UCI Seal Beach Leisure World Archive
In May 2019 the Historical Society partnered with the UCI to add the Seal Beach Leisure World archives to the UCI Orange County Regional Archives. The Leisure World newspapers (1962 – 2019 ) and 130 boxes of club records were donated to UCI to start a special collection in the UCI Archives for Seal Beach Leisure World. If the Club was still active at the time the UCI Archive was being created the Club officers were contacted. Each club decided whether they wanted their historic materials to go to UCI or to go back to the care of the Club. The Historical Society would not retain Club records due to the damage that was occurring to the records as they aged in uncontrolled climate conditions. If the club decided to donate the items to UCI one of the Club officers signed a donation form. The UCI Archives have storage that will preserve the documents in rooms with atmospheric control that are best for preservation. The Seal Beach Leisure World Historical Society will continue to add materials to the collection at UCI going forward. UCI will catalog the collection over the next year and the catalog will be published online with finding aids.
There are still materials at the Historical Society in Clubhouse One for people to view. We have artwork, photo collections, the LW News on microfilm from 1962 to 1999 and digital copies of the LW News from 2009 to the present. We have digitized copies of Golden Rain minutes from 1962 to 1972, court records from some of the past lawsuits such as the Golden Rain Foundation versus the Leisure World Foundation 1965, digital copies of construction photos of Seal Beach Leisure World being built, and so much more.
How to visit the UCI Seal Beach Leisure World Archive
Due to restrictions for COVID-19 please contact UCI before visiting to confirm the protocol for visitors.
The contact at UCI is Krystal Tribbett, Ph.D., UC Irvine Libraries, Curator for Orange County Regional History, ktribbet@uci.edu, 949-824-9027.
Prior to COVID-19, any person can go to the UCI Reading Room in the Langson Library, Monday through Friday, and view the Seal Beach newspapers and collections. If the person going knows which newspapers or records they want to view they should call UCI the day before they go so the documents can be moved from the archive room to the reading room.
Inventory of items moved to UCI in 2019
20th Anniversary Celebration (1 box, 1 scrapbook)
40th Anniversary Celebration, (combined with 50th Anniversary Celebration box) (1 box)
50th Anniversary Celebration & 50th Anniversary Exhibit (1 box)
American Legion Auxiliary (3 boxes and 1 scrapbook)
American Legion 327 Auxiliary (scrapbook)
Anderson, Ethel, Collection (Original Golden Rain Executive Secretary working for Ross Cortese / Historical Society Board Member). Tapes, memos, clippings, (3 boxes). The tapes have been digitized and some of them have been transcribed.
Art League (1.5 boxes), club still active.
Arts & Crafts Festivals (scrapbook)
Astronomy Club (1 box), club still active
Barracks 2860, Auxiliary of (2 boxes, charter, flags), Barracks was closed in the 1980s.
Baker, Bill & Lydall (scrapbook)
Barracks 2860 (Charter, boxes, scrap book) flag, member plaque ) Collection
Barratt, Tom, (Former GRF President & Historical Society President) boxes
Bowling Club (1 box)
Brachen, Blanche. Golden Rain Memorabilia 1963, includes articles on Discontent & Wire Tapping in SBLW
California Retired Teachers Association (scrapbook, box, loose items), club still active.
California Club (box)
City of Hope Auxiliary (3 scrapbooks, 2 boxes)
Coin Club, (scrapbook), club still active
Collection of Articles on Security Guards (scrapbooks)
Computer Club (scrapbook, boxes)
Connors, Lauretta, (scrapbook)
Creative Writers Club (4 boxes), club still active
Cribbage Club (boxes), club still active
Daly, Alice (1 scrapbook)
Delta Kappa Gama (1/3 box), Women's Educational Foundation 1978, closed 1988
Democratic Club (1/2 box plus 2 scrapbooks), club still active.
Leisure World Historical Societies, earlier clubs before the current 501c3 corporation was founded.
