Lila Atkisson papers
Scope and Contents
This collection contains newspaper clippings, correspondence, promotional materials, memorandums, announcements, reports, personnel lists, program outlines, articles, handouts, travel magazines and ephemera, docent training for the Museum of Ventura County, a VHS tape, photographic slides, compact cassettes, and IUDs.
The materials cover a wide variety of public health topics, including, but not limited to, polio vaccinations, oral health, family planning, measles immunizations, parenting classes, mental health services, communicable diseases, venereal disease, food and nutrition, public health statistics, tuberculosis, and health education. Additional content includes Ventura County public health department events and programming, and public health facilities.
Dates
- circa 1948-1999
Creator
- Atkisson, Lila (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Open for research. Advance requests can be made to Research Library staff via email.
Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use
Property rights to the physical object belong to the Museum of Ventura County. Literary rights, including copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or their heir for permission to publish where the museum does not hold the copyright.
CONTAINS AV MATERIALS: Advance notice required. Researcher may be required to bear the cost of digitization or creation of an access copy.
Biographical / Historical
Lila Atkisson was born in 1924 in Long Beach, California. She was also raised there by her parents John Curtis and Nancy Elizabeth Atkisson (Alexander). She graduated from Long Beach Polytechnic High School. Atkisson went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in home economics/food and nutrition from Santa Barbara College (now UC Santa Barbara), and a master's degree in public health from the University of Minnesota.
She eventually started working for Ventura County Public Health Services. She retired in 1983 as director of public health administration and education for the Ventura County Public Health Services. As director, Atkisson oversaw the county's immunization programs, family planning and prenatal care, WIC programs, health education, and educational programming, such as literacy programs. She was known to care deeply about family planning and being a supporter of Planned Parenthood.
She was also an avid traveler of the world and included Antarctica among the places she visited at the age of 87. She was also a patron of the New West Symphony, Rubicon Theater, and Metropolitan Opera Simulcasts. In 1984 she became a docent at the Museum of Ventura County.
Atkisson passed away at the age of 96 in 2020.
Extent
2.57 Cubic Feet (2 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Lila Atkisson, born in Long Beach, California, was director of public health administration and education for the Ventura County Public Health Services until retiring in 1983. As director, Atkisson oversaw the county's immunization programs, family planning and prenatal care, WIC programs, health education, and educational programming. She was a supporter of access to family planning and health education for the public. She passed away at the age of 96 in 2020.
This collection contains newspaper clippings, correspondence, promotional materials, memorandums, announcements, reports, personnel lists, program outlines, articles, handouts, travel magazines and ephemera, docent training for the Museum of Ventura County, a VHS tape, photographic slides, compact cassettes, and IUDs. The materials cover a wide variety of public health topics, including, but not limited to, vaccinations, oral health, family planning, parenting classes, mental health services, communicable diseases, food and nutrition, and health education.
Organization and Arrangement
This collection has no series. Original order of materials has been maintained. Folder labels in quotation marks indicate original description created by Atkisson.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
COLLECTION CONTAINS AUDIO MATERIALS: Special equipment or further processing may be required for listening. Requests to use audio materials must be made in advance. Please contact the Research Library at library@venturamuseum.org.
COLLECTION CONTAINS AUDIOVISUAL MATERIALS: Special equipment or further processing may be required for viewing. Requests to access audio-visual materials in collections must be made in advance. Please contact the Research Library at library@venturamuseum.org.
Physical Location
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE: Stored off-site and advance notice is required for timely retrieval. Please request materials 2-3 days in advance. Researchers MUST make a research appointment on the Research Library website.” Research Library website. Please make a note of the box numbers or container you are requesting.
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
Lila Atkisson; gift; 2011, 2020.
Processing Information
Processed by Krystell Jimenez, 2023.
Our collections are processed using MPLP methods so that we can prioritize access for users and identify potential priorities for more detailed processing. If while using our collections you think there is something that should be added or amended in the finding aid, we welcome your input. You can notify staff in the reading room or send us an email at library@venturamuseum.org. Be sure to include the collection number and name and the box number you were working with in your email.
Creator
- Atkisson, Lila (Person)
- Title
- Finding aid for Lila Atkisson papers, circa 1948-1999
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Krystell Jimenez, 2023.
- Date
- August 2023
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Sponsor
- This finding aid was made possible in part through funding from the County of Ventura and the Heritage Fund at the Ventura County Community Foundation.
Repository Details
Part of the Museum of Ventura County Repository