County : Local Culture, History Topics for New Journal

A scholarly journal focusing on the culture and history of Orange County, jointly sponsored by Cal State Fullerton and UC Irvine, is scheduled to begin publication next year, Cal State Fullerton history professor Arthur Hansen said Wednesday.

Hansen is one of the editors of the publication, which will be known as the Journal of Orange County Studies. The biannual magazine will have articles on such public policy issues as transportation, housing and health care, placed in historical perspective, Hansen said.

“We want to develop a critical discourse about the pertinent problems facing Orange County as it prepares to celebrate its centennial in 1989 because it has the 27th largest regional economy in the world,” Hansen said.

“Along with the other counties in Southern California, it has become one of the centers of international life, whether it be in terms of population, business or culture.”

Hansen and the two other co-founders of the journal, Cal State Fullerton history professor Lawrence de Graaf and UCI history professor Spencer Olin, are seeking donations from corporations and individuals to cover the journal’s $25,000 annual cost.