Former California Gov. George Deukmejian, left, is seen here with Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster in this Long Beach Post file photo.

10:01am | Former California Gov. George Deukmejian will be recognized at Cal State  Long Beach on Friday as the campus officially dedicates the “George Deukmejian Archives,” a repository of more than 3,000 boxes of historical documents chronicling his public service that will be located in the University Library. 

The dedication ceremony will take place  at 11 a.m. in the library lobby,which is located on the upper part of the campus, 1250 Bellflower Blvd., near Seventh Street. 

Deukmejian and his wife, Gloria, have long been connected to the city of Long Beach. She was born here, and he established a Long Beach law practice in 1958 to which he returned after leaving office in 1991. 

Deukmejian served as a state assemblyman from 1962 – 1967, a state senator from 1967 – 1979 and as state attorney general from 1979 – 1983. 

He was elected governor in 1983 and served for two terms. While in office, the 1984 Summer Olympics, the 1987 stock market crash and the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake occurred. He was credited for his efforts in job creation, making education a priority and creating a workfare program. 

He continued to serve on several public commissions, and the couple has been involved in a variety of community service programs since his time in Sacramento.  In the early 1990s, he served as voluntary chair for a fundraising committee to support CSULB’s Disabled Student Services program, and in 2005 the couple donated $107,000 to establish the George and Gloria Deukmejian Scholarship for Students with Disabilities. 

Only three other California governors’ records are held outside the State Archives in Sacramento: Edmund G. “Pat” Brown’s are at UC Berkeley, Ronald Reagan’s are at the Reagan Presidential Library, and the first term of Edmund G. “Jerry” Brown’s are at USC. 

As often is the case with accomplished political figures, access to the Deukmejian Archives will be restricted until five years after the couple has passed away. For more information, visit CSULB.edu/library.