Louis H. Heilbron Papers

Louis H. Heilbron (1907-2006) was a labor law attorney, educator, and civic leader who participated in many of the great events of his time. Born in Newark, New Jersey to musicians Simon and Flora Karp Heilbron, he grew up in San Francisco and attended Lowell High School with the future Governor Edmund G. “Pat” Brown. He received his B.A. in Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley (1928), and graduated with a juris doctor degree from Berkeley’s Boalt Hall (1931). With the Depression raging, he worked for the California agencies of the Department of Social Welfare (secretary, 1932), the Emergency Relief Administration (assistant administrator, 1933; part-time consultant, 1934-1940 when the agency’s responsibilities were transferred to the Department of Social Welfare) and again with the Department of Social Welfare (part-time consultant, 1940-41). Concurrently, Heilbron joined the prominent San Francisco law firm of Heller, Ehrman, White and McAuliffe (attorney 1934-1948; principle labor attorney 1948-1978; retired partner 1978- ) where he remained affiliated, except for a brief period during World War II, for the rest of his life. During the war, he was the principal attorney (1942-43) for the Board of Economic Welfare. Serving as an army officer (Captain, 1943; Major, 1944-46), he helped the military coordinate labor relations in post-war Europe. After the war, he returned to his law practice. His interest in world affairs, intensified by the war, prompted him to join the World Affairs Council of Northern California (1951- ; president, 1965-67), a member of the Human Rights Commission of San Francisco (1969-75; chair, 1975), and chairman of the San Francisco Commission on Foreign Relations (1977-79). He was also a Jewish community leader and served on the boards of the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco (member, 1930’s- ; vice president, 1949?; president, 1949-52), Congregation Emanu-El (member, 1912- ; vice president, 1951- 1954?; president, 1954-1957), and the American Jewish Committee (president, 1958-60).

Heilbron had also been involved in higher education throughout his adult life. He was the assistant to the Dean of Men at Berkeley (1928-31), president of the San Francisco Public Education Society (1950-52), member of the International House at the University of California at Berkeley (vice-president, 1953-77), trustee of the Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation (1956-76), member of the California State Board of Education (1959-60; president, 1960), member of the Board of Trustees at KQED (1959-1972; vice president, 1971-72), member of the Board of California State College Trustees (1960-69; chairman, 1960-63), member of the Board of Trustees at Golden Gate University (1969- ; chair, 1979-81), chairman of the advisory board at San Francisco State University (1970-75), member of the National Commission on Academic Tenure (1971-73), member of the Select Committee to Review the California Master Plan (1971-72), and a member of the National Council on Post Secondary Accreditation (1972-86). When Heilbron was appointed by Governor Brown as the chairman of the Board of California State College Trustees, he was instrumental in the implementation of the initial Master Plan for Higher Education (1960) and the emergence of the California State University system (1960).

In retirement from his law firm (1978), he was a member of the California Historical Society (1978- ; vice president, 1981-83; president, 1983-85) and a member of the California State University Archives Advisory Committee (1979- ; chair, 1979-1988).