History

CCR was founded on August 29, 1963 by Randolph Siefkin, Harold Phillips, William Nielsen, William Dillon, and Pete Wilson (who went on to serve as a US Senator from 1983-1991 and Governor of California from 1991-1999).

For more information, read the history tab, list of previous chairmen tab, or look at the archive of past administrations below.

History

Founding and Early History

CCR was founded on August 29, 1963 by Randolph Siefkin, Harold Phillips, William Nielsen, William Dillon, and Pete Wilson (who went on to serve as a US Senator from 1983-1991 and Governor of California from 1991-1999).

CCR split from the California Young Republican College Federation, also known as the California College Federation of Young Republicans, following an election dispute in 1962 and 1963. In 1962, the moderates and conservatives violently clashed, with Walter Driver of the conservatives stating six sergeant-at-arms "banged my head into a chair and my body into a wall." Harold Phillips of the moderates ultimately prevailed in the election as Chair.

In 1963, competing conventions of a conservative wing and a moderate wing each elected new Chairmen. Trent Devenney and Randy Siefkin each claimed legitimacy, with the California Young Republicans organization — at the time the parent organization of the college federation — set to recognize Devenney. At the same time, nationally, College Republican groups began to break off from the Young Republican groups, where one would service students and the other would service young adults. Siefkin helped lead this split in California, taking his moderate wing of students with him to form CCR. CCR would go on to charter with the College Republican National Committee (CRNC) after it broke off from the Young Republican National Federation. The California Young Republican College Federation continued to exist as part of the California Young Republicans and the Young Republican National Federation until 1969, when they merged into CCR with a unity election.

The 1963 mission statement of CCR read: "The specific and primary purposes for which this corporation is formed are to support the Republican party, to provide pleasure and recreation for the members, to encourage constructive thinking among young people and the development of their interest in good government, and to unite young people in the spirit of good fellowship to achieve these objectives."

1963 was not the only time CCR faced competing conventions and claims of legitimacy. In 1987, Fred Whitaker and Jim Michalski ran for Chairman. Whitaker was backed by the CRNC Chairman, and Michalski was backed by the California Republican Party. The state party eventually caved to the CRNC and agreed to recognize both groups as equal and legitimate until they were unified again in 1988. Whitaker was defeated in his re-election bid in a rematch against Michalski.

List of Chairmen of CCR

Term	Chairman	#
1963-1964	Randy Siefkin	1
1964-1965	William Dillon	2
1965	Dave Jackson	3
1965-1966	Grace Jordan*	4
1966-1967	Larry Burgess	5
1967-1968	Richard Rashman	6
1968-1969	Jim Gilam	7
1969-1970	Michael Khul	8
1970-?	James G. McKinney	9
?-1971	Richard Ryckof	10
1971-1972	Frank J. Crosetti	11
1972-1973	Jim Straw	12
1973-1974	David C. Lorenzen	13
1974-1975	Bill Dohr	14
1975-1976	Frank Harding	15
1976-1977	Kyle Smith	16
1977-1978	Audrey Merkin	17
1978-1979	Britta Zwald?	18
1979-1980	Hunt Braly	19
1980-1981	Unknown	20
1981-1982	Unknown	21
1982-1983	Shawn C. Moore	22
1983	Lori Cummings	23
1983-1984	Timothy Beer	24
1984-1985	Chet Beiler?	25
1985-1986	Scott Adamson	26
1986-1987	Jim Arnone	27
1987-1988	Fred Whitaker**	28
1987-1989	Jim Michalski**	29
1989-1991	Thomas Hudson	30
1991-1992	Jonathan Gear	31
1992-1993	Sean Allen	32
1993-1994	William Pedranti	33
1994-1995	Ted Soojian	34
1995-1996	Rezwan Pavri	35
1996-1997	Charles Smith	36
1997-1998	Jason Steele	37
1998-1999	MacLane Key	38
1999-2000	Patrick Isherwood	39
2000-2001	Mike Sannella	40
2001-2003	Erik W. Caldwell	41
2003-2005	Michael P. Davidson	42
2005-2006	Stephen J. Puetz	43
2006-2007	Mason J. Harrison	44
2007-2008	Ryan M. Clumpner	45
2008-2009	Cheyenne Steel***	46
2009-2011	Michael Antonopoulos	47
2011-2012	Clinton Soffer	48
2012-2013	Matthew Donnellan	49
2013-2014	Nithin Matthew	50
2014-2015	Shawn Lewis	51
2015-2016	Jere Ford	52
2016-2017	Ivy Allen	53
2017	Leesa Danzek	54
2017-2019	Ariana Rowlands	55
2019-2020	Kimo Gandall	56
2020-2021	Nick Ortiz	57
2021-	Will Donahue	58

*Grace Jordan was CCR's first black and first female Chair.
**Michalski and Whitaker were Chairs of competing wings of CCR at the same time. Michalski won the '88 rematch election.
***Cheyenne Steel is the daughter of RNC Committeeman Shawn Steel and Congresswoman Michelle Steel.
****Nick Ortiz was the first publicly gay chair of CCR. Ortiz rejected socially liberal values typically associated with the LGBT community and led a socially conservative administration, primarily focused on pro-life issues.

Below you will find a historical archive of past CCR administrations in an effort to honor and learn from them. Formed by Communications Director Dylan Martin in 2019, the archive is maintained by the Communications Office and the Marketing Committee. Full history prior to 2017 is unknown, but filled in to the best of CCR’s knowledge. Click on an administration to learn more.