SOUTH ORANGE COUNTY CALIFORNIA GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY
July 19, 2025
“California Pioneer Certificate Program And Early California Records”
Presented by: Colin Whitney
This presentation starts with a brief history of early California to establish the basis for the California Pioneer Certificate Program. We then describe the key features of the lineage program, the eligibility requirements, and the application process. The program offers free assistance with records and documentation through its workshop where applicants are assigned to a genealogy guide. It has developed a database of over one million pioneer records to assist in ancestor research. We then cover the internet and repositories to illustrate where relevant records can be found. We will include Mission records, censuses, mining claims, newspapers and more.
About the speaker: Colin Whitney was born and raised outside London, England. In 1962 he emigrated to the United States, earning a doctorate and professorship in physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His career in the aerospace industry brought him to California in the 1970s where he retired as a technical director.
Finding his step grandmother’s DAR application sparked his interest in genealogy which has become a major preoccupation for him. He is a member of the North San Diego Genealogical Society, a Board member of the San Diego Genealogical Society, Chair of the California Pioneer Certificate Program and a member of other genealogical societies in the United States, England and Ireland.
This month we will be offering our speaker’s presentation In-Person ONLY!
Meeting Place:
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
27976 Marguerite Pkwy, Mission Viejo, CA 92692
Time: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
