Oral Histories

Interview of William H. Trombley

Los Angeles Times journalist from 1964 to 1992. Writer of higher education and the U.C. Board of Regents.
Subtitle:
William H. Trombley
Series:
California State Archives State Government Oral History Program
Topic:
Politics and Government
Biographical Note:
Los Angeles Times journalist from 1964 to 1992. Writer of higher education and the U.C. Board of Regents.
Interviewer:
Treleven, Dale E.
Interviewee:
Trombley, William H.
Persons Present:
Trombley and Treleven.
Supporting Documents:
Records relating to the interview are located in the office of the UCLA Library's Center for Oral History Research.
Interviewer Background and Preparation:
The interview was conducted by Dale E. Treleven, Director, UCLA Oral History Program.
Language:
English
Copyright:
CSA
Series Statement:
Interviews in this series were undertaken by the UCLA Oral History Program under the auspices of the California State Archives and in conjunction with the California State University, Fullerton, Oral History Program; California State University, Sacramento, Center for California Studies Oral History Program; Claremont Graduate School Oral History Program; and the University of California, Berkeley, Regional Oral History Office. Funds were allocated to the state archives after Governor George Deukmejian signed into law Assembly Bill 2104 (Chapter 965 of the Statutes of 1985), establishing a state government oral history program "to provide through the use of oral history a continuing documentation of state policy development as reflected in California's legislative and executive history." All interviews in the series are available at the California State Archives in Sacramento.
Abstract:
Childhood and family background; undergraduate education at Johns Hopkins University; master's degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism; working at Life magazine; stints with Show Business Illustrated, Show, and the Saturday Evening Post; hired at the Los Angeles Times to cover higher education in California; flowering of the Free Speech movement; becoming familiar with the University of California (UC) Board of Regents and the press corps; liberal and conservative members of the board of regents; Clark Kerr; Franklin D. Murphy; the Byrne Report; Governor Ronald W. Reagan; Norton W. Simon; the regents and SLATE; weakness of the current board of regents; effect of the Political Reform Act of 1974 on board members; decisions regarding graduate schools and medical schools in the UC system; Dean E. McHenry and the University of California, Santa Cruz; Charles E. Young and UCLA; UC operation of the weapons laboratories; the Angela Y. Davis case; funding higher education in California; the mission and work of the California Higher Education Policy Center.