Ballis, George Elfie

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Historical Note

National Land for People (NLP), founded under the leadership of George and Maia Ballis, Berge Bulbulian, and a handful of others, started in the 1950s under several different names, including Western Water Resources Council, before being incorporated as the National Land for People Foundation in 1974. George Ballis, a self-described "news reporter, news editor, community and union organizer, still photographer, film maker, organic gardener-farmer, shamanic guide, and teacher," from Faribault, Minnesota, lived in Chicago and San Francisco before accepting a position as labor editor for the Valley Labor Citizen newspaper in Fresno in 1953. In this position Ballis focused on covering the issues of farm labor and farm workers of the time. In 1965 Ballis worked as a part-time labor organizer for the AFL-CIO Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC), which worked with the National Farm Workers Union, led by Cesar Chavez. It was also during this time that Ballis and Berge Bulbulian became active in community organizing and that Ballis became the office manager for B. F. Sisk, who was subsequently elected to the House of Representatives to represent Fresno. Ballis was soon put in contact with Paul Taylor in Berkeley, and they began organizing around the state's water and farm labor issues. They produced maps showing the land ownership trends in the new Westlands Water District, which included many farms of surprisingly large size, including one over 110,000 acres owned by the Southern Pacific Railroad Company.

This was important because the Newlands Reclamation Act, passed in 1902 to fund large irrigation projects for 16 states in the American west, stipulated that federally funded water could only be used by landholders who owned 160 acres of land or less. However, for decades, large, corporate farming enterprises, as well as the Bureau of Reclamation charged with enforcing the law, were ignoring this restriction. National Land for People used the information they had gathered and maps they had produced to bring a bill to the Senate to force the Bureau to enforce the Reclamation Act's excess land law and break up the large farms and sell them in small parcels to farm workers.

George and Maia Ballis and National Land for People were organizing and gathering information in order to gain equality for working class people. At the same time, George Ballis was photographing farm worker conditions. He then started working with the Fresno Democratic Association, became president, and organized it into the second largest Democratic club in the state of California. When National Land for People became incorporated in 1974, Ballis and the others took their advocacy to Washington, D.C., trying court cases in an attempt to fight the injustices present in California farm labor and publicly-subsidized agriculture water. They succeeded in closing some of the loopholes in Reclamation law that allowed the Westlands Water District to remain exempt from the acreage limitations, but President Reagan thwarted National Land for People, promising that the excess land law would never be enforced. In the middle of the water fight, National Land for People started working with the University of California, Los Angeles, on a study about how the West side could be developed with small communities and small farms and succeed, and they organized farmer co-ops, consumer co-ops, and organic farm experiments. After the Reclamation Reform Act of 1982 raised the acreage limitation to 960, they realized that they would never win the big fight against the government and large, corporate farms, and so instead re-focused their energies on other initiatives. National Land for People converted over the course of the late 1970s and 1980s into Sun Mountain, George and Maia Ballis's artistic and environmental endeavor stressing eco-friendly technology, food and energy alternatives, organic gardening, community activism and organizing, and other related issues. George Ballis died in 2010. Maia Ballis continues the legacy of Sun Mountain in Tollhouse, California.

From the guide to the National Land for People collection, Bulk, 1972-1983, 1850-1991, (Special Collections Research Center, California State University, Fresno)

Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Alinsky, Saul David, 1909-1972 person
associatedWith American Agri-Women. corporateBody
associatedWith American Farm Bureau Federation. corporateBody
associatedWith Anderson, Jack person
associatedWith Andrus, Cecil D., 1931- person
associatedWith Baillie, Jack T. person
associatedWith Baldoni, Kathleen person
associatedWith Ballis, Maia. person
associatedWith Barnes, Peter, 1942- person
associatedWith Barry, Frank J. person
associatedWith Bonadelle, John person
associatedWith Boswell, James Griffin person
associatedWith Bowker, Victor person
associatedWith Brazilian Land and Cattle Company. corporateBody
associatedWith Brody, Ralph M., 1912- person
associatedWith Brown, Clayton person
associatedWith Brown, George Edward, 1920-1999 person
associatedWith Brown, Jerry, 1938- person
associatedWith Brown, Willie L., 1934- person
associatedWith Bulbulian, Berge person
associatedWith Burns, Hugh M., 1902- person
associatedWith Burton, John, 1932- person
associatedWith Burton, Phillip, 1926-1983 person
associatedWith Bush, George, 1924- person
associatedWith California. Bureau of Reclamation. corporateBody
associatedWith California. Office of Appropriate Technology. corporateBody
associatedWith California Women for Agriculture. corporateBody
associatedWith Carr family family
associatedWith Carter, Jimmy, 1924- person
associatedWith Chapman, Oscar J., (Oscar James), 1907-1994 person
associatedWith Chavarria family family
associatedWith Chavez, Cesar, 1927-1993 person
associatedWith Church, F. Forrester person
associatedWith Clark, Allen W. person
associatedWith Clark, Norman person
associatedWith Cochran, Dwight M. person
associatedWith Coelho, Tony, 1942- person
associatedWith Cole, Bert L., 1910- person
associatedWith Combs family family
associatedWith Control Data Corporation. corporateBody
associatedWith Cranston, Alan MacGregor person
associatedWith De La Cruz, Jessie Lopez, 1919- person
associatedWith Del Monte Corporation. corporateBody
associatedWith Denton, John H. person
associatedWith Diener, Frank C. person
associatedWith Diener, Octavia person
associatedWith Diener, Paul Ernst person
associatedWith Di Giorgio Fruit Corporation. corporateBody
associatedWith Di Giorgio, Joseph person
associatedWith DiMare family family
associatedWith Dixon, Barbara person
associatedWith Donaghy family family
associatedWith Donna Martin person
associatedWith Ecklund, James person
associatedWith E. F. Schumacher Society. corporateBody
associatedWith Enos, Larry J. person
associatedWith Environmental Action Foundation. corporateBody
associatedWith Eu, March Fong person
associatedWith Farm/Water Alliance. corporateBody
associatedWith Findley, Paul, 1921- person
associatedWith Fisher, Hugo B. person
associatedWith Fortune family family
associatedWith Frampton, Mary Louise person
associatedWith Fresno bee. (Fresno, Calif.) corporateBody
associatedWith Frito-Lay, Inc. corporateBody
associatedWith Giovannetti family family
associatedWith Goldschmidt, Walter, 1913-2010 person
associatedWith Greene, Sheldon person
associatedWith Griswold, Erwin N., (Erwin Nathaniel), 1904-1994 person
associatedWith Groefsema family family
associatedWith Haley, James Andrew, 1899-1981 person
associatedWith Hammonds family family
associatedWith Hammonds Ranch. corporateBody
associatedWith Haskell, Floyd K., 1916-1998 person
associatedWith Hernandez, Gloria person
associatedWith Hess, Karl, 1923-1994 person
associatedWith Hickel, Walter J., 1919-2010 person
associatedWith Holland, David W., agricultural economist person
associatedWith Houlding family family
associatedWith Jackson, Henry M., (Henry Martin), 1912-1983 person
associatedWith Jansen, Robert B., 1922- person
associatedWith Jiminez, Ray person
associatedWith Johnson, James P., 1930- person
associatedWith Kennedy, John F., (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963 person
associatedWith Kessler, Douglas Jay. person
associatedWith Kirihara, Jake person
associatedWith Kirshner, Edward M. person
associatedWith Kline, Allan person
associatedWith Krebs, Albert, 1932-2007 person
associatedWith Krebs, John Hans, 1926- person
associatedWith Kuchel, Thomas H. person
associatedWith Lange, Dorothea person
associatedWith Lara family family
associatedWith Lasher, Marc person
associatedWith Lee, Clifford person
associatedWith Lehman, Richard, 1948- person
associatedWith Lowe, Jim person
associatedWith Lynch, William B. person
associatedWith MacDiarmid, John MacLeod person
associatedWith Maddy, Kenneth L. person
associatedWith Magneson, Charles person
associatedWith Martin, Arnold person
associatedWith McAfee, Rodger person
associatedWith McCloskey, Michael person
associatedWith McGovern, George S., (George Stanley), 1922- person
associatedWith Meeds, Lloyd, 1927-2005 person
associatedWith Mendelsohn, Robert H., 1938- person
associatedWith Metzler family family
associatedWith Mexican American Political Association. (Calif.) corporateBody
associatedWith Michalowski, Judy person
associatedWith Miller, George, 1945- person
associatedWith Milliman, Jerome W. person
associatedWith Mink, Patsy T., 1927-2002 person
associatedWith Moore, Charles V. person