Early Residents Scrapbooks (6 books by various residents, 4 of them are: Krikec, Kerkee, Jones, Mrs. L. Conners)
Eastern Star 1967 – 1997 (scrapbook)
Emergency Meals (boxes)
Emergency Preparedness Columns 1988-1995 (scrapbook)
Friendly Couples Club (1/2 box)
Friends of the LW Library (4 boxes), club still active
Garden Club (5 boxes), club still active
Golden Rain Administrators, 1962 – 1966 (scrapbook)
Golden Rain Full Services committee (scrapbook)
Golden Rain Information Bulletins to shareholders 1963 – 1966 (1/2 box)
Golden Rain News 1962-2019 Bound and Boxed Copies (est 100 archival boxes provided by UCI)
Golden Rain News, contact sheets and photos, donated by the editor, 3 boxes
Gutkin, Helen – Collection of her articles in Golden Rain News
High Twelve Group (scrapbook)
Historical Society Hi-Lites newsletter (1 box), corporation still active
Home League Salvation Army (box)
Illinois & Chicago Club (1/2 box)
Impaired Vision Club (1/3 box) 1966 – current, club still active
Inter Faith Council, club still active (box)
Italian American Club (2 boxes), club still active
Kansas Club (box)
Keenagers Club, Bee Lamb 1973-74 (box)
KEO (now 15-16 Dinner Club) shares box with Our Lady of Africa
Kiwanis Club (1.5 boxes plus banner & flag set in Locker #16)
Kiwanisnes (1/2 box)
Korean American Classical Music (1 box), club still active
Ladies Q Club, club still active
Lapidary Club (1/2 box), club still active
Leisure World Chorale, (box), club still active
Leisure World Orchestra, (box), club still active
Leisure World Clinic (4 scrapbooks)
Leisure World Eastern Star (1/3 box)
Leisure World Memorial Funeral Society (scrapbook)
Leisure World Republican Women Federated (1/2 box)
Leisure World Sports Hall of Fame (scrapbook and boxes)
Leisure World Stamp Club (boxes), club still active
Leisure World Transcribers (box, scrapbook)
Leisure World Y2K Celebration (scrapbook)
Lions Club (Box plus 3 large ledgers)
Lundgren, Gordon Collection (Former GRF & Mutual 10 President)
Men's Golf Club, (scrapbook), club still active
Minnesota Club (box)
Missouri/Oklahoma Club (box)
Mock, Linda, Collection (Owner of NEWS in late 1960’s), (box)
Multi-Cultural Group that planned and hosted the Multi-Cultural Festivals (3 boxes)
Nebraska, 1964 – 1984, (scrapbook)
NEWYCO (Nebraska/Wyoming/Colorado) (box)
O’Hare, Maurice Collection (Former GRF President) (box)
Oklahoma Club (box)
Oran Buffs (box)
Our Lady of Africa Guild (box)
Pan-Hellenic (box)
Photo Collection from Golden Rain News (boxes)
Portapak Club & Video Producers Club (boxes)
Radio Club (boxes), club still active
Rail Buffs (1/2 box)
Reminder of Things – Starting 1962 (scrapbook)
Research on Full Care Facility for LW in 1972 (scrapbook)
Retired Nurses Club (box)
Retired Public Employees (1/2 box)
Scandinavians & Friends (box)
Security Department Guard's (scrapbook)
Senior Citizen Protective League, 1964 – 1970, (1 binder)
Senior Patriots for Peace 2006 (scrapbook)
Sevilla, Manuel & Sevilla, Doris Collection (Original Move-ins and very active), Photos, papers, and newspaper clippings (box)
Sewing Club (1/2 box), club still active
Shareholder Association of Leisure World, 1962 – 1970, (1 binder)
Slavic Club (1/2 box, scrapbook)
Slides of early years – Sorted and in book, Unsorted in carousals
Socially Active Seniors (singles club), (box)
Spanish Club (1/2 box)
St. Andrews Club
Storm Report – Flood of 1995 (scrapbook)
Stroke Support Group
Swedish Club (1/2 box)
Sweet & Low Club, (box, scrapbook)
Swim Club (1/2 box)
Theater Club (Binders by Alex Brett), (box, 2 scrapbooks 1992-1996 and 1997-2000), club still active
Tournament Poker Club (box), club still active
Unity/Unitarian/Universalist Church (2 boxes, 1 scrapbook)
WA Rite, club still active
WAC – Womens Army Core, Chapter 57, 1981-1983 (scrapbook)
Whirlers & Round Dancers (box, scrapbook), club still active
Woman’s Choral Society (scrapbook)
Woman’s Club (scrapbooks), club still active
Women’s Golf Club (boxes), club still active
Woodpeckers (Wood Shop #2) (scrapbook)
World Affairs Council (1/4 box)
Y's Men, now called Y's Service Club, (1/2 box), club still active