Dooley, Lehman Donate Papers To Central Valley Political Archive

The Central Valley Political Archive (CVPA) of the Henry Madden Library has acquired the papers of former Valley Congressmen Cal Dooley and Rick Lehman.

The papers are important additions to the growing archive, said Glenn Gray, archivist. The Dooley and Lehman papers join those of former Congressmen Charles "Chip" Pashayan and Bernie Sisk at the CVPA, in addition to the papers of state legislators Ken Maddy, Walter Karabian and Jim Costa.

"To date, CVPA collections have supported the research of independent scholars, law firms, students working on National History Day projects, and were used by Mark Arax and Rick Wartzman in their award-winning book "The King of California: J.G. Boswell and the Making of a Secret American Empire," Gray said.

Dooley went to work in 1987 for state Sen. Rose Ann Vuich of Dinuba. In 1989 he defeated six-term representative Pashayan for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Since leaving Congress earlier this year, he was named president of the National Food Processors Association.

His papers from his years in office measure over 30 linear feet and document his legislative activities on issues such as agriculture, international trade, and water issues such as CALFED.

Additionally, the papers document his activities as co-founder and co-chair of the New Democrat Coalition, a centrist faction among Members of the House of Representatives dedicated to finding bipartisan solutions to the nation's problems. Dooley was also a co-founder of the Western Water Caucus.

Lehman served as an administrative assistant to state Sen. George Zenovich of Fresno from 1969-1976. Lehman was elected to the state Assembly in 1976, where he served until 1982 and was Assistant Majority floor leader from 1978-1982. In 1982 he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Lehman currently works as a member of a lobbying firm in Sacramento, and is a founder and director of Premier Valley Bank in Fresno.

He was successful in carrying legislation establishing the national status of the Mono Lake Basin National Forest Scenic Area, as well as wild and scenic river protection for the Tuolumne and Kings Rivers. His congressional papers document these efforts, as well as his work on the California Desert Wilderness Act, the prohibition of expansion of dams in Yosemite National Park, clarifying the title to land along the California-Nevada border, and his work on the House Banking Committee.

The Lehman papers, which measure approximately 40 linear feet, consist of correspondence, press files, audio-video records and bill files from his years in the state Legislature.

For more information about the CVPA, contact Glenn Gray, archivist, at (559) 278-8573, or at ggray@csufresno.edu. Visit the CVPA Web site at www.cvparchive.org.

Media Contact: Shirley Melikian Armbruster, (559) 278-5292 or (559) 593-1815