Alice Van Ommeren

Alice van Ommeren was a vintage postcard collector before she became a local historian. After accumulating thousands of postcards of Stockton, she published Stockton in Vintage Postcards in 2004. The success of the book led Alice to write ahistorical column called "Postcards from the Past" for the Downtowner, a monthly publication of the Stockton Downtown Alliance. The more than 30 columns written by Alice included "The Spirit of Stockton's Chinatown," "Remembering Main Street" and the "Pioneer Theatres of Downtown."

These experiences expanded Alice's knowledge of local history and led to her giving numerous community presentations. One notable presentation was "On Location in Stockton: The Filming of All the King's Men," based on extensive research of the buildings shown in the movie and the use of local Stocktonians as extras. The critically acclaimed film received more than thirty awards including three Academy Awards, and forever sealed Stockton's landscape of the 1940's on the big screen.

Alice also believes that preserving Stockton's rich culture and heritage is important for future generations. Her preservation efforts started with a four-year term on the City of Stockton Cultural Heritage Board from 2004 to 2008. She has successfully designated the Police and Fire Alarm Station as a Stockton Historical Landmark and the Philomathean Club as a listing on the National Register of Historic Places. She also taught a community course "Stockton's Golden Era: A Source of Identity and Pride" at the University of the Pacific for several years.

In 2010, she was the recipient of the City of Stockton's Charles Weber Award for extraordinary achievement in preserving Stockton's cultural heritage. She was also recognized with a Susan B. Anthony Women of Achievement Award in 2014 for her role in historic preservation and community education. She uses social media to promote and educate the community on Stockton History, and is also currently blogging on Stockton's Historic Past for the local newspaper.