Surveys, dating from 1951-1992, conducted by Oscar and Rose Kaplan, public opinion pollsters and analysts for businesses, politicians, attorneys and newspapers in the San Diego area. A small number of surveys were conducted in the Los Angeles area and nationwide. The files include questionnaires, reports, development materials, and newspaper clippings. The accession processed in 2009, dating from 1934-1994, contains public opinion surveys conducted by Oscar and Rose Kaplan. Also included are writings by Oscar Kaplan, general correspondence, and biographical materials from the Kaplan family.
Oscar and Rose Kaplan Public Opinion Surveys, 1934-1994 (MSS 178)
Extent: 18.6 Linear feet (46 archives boxes, 1 half box)
Oscar Kaplan (1915-1994) was a pioneering pollster, best known locally for surveys he and his wife, Rose, conducted about all aspects of San Diego life. He is also an internationally recognized authority on aging, educated at UCLA (B.S.) and UC Berkeley (Ph.D), and was often referred to as the "father of geriatic psychology."
As a gerontologist, Oscar Kaplan authored Mental Disorders in Late Life(1945), the first book on geriatric psychology; was appointed as a special consultant in gerontology to the U.S. Public Heath Service in 1946; helped to initiate the White House Conference on Aging in 1950; founded the American Society of Aging in 1955, and was founding editor of The Gerontologist.
As a pollster, Kaplan founded the Center for Survey Research at San Diego State University in 1948, which he continued to serve until his death, and developed in the same year the first university course in the nation devoted to methods of measuring public opinion.
Rose Kaplan died on November 22, 2000.
ACCESSION PROCESSED IN 1995
The Oscar and Rose Kaplan surveys document the Kaplans' career as surveyors and analysts for businesses and politicians in the Southern California area. The papers are mainly a chronological collection of questionnaires and reports dating from 1951 to 1992. The majority of surveys and reports in the collection pertain to the San Diego area, but work conducted in Los Angeles and nationwide is also included. The collection is divided into two series: 1) SURVEYS AND REPORTS, and 2) DOCUMENTS.
ACCESSION PROCESSED IN 2009
The accession processed in 2009 contains public assessment material, including surveys, questionnaires, reports, and research material. The collection also includes general correspondence from Oscar Kaplan's other professional ventures, including committees, publications and coursework. The material in the 2009 accession dates from 1934 through 1994, with the majority of the collection spanning from 1957 through 1982.
The accession processed in 2009 is arranged in five series: 1) SURVEYS AND REPORTS, 2) BUSINESS DOCUMENTS AND RESEARCH, 3) WRITINGS BY OSCAR KAPLAN, 4) GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE, and 5) BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIALS.
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