James V. Mink, University Archivist and Director, Oral History Program, UCLA. B.A. and M.A., History, UCLA; B.L.S., Librarianship , University of California, Berkeley; Certificate in Archival Administration and Preservation, American University, Washington, D.C.
Place: Lawrence Clark Powell's office, Powell Library, UCLA.
Dates : August 4, 1969-June 6, 1970. [August 4 (re- recorded April 30, 1970), 11, 18, 26; September 8, 15; October 21; November 11, 19; December 1, 1969; February 17, 24; March 10; April 23; June 5, 25, 1970.]
Time of day, length of sessions, and total number of recorded hours: The interviewing sessions took place in the midmorning, and each session lasted approximately two hours. A total of sixteen hours were recorded.
Persons present during interview: Powell and Mink.
Following the publication of Lawrence C. Powell's autobiography, Fortune and Friendship, 1968, he was asked by the Interviewer to participate
in a series of tape-recorded interviews designed to supplement areas covered in his
published work and also to record aspects of his career which were not documented. The
interviewing sessions followed a chronological pattern and dealt in particular detail
with his career as University Librarian at UCLA and other University relationships .
Editing was done by Winston Wutkee , Assistant Editor, UCLA Oral History Program. The verbatim transcript was checked against the original tape recordings and edited for punctuation, paragraphing, correct spelling, and verification of proper and place names. The final manuscript remains in the same order as the original taped material. Words and phrases inserted by the editor have been bracketed.
Lawrence C. Powell reviewed and approved the manuscript. He made minor corrections and deletions and supplied spelling of names that had not been verified previously.
The index was compiled by Joel Gardner, Editor, Oral History Program. The introduction was contributed by Ward Ritchie, lifelong friend of the respondent. The manuscript was reviewed by Bernard Galm, Senior Editor. The Program's staff prepared the other matter.
The original tape recordings and edited transcript of the interview are in the University Archives and are available under the regulations governing the use of noncurrent records of the University.
Additional sources concerning Powell's life and his career at UCLA will be found in his personal papers (Collection 229) and in the Powell family papers (Collection 230). The University Archives contain, in Record Group B 18, series 9, official records relating to his tenure as University Librarian.