associatedWith Morton, Rogers C. B., (Rogers Clark Ballard), 1914-1979 person
associatedWith National Family Farm Coalition. (U.S.) corporateBody
associatedWith National Land for People. corporateBody
associatedWith Nesmith, David person
associatedWith Nieman family family
associatedWith O'Neill family family
associatedWith Pashayan, Charles Chip, 1941- person
associatedWith Pasnick, Vic person
associatedWith Perkins, Robert M. person
associatedWith Pilibos family family
associatedWith Planet Drum Foundation. corporateBody
associatedWith Plaza family family
associatedWith Randolph, Jennings, 1902-1998 person
associatedWith Reagan, Ronald person
associatedWith Reed, A. Doyle person
associatedWith Ritchie, Mark person
associatedWith Rominger, Richard Elmer, 1927- person
associatedWith San Francisco Examiner. corporateBody
associatedWith Schild, Neil W. person
associatedWith Schulz, Orissa M. person
associatedWith Seaton, Fred A., (Fred Andrew), 1909-1974 person
associatedWith Shafer, Mark person
associatedWith Sharp, Margaret person
associatedWith Shelley, John Francis, 1905-1974 person
associatedWith Smith, Charles L. person
associatedWith Social Work Oral History Project. corporateBody
associatedWith Southern Pacific Railroad Company. corporateBody
associatedWith Stamenson, Gus person
associatedWith Stamm, Gilbert G., 1911- person
associatedWith Steiner, Wesley E. person
associatedWith Stone, Jack person
associatedWith Sunkist Growers, inc. corporateBody
associatedWith Sun Maid Growers of California. corporateBody
associatedWith Sun Mountain. corporateBody
associatedWith Taylor, Paul Schuster, 1895-1984 person
associatedWith Telles family family
associatedWith Temple, Betsy person
associatedWith Thurman, John E. person
associatedWith Udall, Morris K. person
associatedWith Udall, Stewart L. person
associatedWith United Farm Workers Union. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Bureau of Reclamation. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Congress. House. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Congress. Senate. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Department of Justice. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Department of the Interior. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Farmers Home Administration. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. General Accounting Office. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Western Area Power Administration. corporateBody
associatedWith University of California, Berkeley. corporateBody
associatedWith University of California, Davis. corporateBody
associatedWith University of California, Santa Cruz. Agroecology Program. corporateBody
associatedWith Unruh, Jesse, 1922-1987 person
associatedWith Valley labor citizen. (Fresno, Calif.) corporateBody
associatedWith Vanik, Charles A., 1913-2007 person
associatedWith Villarejo, Don person
associatedWith Von Flue family family
associatedWith Watt, James G., 1938- person
associatedWith Watts, Raymond D. person
associatedWith Weaver, James H., 1927- person
associatedWith Weidert, John person
associatedWith Westlands Water District. corporateBody
associatedWith Westside Planning Group. corporateBody
associatedWith White, Byron R., 1917-2002 person
associatedWith Whitehurst, Dan, 1948- person
associatedWith Williams, Joe person
associatedWith Williamson, Ann person
associatedWith Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. corporateBody
associatedWith Woodring, Harry Hines, 1887-1967 person
associatedWith Woolf, Jack person
associatedWith Yellen, Ben, 1907-1994 person
associatedWith Young Democrats of America. corporateBody
associatedWith Young, Douglas Leonard person
Place Name Admin Code Country
California
Caruthers (Calif.)
San Diego (Calif.)
Mexico
Davis (Calif.)
Arkansas
Del Rio (Calif.)
Parlier (Calif.)
Alabama
Tulare (Calif.)
Westlands Water District
Los Angeles (Calif.)
Huron (Calif.)
Lanare (Calif.)
Palo Alto (Calif.)
Santa Cruz (Calif.)
Fresno (Calif.)
Three Rocks (Calif.)
San Jose (Calif.)
Arizona
Whitesbridge (Calif.)
Berkeley (Calif.)
Washington
San Francisco (Calif.)
Mendota (Calif.)
Alaska
Grass Valley (Calif.)
Chico (Calif.)
Oregon
Colorado
Kings County (Calif.)
Washington (D.C.)
Sacramento (Calif.)
Lemoore (Calif.)
Tennessee
Subject
Activists
Education
Education
Education
Education
Agricultural laborers
Agricultural laborers
Agricultural laborers
Agricultural laborers
Agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture
Air quality
Appropriate technology
Cooperative societies
Crops
Drought relief
Family farms
Farm corporations
Farm mechanization
Freedom of information
Land grants
Land grants
Land ownership
Land reform
Land reform
Land titles
Land trusts
Land trusts
Land use
Organizing and managing public services
Pesticides
Power resources
Public records
Public records
Railroads
Reclamation of land
Reclamation of land
Reclamation of land
Social work education
Social workers
Social workers
Water
Water
Water
Water
Water districts
Water rights
Water rights
Water use
Water use
Water use
Occupation
Activity

Person

Birth 1925-08-12

Death 2010-09-24

Information

Permalink: http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w65t3pv8

Ark ID: w65t3pv8

SNAC ID: 18407113