Flora Dungan was born Flora Turchinsky in Minnesota in 1917. Her parents were both born in Russia. She graduated from Polytechnic High School in Los Angeles in 1933, from Los Angeles Junior College in 1936, and from the University of California at Berkeley in 1938 (with Honors in Psychology). She completed a one year curriculum in Social Service at Berkeley in 1939.
After working in legal research and child welfare, she went into industry and accounting work during World War II. She moved to Las Vegas in 1948 and began practicing as a public accountant. She divorced L. Donald Dungan that same year, although she retained his last name professionally throughout several marriages. In 1957 she married Robert M. Stang, divorcing him in 1959.
In Las Vegas she participated in a variety of community organizations, including Business and Professional Women's Club, Zonta (a women's service club), American Association of University Women, and the Nevada Society of Public Accountants. She was also active in Democratic party politics, and served on the county and state Democratic Central Committees.
In 1962 she was elected to the State Assembly from Clark County and served in the 52nd Session in 1963 and the Tenth Special Session in 1964. In August, 1964, she and Dr. Clare Woodbury filed a lawsuit which led to a special session of the legislature in October, 1965. The special session resulted in a reapportionment of the Nevada Legislature, giving Clark County seven additional Senate and four additional Assembly seats.
During this time she was married to newspaperman Ed Oncken, divorcing him in 1965.
She was again elected to the Assembly in 1967, representing Clark County District No. 4. Also in 1967, she filed a lawsuit which resulted in the enlargement of the University Board of Regents, giving Clark County a majority of five seats. She served as Assemblyman in the 1968 session and in the Thirteenth Special Session in 1968.
Flora Dungan was the first woman to serve on the Legislative Judiciary Committee, where she was a leader in fighting for prison reform and rehabilitation. As chairman of the Assembly Institutions Committee, she led the way in investigating complaints of inmate abuse at Nevada State Prison. However, she was barred from visiting the prison ostensibly because she was a woman. She also worked to expand juvenile assistance programs in the courts and to lessen the penalties for possession of marijuana.
In 1968 she ran for State Senate, but was defeated in her bid.
In 1969, with her husband, Ray ben David, she helped found Focus, a juvenile assistance facility which achieved national renown.
In 1972 she was elected to the University Board of Regents. Shortly after her election, she was diagnosed with cancer, and underwent successful radiation treatment while continuing to serve as regent. However, on October 25, 1973, she died in Los Angeles, California.
The Flora Dungan Papers cover her high school and university years, continue through her early community and political involvement, her professional work as a public accountant, and end with her legislative and regent careers.
The collection was acquired through Hal Erickson in October, 1977, as accession # 77-271. The majority of the material arrived with little organization. Several file folders contained headings; however, most did not. Much of the material was loose in the boxes. Therefore, the order of the collection has been established by the processor. Twelve photographs were removed and transferred to the Flora Dungan Photo Collection #0293, UNLV Special Collections.
The papers are arranged into four series -- Personal & Business, Community Activities, Legislative Service, and Regent Service -- reflecting the stages and careers of her life.
The Personal & Business Series is arranged alphabetically by subject or type of material. It includes materials from Dungan's high school and university years, her business papers while practicing as a public accountant, papers pertaining to her personal finances, investments, and personal life, including her divorces, illness, and death.
The high school materials include several reports bound with red ribbon that were written and illustrated by Dungan, along with her high school yearbook and several report cards. Her university degrees and honors are included in this portion of the collection.
Included in the Investment file (box 2, folder 2) are items pertaining to her automobile, personal property taxes, and the care of her aging father. Even though these items may not have been investments, this was one instance in which the file folder was intact and labeled, so it was retained as such. The Payroll Reports file (box 2, folders 4-6) were originally contained in one Payroll file, labeled by Dungan as such. This file was segregated into three for ease of use. Folder 4 contains material that was attached to the right side of the original folder, folder 5 from the left side, and folder 6 from loose materials in the folder.
Personal papers include correspondence and materials pertaining to her divorces, illness, death, and estate. The folder containing materials pertaining to her illness and death (box 1, folder 4) was assembled from several folders that were unlabeled or labeled "Flora". In addition to correspondence, it contains materials that reflect the mundane paperwork aspects of settling her affairs after her death.
The Community Activities Series is arranged alphabetically by the name of the organization or interest and covers the period 1957-1974. Many of these organizations are those in which both she and her husband, Ray ben David, were active.
The legislative reapportionment issue is one in which Dungan played a key role. With Dr. Clare Woodbury, she filed a lawsuit that led to a special session of the legislature in 1965. Although Dungan was not in office at this time, her files contain much material related to apportionment, including copies of court filings and her handwritten worksheets for various apportionment ratios, based on Legislative Counsel Bureau reports.
The prison reform material includes the controversy that erupted in the Assembly when she announced her intention to visit the state prison and the subsequent attempt to remove her from her committee assignment. There was extensive press coverage of this controversy, reflected in the many newspaper clippings that document her efforts at prison reform. The collection includes many letters from inmates, detailing the prison conditions and the practices under Warden Hocker. One of these files contains personnel information about the termination of a prison employee and is stored in the confidential materials box of this collection.
