Contact Information
California Social Welfare Archives
California Social Welfare Archives
Doheny Memorial Library 2063550 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles, CA. 90089-0189
Access and Management
Access
None
Management
Since its founding in 1979, the mission of California Social Welfare Archives (CSWA) is to collect and preserve documents and personal histories that illuminate the development of social issues and problems in the field of health, social work and social welfare in California, as well as the answers that have emerged to cope with such problems. The Archives are available to social workers, researchers, historians, students, developers of social policy, and others and offer the opportunity to examine linkages between the past and present, to learn from history, and to inform understanding of contemporary and future problems and appropriate solutions. Relevant items are collected, cataloged, and maintained by the USC Special Collections Library.
CSWA (swarchive.org) is a volunteer based group of social workers, librarians, archivists, social work students, social work faculty and community leaders.
In 2002, CSWA created annually given awards, the California Social Work Hall of Distinction and the George Nichol Awards to preserve the legacy of individuals who have made outstanding contributions to California social welfare and the social work profession.
CSWA volunteers then conduct interviews of award honorees and those interviews are housed within this collection. Approximately 100 oral history tapes or disks are available for viewing digitally and functions in collaboration with the Doheny Memorial Library's Archival Research Center (ARC), and CSWA collection is used in the ARC's Specialized Libraries and Archival Collections' reading room in the Doheny Library.
CSWA's major collections include: Family Service of Los Angeles / Family Welfare Association of Los Angeles records from 1930 - 1937; The Los Angeles County Community Relations Conference / Community Relations Conference of Southern California records from 1947 - 1991; the Los Angeles Roundtable for Children records 1982; All nations Church and Foundation records and papers 1925 - 1965; Board of Social work Examiners records 1949 - 1955; California Association for Health and Welfare papers 1933 - 1969; Los Angeles County Coordinating Councils records 1930 - 1948; Gladys H. Culp papers 1945 - 1968; El Nido Services papers 1933 - 1986; Jessie E. Dean papers 1916 - 1943; Los Angeles Area federation of Settlements and Neighborhood Centers, Inc records 1961 - 1975; Rev. Dr. R.A. McKibben papers 1938 - 55; Metropolitan recreation and Youth Services Council papers 1944 - 72; Economic and Youth Opportunities Agency of Greater Los Angeles records 1963 - 1970; Neighborhood Adult Participation Project, Inc. records 1962 - 1978; California Association of School Social Workers papers 1927 - 1974; Board of Behavioral Science examiners records 1976 - 1982; Competence Certification Board records 1979 - 1982; Los Angeles Council of Social Agencies records 1926 - 1944; Special Service for Groups records 1948 - 1977; Anietta Tidball papers 1950 - 1956; Welfare Council of Metropolitan Los Angeles records 1945 -1954; Welfare Federation of the Los Angeles Area records 1925 - 1962; Southern California Building Funds records 1961 - 1992; Rancho Los Amigos records 1900 - 1990; Midnight Mission 1916 - ; and Carmen Combs papers 1923 - 1979.
Updated July 2024