Loyola Marymount University. All rights reserved.
© 2004 Loyola Marymount University. All rights reserved.
Digitized collection materials available online.
This collection is part of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles Research Collection, a program of the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Center for the Study of Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount University. The Research Collection is administered by the Department of Archives and Special Collections, Loyola Marymount University; the Workman Family Papers are open to research under the department's terms of use.
Materials in the Department of Archives and Special Collections may be subject to copyright. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, Loyola Marymount University does not claim ownership of the copyright of any materials in its collections. The user or publisher must secure permission to publish from the copyright owner. Loyola Marymount University does not assume any responsibility for infringement of copyright or of publication rights held by the original author or artists or his/her heirs, assigns, or executors.
[item], Series title, box and folder numbers, Workman Family Papers, CSLA-9, Department of Archives and Special Collections, Charles Von der Ahe Library, Loyola Marymount University.
Gift of David A. Workman, 1999, 2001
Tracing its residence in Los Angeles back to the mid-nineteenth century, the Workman family holds a distinguished place in the city's history. Two brothers, David (1798-1855) and William (1800-1876), originally from England, were the first Workmans to settle in Los Angeles: David came from Missouri, and William from Taos, New Mexico. Of their descendants, the following Workmans figure most prominently in the collection: William H. Workman, the son of David, and his wife Maria Elizabeth; their daughter Mary Julia Workman; her sister-in-law, Margaret Workman, wife of Mary's brother Thomas.
William H. and Maria E. Workman
William H. Workman (1839-1918) would make his great mark in Los Angeles politics and the development of the city infrastructure. The most important civic office that William Workman held was mayor of Los Angeles, from 1887 to 1888, during which time he investigated civic corruption in Los Angeles, had Fort (Broadway), Spring, Hill, and Main streets paved, and supported the establishment of the city library. Workman had served on the city council for much of the 1870s (1872-1874;1875-1880). As a council member, he fought for, and won, a restriction of fifty years on the management by the privtely-owned Los Angeles Water Company of the water rights of the Los Angeles River. In 1875, William Workman paid the Los Angeles Water Company to extend its services to Boyle Heights, thus ensuring a domestic water supply there. He also persuaded fellow council members to permit the building of a conduit bringing the water of the Elysian Hills to Boyle Heights for irrigation. These improvements permitted William Workman's opening of Boyle Heights to real estate sales, which led to the development of this important and historic segment of Los Angeles east of the Los Angeles River.
William Workman was also instrumental in the building of street car lines in Los Angeles, some of which would reach Boyle Heights. He led the fight to bring the Southern Pacific Railroad, against considerable local opposition, to Los Angeles, a link to the outside world that would help make the land booms of the 1880s possible. As City Treasurer (1901-1907), he oversaw a general election for the building of the Silver Lake Reservoir. During his term on the Park Commission, he donated two-thirds of the land for Hollenbeck Park, a Los Angeles landmark. He also helped found the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce.
He and Maria Elizabeth Boyle (1847-1933) married in 1867, joining two distinguished Los Angeles families. Maria's family had settled in Boyle Heights before William Workman's acquisitions there. A devout Roman Catholic, she received her education from the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul and strongly supported the Orphans' Fairs, an important charitable work, and was also active in the Catholic Women's Club and the Women's Athletic Club.
Mary Julia Workman
William and Maria had seven children; of these Mary Julia Workman, born in 1871, was especially notable. Although her father William was Protestant, Mary Workman was reared in the Roman Catholic faith of her mother, receivine a Catholic education at the Convent of the Sacred Heart of Mary and Jesus, in Oakland, from which she graduated in 1890. In 1902 she completed studies in kindergarten teaching, at the State Normal School in Los Angeles; Workman would teach in the city's public schools until 1923.
During these years, because of her studies, Mary Workman became deeply influenced by the ideals of American Progressivism. The fruit of this influence was manifested in her leadership in the establishment of the Brownson House (1901), a landmark of the settlement house philosophy on the West Coast and one of its stronger Roman Catholic expressions.
Active in Los Angeles civic affairs, she was a progressive advocating civil service, which led to her presidency of the Los Angeles City Civil Service Commission (1927-1928). Mary Workman also participated in other civic reform groups, such as the Municipal Light and Power Defense League, which watched over city services, and helped in the recall of corrupt Los Angeles mayor Frank Shaw, campaigning for reform candidates John Anson Ford and Fletcher Bowron through such means as radio speeches. Her work with the Democratic National Committee, Southern California Division, involved her in Democratic politics in the Los Angeles area.
Part of the post-World War I movement for world peace, Workman vigorously labored for the participation of the United States in the League of Nations. To this end, she founded, and was an officer in, the Southern California chapter of the League of Nations Association. Of a similar nature was her participation in the Catholic Association for International Peace (CAIP), Southern California Committee, of which she was secretary. The CAIP was intended to apply Christian ideals to the troubled world politics of the post-war era; this application of Christian principles to resolve international confilict clearly expresses Mary Workman's philosophy of social activism.