In addition, material was extracted from a set of Board agenda packets spanning the period January - October, 1973. The only material retained from these files were agendas that contain notes taken by Dungan that would not otherwise appear in the Board minutes, and other papers that contain notes made by her. Several hand-annotated agendas and notes from Executive Sessions of the Board of Regents are stored in the confidential materials box because they contain materials pertaining to personnel actions.
Physical Description: 8 boxes, including 1 box of mixed media, plus 1 folder of oversized materials (3.5 linear feet)
Restrictions: Materials pertaining to employment and personnel issues of specific people are housed in a separate box of confidential materials. This material may not be copied.
Literary Rights: None
Location of collection: Lied Library Special Collections Department, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV
Processed by: Carol Corbett
Date Completed: 09/20/95
Inventory and Container List
Flora Dungan
T-117
| BOX # | FLDR# | CONTENTS |
| PERSONAL & BUSINESS SERIES | ||
| 1 | 1 | Certificates, Diplomas, Degrees, 1933-1939 |
| 2 | Check Register, Expenses, 1968 | |
| 3 | Client Accounts, Work Schedules, 1969-1973 | |
| 4 | Death/Illness - Correspondence, Receipts, Bills, Miscellaneous Items, 1973 | |
| 5 | Death - Expressions of Sympathy & News Clippings, 1973-1974 | |
| 6 | Divorce Decrees - Dungan (1948), Stang (1959), Oncken (1965); Marriage Certificate - Stang (1957) | |
| 7 | Estate Papers - Decree of Distribution, Death Certificate, 1973-1974 | |
| 8 | Financial Statements, 1954-1968 | |
| 9 | High School - Report Cards, Correspondence, Miscellaneous, 1931-1933 | |
| 10 | High School Reports - France, Germany, Switzerland, [n.d.] | |
| 11 | High School Reports - History [n.d.], Music, 1929 | |
| 12 | High School Reports - Russia, USA, [n.d.] | |
| 2 | 1 | High School Yearbook - "Polytechnic Student", 1933 |
| 2 | Investments, 1960-1966 | |
| 3 | Miscellaneous Personal Papers | |
| 4 | Payroll Reports - Federal Taxes, Nevada Employment Security Department, Nevada Industrial Commission, 1962-1973 | |
| 5 | Payroll Reports - FICA, Nevada Industrial Commission, Nevada Employment Security Department, 1962-1973 | |
| 6 | Payroll Reports - Federal Taxes, Nevada Employment Security Department, Employee Time & Client Logs, 1969-1973 | |
| 7 | Stocks, 1962-1966 | |
| 8 | University Papers written by Dungan, 1969 | |
| COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES SERIES | ||
| 3 | 1 | Communiversity & Students Participating in Community Endeavors (SPICE) Programs at Nevada Southern University (Ray ben David), 1968-1970 |
| 2 | FOCUS Youth Services - Brochures, Grant Request (Ray ben David), 1970-1974 | |
| 3 | Las Vegas Toastmistress Club - Certificate of Membership, 1957 | |
| 4 | Miscellaneous Correspondence, 1964-1968 | |
| 5 | National Association for the Advancement of Colored People - Copy of Life Member Plaque, 1972 | |
| 6 | Nevada Association on Crime & Delinquency - Conference Materials, 1970 | |
| 7 | Reception honoring Helen Anderson, 1965 | |
| 8 | Southern Nevada Memorial Hospital - News Clipping, 1956 & Resolution [n.d.] | |
| 9 | Thank you letters to Ray ben David from Garside Junior High School students, 1968 | |
| 10 | Zonta International - "Galloping Gavel" script, 1958 | |
| 11 | Zonta International - Booklets, 1960 | |
| LEGISLATIVE SERIES | ||
| 4 | 1 | Board of Regents Reapportionment - Court Filing, 1966 |
| 2 | Cartoons - Original sketches, 1962-1968 | |
| 3 | Certificate of Election to Assembly, 1966 | |
| 4 | Democratic State Convention - Newspaper Clippings, March, 1968 | |
| 5 | Education - Correspondence, Press Releases, 1963-1964 | |
| 6 | Legislative Career - News Clippings, 1962-1969 | |
| 7 | Legislative Reapportionment - Chart | |
| 8 | Legislative Reapportionment - Court Filings, 1964-1965 | |
| 9 | Legislative Reapportionment - "Legislative Apportionment in Nevada", Legislative Counsel Bureau, 1955 | |
| 10 | Legislative Reapportionment - Legislative Counsel Bureau Reports, Sample Apportionments, County Populations, Final Apportionment, 1965 | |
| 11 | Legislative Reapportionment - Press Releases, Miscellaneous Statistics, Governor's Message to Special Session of 1965 | |
