February 25, 2005

University given Serna papers

The personal papers of late Sacramento mayor Joe Serna have been donated to Sacramento State, where he taught for 29 years.

The collection, which includes more than 135 containers of mementos from Serna’s association with the United Farm Workers movement, his work as a Sacramento State government professor and his days at City Hall, arrived on at University Archives earlier this month.

In additions to reams of papers, there is a large photo of Serna, which the archives staff is displaying in the reading room, UFW flags and campaign signs from Serna’s political races.

Head archivist Sheila O’Neill says it will take archives personnel several months to conduct an intake survey and catalog the collection. O’Neill says they hope to fund an archivist position to expedite the process. Once completed, the Serna collection is expected to be a significant resource on the politics of the City of Sacramento and the Central Valley.

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