2009.3.r

Summary Information

Repository
archives
Title
Mendez v. Westminster Collection
ID
2009.3.r
Date
between 1943 and 2007
Extent
0.5 Linear feet 1 document box
Language
English
Container
1
Container
1

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Biographical/Historical note

In Orange County in 1947, Mexican-American Gonzalo and Felicitas Mendez challenged the practice of school segregation in California. The Mendez couple filed a lawsuit with four other families: the Ramirez's, the Palomino's, the Estrada's and the Guzman's, against school districts serving Westminster, Garden Grove, Santa Ana and Orange on behalf of 5,000 children who had been excluded from attending white-only schools.

The successful lawsuit resulted in California being the first state to end school segregation, helping to pave the way for the 1954 Supreme Court decision "Brown v. The Board of Education" which finally put a stop to school segregation.

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Scope and Contents note

The archive contains material dealing with the historic Mendez v. Westminster trial of 1945.

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Administrative Information

Conditions Governing Access note

This collection is open for research.

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Controlled Access Headings

Corporate Name(s)

  • LA Law Library.

Personal Name(s)

  • Colon-Muniz, Anaida, Ed.D.
  • Robbie, Sandra

Subject(s)

  • Méndez et al. v. Westminster School District of Orange County et al.
  • Segregation in education -- California.
  • Mexican Americans -- California -- History

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Collection Inventory

Ovieda/Murphy Papers

Date range: between 1940 and 2007

Extent: 0.25 Linear feet, 4 folders

Scope and Contents note

The Ovieda/Murphy Papers consist of four folders containing some personal correspondence and documents of Cora Ovieda, photographs of her parents, class photos and of her sister Isabel Ayala who was a witness in the Mendez trial. A highlight of the papers is a transcript of her sister's testimony in the Mendez v. Westminster trial.

Arrangement note

Folder

1 Documents, Correspondence and Personal ca. 1943-2007

2 Transcript, Isabel Ayala's testimony July 11, 1945

3 Photographs

4 Ephemera

Controlled Access Headings

Personal Name(s)

  • Ovieda, Cora A., (Ayala), 1936-
  • Ayala, Isabel -- Trials, litigation, etc.
  • Murphy, Jeannie, (Ayala)

Subject(s)

  • Orange County (Calif.) -- History -- Congresses
  • Méndez et al. v. Westminster School District of Orange County et al.
  • Segregation in education -- California.
  • Mexican Americans -- California -- History

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LA Law Library Collection

Date range: Bulk, 1946 between 1946 and 2007

Extent: 0.125 Linear feet, 4 file folders

Scope and Contents note

The LA Law Library donated photocopies of their handouts and PowerPoint presentation from their "Mendez to Brown" celebration from 2004, a sheet of Mendez stamps from 2007 as well as color photocopies of several court documents.

Arrangement note

Folder

1 "Mendez to Brown" celebration flyers and PowerPoint slides 2004

2 Mendez Stamp sheet 2007

3 Transcripts, Appellant's opening brief & Brief for the American-Jewish Congress 1946

4 Transcripts, Transcript of Record & Brief of Attorney General of California 1946

Controlled Access Headings

Corporate Name(s)

  • LA Law Library.

Subject(s)

  • Méndez et al. v. Westminster School District of Orange County et al.
  • Mexican Americans -- California -- History
  • Popular Education -- Philosophy
  • Orange County (Calif.) -- History -- Congresses
  • Segregation in education -- California.

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Colon-Muniz Stamp Day Papers

Date range: 2006-2007

Extent: 0.083 Linear feet, 3 file folders, 1 foam-core poster

Scope and Contents note

This is a collection of four file folders and an event poster dealing with the "Mendez v. Westminster 60th Anniversary and Official U.S. Postage Stamp Unveiling" event held at Chapman University on April 14, 2007.

It consists of e-mail correspondence and documents concerning organizing the event as well as six compact disks of photographs from the event and several newspaper clippings discussing the event and assorted ephemera from the event.

Arrangement note

Folder

1 Correspondence, Mendez Stamp Day 2007

2 Photographs, Mendez Stamp Day 2007

3 Ephemera and newspaper clippings 2007

1 Poster, Mendez v. Westminster Stamp Day Unveiling signed by several individuals involved with the Mendez case or the Little Rock Nine. 2007

Controlled Access Headings

Personal Name(s)

  • Colon-Muniz, Anaida, Ed.D.

Subject(s)

  • Special Events
  • Segregation in education -- California.
  • Mexican Americans -- California -- History
  • Orange County (Calif.) -- History -- Congresses
  • Méndez et al. v. Westminster School District of Orange County et al.

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Madrid Mendez Pamphlet Collection

Date range: between 1997 and 2007

Extent: 0.083 Linear feet, 1 file folder

Scope and Contents note

This small collection contains two pamphlets that are related to the Mendez v. Westminster trial.

Arrangement note

Folder

1 Pamphlets, Mendez-related 1997-2007

Controlled Access Headings

Personal Name(s)

  • Madrid, Mike

Subject(s)

  • Special Events
  • Orange County (Calif.) -- History -- Congresses
  • Segregation in education -- California.
  • Mexican Americans -- California -- History
  • Méndez et al. v. Westminster School District of Orange County et al.

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