| 12 | Legislative Reapportionment - "Reapportionment: Its Effect Upon the Legislative Process", James L. Rhoads, 1966 | |
| 13 | Legislative Reapportionment - Reports, Cases, Notes Re: Other States, 1963-1965 | |
| 14 | Legislative Reapportionment - State Constitution [portion with notes of Dungan] | |
| 15 | Legislative Reapportionment - Supreme Court Cases, 1964 | |
| 16 | Legislative Reapportionment - "The Nevada Apportionment Decision", League of Women Voters, October, 1965 | |
| 5 | 1 | Legislative Session - Commentary, 1953 [possibly written by Ed Oncken] |
| 2 | Metropolitan Government - Clark County & Materials from Nashville-Davidson County, Tennessee, 1964 | |
| 3 | Miscellaneous Correspondence, 1963-1967 | |
| 4 | Narcotics Laws - Lessening of Penalties, 1967-1968 | |
| 5 | Nevada State Fire Service Training Program - Resolution, Correspondence, 1973 | |
| 6 | Nevada State Prison - 1968 Special Legislative Session -Assembly Institutions Committee - Appointment as Chair & Prison Visit - Media Commentary, Notes, February, 1968 | |
| 7 | Nevada State Prison - 1968 Special Legislative Session Assembly Committee on Judiciary - Minutes, Notes, 1968 | |
| 8 | Nevada State Prison - California Supreme Court Case "People v. Dorado", 1965, with testimony of Captain Hocker highlighted | |
| 9 | Nevada State Prison - Correspondence, 1968 | |
| 10 | Nevada State Prison - "Survey Nevada Penitentiary November 8-13, 1964" | |
| 11 | "Paul Laxalt Testimonial" - from "Five Minutes With Flora", [1964] | |
| 12 | Photographs - Inscribed | |
| 13 | Presidential Inauguration Invitations, 1961-1965 | |
| 14 | Psychiatric Legislation - News Release, [n.d.] | |
| 15 | Racial Discrimination - Statement Urging Special Legislative Session, April 7, 1968 | |
| 16 | State Assembly Campaign Materials, Speeches, Statements, 1962-1964 | |
| 17 | State Senate Campaign Materials, Correspondence, Statements, 1968 | |
| 18 | Statement to the Las Vegas Review Journal Re: Mayor William Byrne, October 20, 1963 | |
| 19 | "Territorial Enterprise and Virginia City News", December 14, 1962 | |
| REGENT SERIES | ||
| 6 | 1 | Adamian v. University of Nevada, 1973 |
| 2 | Agenda & Notes, 1973 | |
| 3 | Budget Issues, 1972-1973 | |
| 4 | Certificate of Election to Board of Regents, 1972 | |
| 5 | Chair in Judaic Studies, UNLV, 1973 | |
| 6 | Investment Advisory Committee, 1973 | |
| 7 | Law School Establishment, 1973 | |
| 8 | Miscellaneous Correspondence, 1973 | |
| 9 | Miscellaneous Reports, Press Releases, & News Clippings, 1970-1973 | |
| 10 | Regent Election Congratulations, 1972 | |
| 11 | Regent Political Campaign - Receipts, Bills, Media, Financial Records, 1972 | |
| CONFIDENTIAL MATERIALS | ||
| 7 | 1 | Nevada State Prison - Termination of Employee Harry A. Valentine, 1967 |
| 2 | Appeal of Denial of Tenure by Frane Marcelja, 1973 | |
| 3 | Department of Foreign Language, UNLV - Chairmanship of Dr. John D. Linddberg, 1973 | |
| 4 | Racial Bias Complaint by Student William King Simmons, UNLV, 1973 | |
| 5 | Denial of Admission to Student Ralph Hemington, Jr., UNLV, 1973 | |
| 6 | Winterberg v. University of Nevada, 1973 | |
| 7 | Executive Session Agendas & Notes, 1973 | |
| MIXED MEDIA | ||
| 8 | Address & Telephone Directory | |
| Desk Calendar, 1970 | ||
| Audiotape labeled "Sawyer Sales Tax Switch" & "Bunker Bomb" | ||
| Flora Dungan nameplate from KOLO-TV, Reno, NV | ||
| "The Nevada Constitution", by Eleanore Bushnell, inscribed to Dungan by the author | ||
| Flora Dungan Memorial Service Book, November 1, 1973 | ||
| National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Certificate of Life Membership Plaque, June, 1972 | ||
| Black Notebook embossed with Flora Dungan | ||
| OVERSIZED MATERIALS | ||
| Folder | Nevada State Prison Cartoon, Reno Gazette, 1968 Certificate of Election and Governor's Commission of Dungan to Board of Regents (two originals), 1972 | |
| State Board of Accountancy Authorization for Dungan to practice as a Public Accountant, 1960 | ||
| Nevada Society of Public Accountants Certificate of Membership of Dungan, 1957 | ||
| Bachelor of Arts Degree to Flora Turchinsky from University of California, Berkeley, 1938 | ||
| Oversized Shelves | Framed oil painting of Flora Dungan 20" x 24" | |
| END OF INVENTORY | ||
