Overview
Jane Tolmach was a longtime Ventura County resident, community activist, and political leader. She initially found her footing in political affairs in the 1956 Presidential campaign and continued as Chairman of the Ventura County Democratic Central Committee (1959-1962), Women's Chairman South of the CA Democratic State Central Committee (1966-1970), and as Delegate for the Democratic National Conventions (1960, 1968). Tolmach was a staunch supporter for “Pat” Brown, Jerry Brown, and Kathleen Brown as governors. She was good friends with Alan Cranston and campaigned for John and Robert Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, and Hubert Humphrey.
Although she is best known for being the first woman councilperson (1970-1978) and first woman mayor for the City of Oxnard (1973), Tolmach also served as a trustee for the Camarillo State Hospital, as a school board member for Oxnard High School, and was appointed to the State’s Community College’s Board of Governors, among other highly acclaimed positions. She became active in the human rights movements, especially in Cesar Chavez's effort to organize farm labor. Tolmach was elated when Senator Robert Kennedy joined the Presidential race in 1968 and was onstage with Kennedy and Chavez at a locally-hosted event, just days before Kennedy was assassinated.
In the late 1970s, when the question of whether Liquefied Natural Gas would become a fixture in the Ventura County seaport environment, Tolmach traveled to Japan to view the system for herself and reported her findings and concerns back to the Oxnard City Council. In fact, a large portion of this collection contains material regarding this debate. This collection was donated by the family of Jane Tolmach and consists of artifacts, correspondence, documents, ephemera, photographs, and political memorabilia.
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Contact
Evelyn Taylor
University Archivist
Library Services Specialist III
805-437-8830
evelyn.taylor@csuci.edu