Wyckoff, Florence Richardson, 1905-

Biographical Information

Florence Richardson Wyckoff dedicated her long life to social reform. Raised in Berkeley, California and trained as an artist, Wyckoff became interested in social service during the Great Depression. Living in San Francisco in the 1930s, Wyckoff worked with and befriended many key figures in the local labor movement. This work piqued her interest in the political process and she campaigned for Culbert L. Olson in the 1938 gubernatorial election. Upon his election, Olson invited Wyckoff to take a position in the State Relief Administration (SRA), which became her first formal job in the social services profession. Over the course of her life, Wyckoff's commitment to the rights of children and laborers led to her involvement on a number of fronts, from public health and housing to literacy and women's rights. She remained active in national, state, and local politics until her death in 2000.

Wyckoff was born in 1905 to Leon Josiah Richardson and Maude (Wilkinson) Richardson. Her father was a classics professor at the University of California and her mother the daughter of William Wilkinson, director of the Institute for the Deaf and Blind in Berkeley from 1865-1909. The Richardsons were progressive parents and their children were given numerous opportunities. Although not wealthy, the family was well respected within the community and the Richardson children were raised among the intellectual and social elite of the time; family friends included Phoebe Apperson Hearst and John Dewey. Leon took his children on backpacking trips in the Sierras and the family traveled during Leon's sabbatical years, living in New York in 1921 and touring Europe from 1929-1930.

Florence graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 1926 with a degree in sculpture and furthered her studies at the California School of Fine Arts (1928-1929). In 1931, she married Hubert Coke Wyckoff, Jr., a U.S. deputy attorney, and the couple moved to San Francisco. It was there that Florence became involved in the San Francisco Theater Union, which led to her work with other local labor groups. During the Second World War, Hubert Wyckoff served as a Deputy Administrator in the War Shipping Administration in Washington, D.C. While living in Washington, Florence Wyckoff continued to dedicate herself to social service, working for Food for Freedom and serving on the Board of the National Consumers' League. After the war, the Wyckoffs moved to Hubert's hometown of Watsonville, California, a rural farming community. Florence soon became interested in the plight of migrant laborers, specifically the effects of the migrant lifestyle on children. Once again, her work was noticed and Governor Earl Warren appointed her to his Advisory Committee on Children and Youth in 1948. Wyckoff went on to serve on the committee for twenty years under four separate administrations until its dissolution in 1968 by Governor Ronald Reagan.

During her tenure on the Advisory Committee, Wyckoff was instrumental in developing and organizing the Conference on Families Who Follow the Crops as well as securing passage of both the California and Federal Migrant Health Acts. In 1963, Governor Edmund G. Brown appointed Wyckoff to the State Board of Public Health. She continued to serve the state in various other capacities, including representing California at the White House Conference on Children and Youth. In addition to her involvement at the state level, Wyckoff served as a member of the U.S. Department of Public Health, Education and Welfare's Migrant Health Program Review Committee. She also served on President Kennedy's Study Committee for the War on Poverty.

In her later life, Wyckoff focused on local reform. Between 1970 and her death in 2000, she served on the boards of a number of Santa Cruz County based organizations including The Environmental Community Housing Organization, the Santa Cruz County Housing Authority, the Santa Cruz County Community Foundation, the Corralitos Valley Community Council, Migration and Adaptation in the Americas, Inc., and the Friends of the Freedom Public Library. Her husband died in 1979 after a long period of declining health, which had caused Wyckoff to focus her attentions on more local matters. Wyckoff continued to become involved in new issues, from the promotion of organic farming to the preservation of local history. Wyckoff was a well known figure in the Watsonville community, receiving numerous awards for her work and continuing her active participation in the community until her death on September 20, 2000 at the age of 94.

Chronology

• 1905 Oct. 5: Born, Berkeley, California
• 1926: B.A. in art (sculpture), University of California, Berkeley
• 1926 - 1927 : Travel in Mexico
• 1928 - 1929 : Attended California School of Fine Arts
• 1929 - 1930 : Travel in Europe
• 1931: Married Hubert C. Wyckoff, Jr.; moved to San Francisco
• 1933 - 1934 : Worked for the San Francisco Theater's Union
• 1934: Member, Board of Directors, Pacific Coast School for Workers
• 1937 - 1938 : Coordinated San Francisco/ Northern California Democratic gubernatorial campaign of Culbert L. Olson
• 1938: Culbert L. Olson elected governor of California; Wyckoff appointed to California State Relief Administration
• 1941: Moved to Washington, D.C.
• 1942 - 1946 : Assistant Director, Food for Freedom; member, National Consumer Advisory Committee
• 1947: Moved to Watsonville, California; established Pajaro Valley Community Council
• 1948 - 1968 : Served on Governor's Advisory Committee on Children & Youth
• 1959: Member, President's Committee on Migratory Labor; first Conference on Families Who Follow the Crops
• 1963 - 1968 : Served on California State Board of Public Health
• 1963 - 1967 : Member, Migrant Health Project Review Committee
• 1970 - 1980 : Member, Santa Cruz County Housing Authority
• 1975 - 1985 : Member, Board of Directors, TECHO
• 1992: Freedom Public Library opened
• 1979 May 30: Hubert Coke Wyckoff died
• 2000 Sep. 20: Died, Watsonville, CA

From the guide to the Florence Richardson Wyckoff papers, 1869-2000, 1940-1990, (The Bancroft Library.)