Mining Law, Female Killers and Executions

Gordon Morris Bakken, professor of history and prolific author, recently spoke about three of his latest books — “Invitation to an Execution” (2010, University of New Mexico Press) “Women Who Kill Men: California Courts, Gender and the Press” (2009, University of Nebraska Press) and “The Mining Law of 1872: Past, Politics and Prospects” (2008, University of New Mexico Press).

The following is the transcript of Bakken's excerpted talk, which he delivered on Dec. 8 on campus.

“Mining Law of 1872”

The best book on mining law published in the 21st century. It must be good because look at that cover. It's cool. When you read the introduction, you'll find out that it only took me 41 years to do the book. And, what it's about is a mining law that was needed at the time for hard rock mining. And, then, take it from the 1850s from gold camps here in California to the Congress in 2008.

What happened was a whole series of unintended consequences. The mining law morphed. People used the mining law for not mining law purposes, but for the purposes of building ski resorts, hunting cabins, having a good time. Polygamists in Arizona filed mining claims so they could move the  “family in” and do their $100 a year work on the mining claim, so they're living on the federal government.

Well, starting in the 1950s, people started saying mining is causing a great deal of environmental pollution. I got into that because I was interested in the developmental law of American territories in the West. I never got the mining chapter in my master's thesis.

“Women Who Kill Men”

Got into this book because I was writing a presidential address as president of Phi Alpha Theta. I had to give a talk, so what do I talk about? I'll talk about a couple of trials. So, I got Laura Fair, oh actually I got a couple in there, I got a divorce case in there.

Titling books is always difficult because you're always looking for a way of hooking people. As all of my students point out, they can tell the difference between what I'm writing and what Brenda writes.Here's Chapter 1: "The Insanity Defense in Court and in The Press. (Bakken snorts). Brenda re-titles it “Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Who's the Sanest of Them All.”

Number 3, 1920s: “Toward the New Woman.” The new woman, I teach women's history. Brenda's title: “Feminine Wiles on Trial” ... How does she do this?

Well, what are the most common reasons women are blowing guys away? Because women were getting beat up. That will then change basically in the 1940s. Another interesting thing is, at this time in the 20th century, we begin seeing feminist organizations support women being tried for murder.

They can figure some women out because they sit there emotionless, and you know that women are supposed to be emotional, but they're not being emotional; therefore you get women who are the “enigma woman”... She's an enigma...

“Invitation to an Execution”

This is an actual invitation to an execution. A book that everyone needs a copy of...“Invitation to an Execution.” Now, to cut expenses, we had exactly one illustration in the book. This is one of these unusual books.

Let’s see, Stacy Mallicoat, political science, Cal State Fullerton. Second one, “Conflicts of Interest: Business Death and the Bird Court.”

And, this is written by Michael Le Pearson, who got his master's degree in American studies at Cal State Fullerton. Vanessa Gunther, Chapter 4, “Murder Most Foul: Native Americans and the Evolution of the Death Penalty.” Her specialty is Native American law. Let's see, where did she do her master's thesis, which was converted into two extra chapters of a dissertation, which became a book; must have been at Cal State Fullerton. John Puschila. He did his master's at Cal State Fullerton.

We have Susanne Gaskins, who wrote 100, if you're interested in this, a 100-page chapter, “The Celluloid Execution: Hollywood Films and Capital Punishment.” She must have done her master's thesis at Cal State Fullerton. And, I got Thomas Bojorquez. “The Means of Death: Methods of Execution in California.” All these separate chapters. Let's see, Tom must be LAPD, and he must be a graduate of Cal State Fullerton.

Timothy Finch, master's at Cal State Fullerton. Then, there's Daniel Stackhouse, he must have a master's from Cal State Fullerton. Mary Marki must have done her master's at Cal State Fullerton. She has a full-time tenured position at Long Beach City College. Suggested readings by Catherine Kaye, Catherine is a librarian at Cal State Fullerton.

There is this big issue out there. We need to tell the country which institutions are the toughest. Where is it hardest to get an A in America? While you look out to the East, you see Boston College, you see Princeton. Then, you sweep out to the West Coast, what is the first one mentioned? Cal State Fullerton. We have academic standards here folks!

— Transcribed by Bryce Kobayashi

Jan. 3, 2012