Underlying all her life's work was Mary Workman's Roman Catholic faith, a connection vividly demonstrated in Pope Pius XI's grant of the papal medal
Margaret Workman
Like her sister-in-law Mary Julia Workman, Margaret Kilgariff Workman (1902-1987) achieved similar, notable accomplishments in social and philanthropic causes, often working together on issues. Margaret was born into a well-known California family, the Kilgariffs: her mother, Regina, was a suffragette and one of the first women on the Democratic State Central Committee. In 1925, Margaret, after graduating from college, married Thomas Edgar Workman (1890-1972), son of William H. and Maria E. Workman. The couple would make their home in Los Angeles, where Margaret would compile an outstanding record of service in social welfare, politics, and education. Her membership on the board of the California Relief Commission (1935-1937) saw the implementation of the New Deal in California. Margaret was a member of the famous
In World War II, she served as secretary of the Los Angeles branch of the National Committee Against Nazi Persecution and Extermination of the Jews. She also was a member of William Allen White's Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies, a group active before the United States's entrance into World War II that strongly advocated logistical support for Great Britain in its war with Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. Her support for liberal causes was manifested in her membership in the National Conference of Jews and Christians, and she actively opposed the anti-labor Proposition 1, which was on the California ballot in 1938. Her service to both secular and Roman Catholic philanthropy in Los Angeles was tireless: the latter included work with the Social Service Auxiliary, and the former involved such organizations as the Hollywood Studio Club of the Young Women's Christian Association. This list of activities, impressive in its own right, is still incomplete, which suggests that Margaret Workman's record of service to her community and nation knew few peers in Los Angeles.
The Workman Family Papers consist of correspondence, scrapbooks, newspaper clippings, scrolls, diplomas, administrative/organizational papers, publications, certificates, tract maps, reports, brochures and pamphlets, legal documents, and photographs. These holdings chiefly concern the life and work of five prominent members of the Workman family: William H. Workman (1839-1918); his wife Maria E. (1847-1933); their daughter Mary Julia Workman (1871-1964); her sister-in-law, Margaret K. Workman (1902-1987), prominent Democrat and social work leader, and wife of Mary's brother Thomas; and Judge David A. Workman, son of Margaret and Thomas Workman. The materials span the years from 1881 to 1997, with the majority from the period 1910-1950. In Box 13ov, Folder 1, is a copy of a document, dated 1843, confirming property rights, but it may be spurious, resulting in the omission of this date from the comprehensive collection dates. Most materials are in good condition; those that are not are so indicated in the box and folder list and should be handled with extreme care.
Persons of note whose activities are documented in this collection include Eleanor Roosevelt, Culbert Olson, Bishop John Cantwell, Fletcher Bowron, Ellen S. Woodward, Jerry Voorhis, and Melvyn and Helen Gahagan Douglas.
The Workman Family Papers have been divided into series based on the family members and materials predominant in the collection: Series 1: Mary Julia Workman; Series 2: Margaret K. Workman; Series 3: William H. and Maria E. Workman; Series 4: David A. Workman Judicial Campaigns; Series 5: Publications. Each series has the subseries "photographs" to account for the photographs corresponding to the respective family member. Series 5: Publications was established for the large number of loose publications in the holdings.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
For background information on the Workmand family, consult the following works:
Mary Julia Workman's well-written and incisive correspondence constitute the majority of the holdings in this series that bears her name. Other materials include photographs, certificates of award and scrolls, brochures and pamphlets (especially related to Brownson House), and newspaper clippings. Photographs are listed under their own subseries. The holdings in this series range in date from 1890 to 1967, with 1910-1950 constituting the bulk dates. Correspondence in Folders 1-2, 4-5 of Box 1 is arranged by subject in folders, preserving Mary Julia Workman's filing system; within each individual folder the letters are arranged chronologically. Loose correspondence has been placed in Folder 16 of Box 20. Often letters are accompanied by materials pertinent to the subject of the correspondence. For example, the letters concerning Mary Julia Workman's term on the Los Angeles City Commission, from 1925 to 1929, are accompanied by a brief summary of her work (dated 1953 and written by herself) with that city body (see Box 1, Folder 2). Correspondence is both incoming and outgoing, the latter category usually comprised of copies that Workman made of her correspondence. Correspondents of note include John Anson Ford, prominent Los Angeles lawyer Joseph Scott, Supreme Court Justice Frank Murphy, and Congresswoman Helen Gahagan Douglas and her husband, the actor Melvyn Douglas.
This subseries contains photographs of activities of Mary Julia Workman and her work, and of her professional and personal acquaintances.
