Oral Histories
Interview of Ralph Palmer Merritt
Member of the University of California Regents and project director at Manzanar during World War II.
- Subtitle:
- “After Me Cometh a Builder”—the Recollections of Ralph Palmer Merritt
- Series:
- Interviews not in a series, part one
- Topic:
- UCLA and University of California HistoryUC RegentsUC Regents
- Biographical Note:
- Member of the University of California Regents and project director at Manzanar during World War II.
- Interviewee:
- Merritt, Ralph Palmer
- Supporting Documents:
- Records relating to the interview are located in the office of the UCLA Library's Center for Oral History Research.
- Language:
- English
- Copyright:
- Interviewee Retained Copyright
- Abstract:
- Childhood in Northern California; education at University of California, Berkeley; San Francisco earthquake, 1906; employed as secretary to Benjamin Ide Wheeler, president of university, 1907-10; vice president and manager, Miller-Lux cattle firm, 1911-13; first University of California comptroller, 1913-20; food administrator for California, World War I; Industrial Workers of the World leaders jailed; relations with Robert Gordon Sproul; University of California, Southern Branch, created; support for Herbert Hoover in campaign against Hiram W. Johnson, 1920; university presidency of W. W. Campbell; appointment as UC regent by Governor Friend Richardson, 1924; opposition to Westwood site for UCLA; composition of board of regents, 1920-30; role in development of California State Chamber of Commerce; service on statewide water committee; director, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 1925-28; work with Sun-Maid raisin growers; function of grower cooperatives.