968-1969 San Francisco State College Strike

The San Francisco State College student strike, lasting from November 1968 to March 1969, was the longest running academic strike in U.S. history. It began after a series of events, starting in May 1967, increased political organizing and tension on campus. [For more detail see Helene Whitson’s “Strike! A Chronology, Bibliography, and List of Archival Materials Concerning the 1968-1969 Strike at San Francisco State College”]

The strike was led by the Black Student Union (BSU) and the Third World Liberation Front (TWLF), a coalition of Latinx, Filipino and Asian student groups. The strike also had support from progressive white students, community groups, the Parents Strike Support Committee, and faculty members who joined the picket line.

The strike was waged under the tenure of three college presidents. The first two, Presidents John Summerskill and Robert Smith, resigned. It ended under the tenure of acting President S.I. Hawakaya, who became known for his dramatic responses to keep the College open, including ripping the wires out of the audio system during a student rally.

The major outcomes of the demands were the establishment of the School of Ethnic Studies, which was the first in the nation, and faculty positions, funding and staffing for an Economic Opportunity Program (EOP), increased enrollment of students of color, and amnesty for students involved in strike activities.

Extent

15.37 Cubic Feet (32 boxes, and 1 oversize box) : Box 32 contains two microfilm reels titled "Strike materials, 1968-69".

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

This collection contains materials pertaining the 1968-1969 San Francisco State College student strike and the simultaneous and supportive faculty strike. The materials were collected by librarian Helene Whitson during and after the strike events.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged alphabetically by subject or creator by Helene Whitson. Each folder contains an inventory listing its contents.

Location

Collection is available on site.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Materials collected by Helene Whitson, accession number 1977.01

Related Collections

Related materials providing additional information on the 1968 strike at San Francisco State College may be found in the following collections in this repository: Martinas (Sharon) Papers, Ecumenical House Papers, Hyink Family Papers, EOP Records, Dr. Richard H. Fine Papers, Nacio Jan Brown Papers, John Levin Papers, and Harvey Yorke Records.

Related materials providing video documentation of news media coverage of the 1968 strike is available online as a part of the J. Paul Leonard Library Bay Area Television Archive's San Francisco State Strike Collection.

Title
Finding aid to the San Francisco State College Strike Collection
Status
Completed
Author
Finding aid prepared by Luca Facchin.
Date
2023
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections and Archives, J. Paul Leonard Library Repository

Contact:
1630 Holloway Ave
San Francisco California 94132-1722