This bulk of this series consists of Margaret Workmans's subject and correspondence files: this includes, besides letters, telegrams, political ephemera, brochures, programs, agendas and minutes, newspaper clippings, and bulletins. Of special interest are political ephemera, such as campaign stickers from Franklin Delano Roosevelt's presidential election campaign of 1940 (Box 8, Folder 4). Correspondence in the original folders remains arranged as it came to the CSLA Research Collection. The correspondence is both incoming and outgoing, concerning private as well as civic and community matters. Margaret Workman also kept subject files in folders arranged alphabetically, which remain intact in this series' arrangement. Curiously the subject of the material in a folder does not always correspond to the letter assigned to the folder. On the basis of this original arrangement of materials, this series has the subseries (A) "Correspondence" and the subseries (B) "Subject Files." Loose correspondence or subject materials have been placed in the appropriate subseries. Margaret Workman's correspondence also contains letters from, to, or about her sister Mary Julia Workman: consult Box 3, Folder 3; Box 4, Folder 10; Box 5, Folders 1, 3; Box 8, Folder 5. An account book prepared by Thomas E. Workman, and scrolls and certificates comprise the materials of Subseries C: "Certificates, Account Books." Photographs are found in Subseries D and include photographs of political personages, such as Culbert Olson and Eleanor Roosevelt. Materials related to Margaret Workman's husband Thomas E. Workman are found in this series but are limited.
Correspondents of note in this series include Eleanor Roosevelt; Ellen S. Woodward, assistant director of the WPA and Social Security administrator under Franklin Roosevelt; Norman Littell; Helen Gahagan and Melvyn Douglas; Congressman Jerry Voorhis; California governor Culbert Olson; Mary Stanton, social worker; Los Angeles political figure John Anson Ford; Jane Hoey, a prominent director within Franklin Roosevelt's Social Security administration; and Manchester Boddy, publisher of the Los Angeles Daily News.
This subseries contains the outgoing and incoming correspondence related to her political and social work.
In this subseries are found Margaret Workman's subject files related to her professional and personal activities, including her work with the California State Relief Commission in the Depression, the state Democratic Party,and social agencies.
Materials in this series include photographs, legal documents, telegrams, wills, tax documents, resolutions, scrolls, correspondence, deeds, and tract maps. The inclusive dates are 1881-1989, but the majority of the holdings date from the late nineteenth century into the first part of the twentieth century. Although scant, any materials for William and Maria Workman's children, including those for Mary Julia and Thomas E. Workman, originating with the holdings of this series have been retained in it. The material on Maria E. Workman concerns mostly the probate and challenge to Maria's will made by her daughter Charlotte Masson (Box 8, Folders 6, 8, 10). As such it also involves Maria?s children, but especially Thomas and Mary Julia Workman. There is abundant correspondence by William H. Workman, most of which is found in Box 9, Folders 3, 4. The correspondence is mostly carbon copies, but with some originals, and has been arranged (by an unknown person) in chronological order, by year. Most of this correspondence concerns family matters, although it does touch on local politics and events, eg, William H. Workman?s observations on the first North American transcontinental airplane flight (Box 9, Folder 3; letter dated 7 November 1911), and the city elections of 1909 (Box 9, Folder 3; letter dated 13 December 1909). Little information on William H. Workman's mayoral administration exist in this collection, but Box 4, Folders 8-10 contain transcripts of his investigation, as mayor, into civic vice and corruption. The developer of Boyle Heights, William Workman played a critical role in the development of Los Angeles, and a number of tract maps and title deeds from his developments survive in this series. These documents provide a possible source for understanding settlement patterns in Los Angeles. Folders 4 and 5 of Box 20 contain address lists recording prominent Los Angeles families that could prove useful in tracing their history. The photographs in this series, found in Subseries A, touch on civic and community activities, such as the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce junket to Salt Lake City in 1905 (Box 12ov, Folder 8).
This subseries contains photographs of Workman family members and of the civic activities of William H. Workman.
This series chiefly concerns the campaigns of David A. Workman for Judge of the Municipal Court, Los Angeles Judicial District, Office No. 9 in 1980; and for Judge of the Superior Court, Los Angeles Judicial District, Office No. 1 in 1982. The holdings consist of campaign literature, photographs, newspaper clippings, correspondence, official campaign documents and statistics, and publications. Of special interest is the material on lawsuits concerning the conduct of local judicial campaigns. Box 12, Folder 4 contains materials regarding a lawsuit on the legality of county central party committees endorsing judicial candidates in non-partisan campaigns. In Box 13, Folders 3, 4 are materials on David Workman's suit regarding the use of titles in the occupation box of election ballots.
A number of loose publications comprise part of the Workman Papers: books, pamphlets, brochures, conference reports, and programs, which are often related to the civic, political, and charitable activities of Margaret and Mary Julia Workman. Of interest are Mary Julia Workman's piece on the Brownson House in the Catholic publication, The Queen's Work (Box 21, Folder 2), and an article from The Tidings, a publication of the Los Angeles archdiocese, on the work of the Brownson House (Box 6ov, Folder 6). Box 14ov contains a run of newspaper clippings and articles on the social activities and history of the Workman family. The newspaper material is from Los Angeles area newspapers as well as from out-of-the area newspapers.