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Rozelle Family Collection

 Collection
Identifier: SPC-2017-008

Scope and Contents

The Rozelle Family Collection (1868-1988; undated) includes 6.09 linear feet of photographs, correspondence, government documents, genealogy information, Compton High School yearbooks, and other material related to the Rozelle Family. Series I contains primarily correspondence to the Rozelle family from friends and relatives of the Owens and Rozelle families. Series II contains genealogy information for the Rozelle family, including Bazil Rozelle's diary; obituaries; birth certificates; photographs; newspaper clippings; high school memorabilia primarily from Compton High School; wills; and other documents related to the Rozelle and Whaley family. Series III contains photographs of the Rozelle ranch; Edith Rozelle's relatives; Bazil, Edith, and their children; Catalina Island vacations; Fellow and Steward Shipyard panoramic; American Can Company; Elmer and Helen's mink farming; and photographs of the Rozelle Ranch before and after Los Angeles river floods. Series IV contains Compton High School yearbooks that belonged to Helen Whaley and Ralph Rozelle.

Dates

  • 1868-1988; undated

Access

There are no access restrictions on this collection.

Publication Rights

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Archives and Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical materials and not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Biography

Bazil Tillson Rozelle (also known as B. T. Rozelle) was born September 13, 1864 in Anderson, Indiana and died September 11, 1941 in Compton, California. In October 1891 he married Edith Owens (1867-1936), of Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1892 the Rozelle’s moved to California and established a ranch located partly in what is now the Los Angeles River in the Lynwood Gardens sections bordering the northeast edge of Compton. Once settled in Compton, Bazil became active in civic and church affairs in his local community. Bazil and Edith Rozelle had seven children: Walter Miles Rozelle (1892), William Owens Rozelle (1894-1976), Mabel Rozelle (1897-1990), Raymond Foster Rozelle (1900-1983), Elmer Donald Rozelle (1902-1988), Edwin Glen Rozelle (1906-1993), and Ralph Lincoln Rozelle (1909).

Raymond Foster Rozelle, and his wife Hazel, were the parents of former NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle (1926-1996).

Extent

8 boxes

6.09 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

The Rozelle collection, ranging from the late 1860’s to the 1980’s contains correspondence, photographs, official documents, newspaper clippings, and genealogy information pertaining to the family of Bazil Tillson Rozelle (paternal grandparent of former NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle). Other family names associated with this collection are Dr. William Owens, of Anderson, Indiana; and Dora Whaley, of Paramount, California. Photographs include family vacations in Catalina Island circa 1890s; images taken at the Rozelle family ranch and surrounding areas; Compton, Paramount, and Lynwood areas circa 1890s; World War II boat christening from Terminal Island, California circa 1940s; and mink farming in Southern California circa 1940s-1950s. Some material from this collection has been digitized and is available online:

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in four series.

  1. Series I. Correspondence, 1886-1933
  2. Series II. Rozelle Family Genealogy, 1891-1988
  3. Series III. Photographs, 1868-1956
  4. Series IV. Compton High School yearbooks, 1915-1923

Acquisition Information

This collection was donated by the Mark Rozelle family with the cooperation of the Compton 125 Historical Society.

Related Materials

For related materials please consult the

Bibliography

Rozelle, Mark. Beside the La River: The Story of Early Los Angeles Pioneers. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Phillipa Rosman in 2017. Digitized material was cataloged by Karen Clemons, Jennifer Hill, and Tom Philo in 2023.

Title
Inventory of the Rozelle Family Collection
Status
Completed
Author
Finding aid prepared by Phillipa Rosman
Date
2016
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English

Revision Statements

  • July 1, 2023: Container list revised by Karen Clemons and Jennifer Hill. Front matter was edited and updated by Jennifer Hill.

Repository Details

Part of the California State University Dominguez Hills, Gerth Archives and Special Collections Repository

Contact:
University Library South -5039 (Fifth Floor)
1000 E. Victoria St.
Carson CA 90747
310-243-3895