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The Papers of Edmund M. Morgan, Jr. (1878-1966)
Scope and Content Note

The papers of Edmund M. Morgan, Jr., date from approximately 1906 to 1964 and document his lengthy and distinguished career as an attorney, a legal scholar, a teacher, and a public servant. The bulk of the collection dates from the 1940s and 1950s. Extensive correspondence, Morgan's own writings, and papers related to his professional activities provide insight into his scholarship and record his part in such important proceedings as the simplification of the federal rules for civil procedure and the modernization of the code of military justice. Other materials reflect his role in the development of rules for civil procedure in Puerto Rico and Israel. An extensive file of course materials documents Morgan's approach to teaching the law.

The Morgan Papers are arranged in seven series:

I Biographical and Personal Papers
II Correspondence
III Writings
IV Professional Activities and Service
V Course Materials
VI Cases
VII Collected Writings

 

Series Descriptions

Series I: Biographical and Personal, 1906-63, nd (.35 cu.ft.)
Biographical sketches, resumes, personal financial and legal documents, memorabilia such as certificates and original cartoons, and photographs. Of particular interest is a manuscript autobiographical sketch written for the Fiftieth Anniversary Report of the Harvard Class of 1902. Arranged alphabetically by document type.

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Series II: Correspondence, c. 1906-1964, nd (6.00 cu.ft.)
Consists primarily of professional correspondence dating from the 1930s to the 1950s. Documents Morgan's scholarly and professional activities, especially his work as editorial director of the Foundation Press. Includes significant correspondence with Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter, Puerto Rico Chief Justice A.C. Snyder, and New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Arthur Vanderbilt. Also includes autograph letters from President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Senator John F. Kennedy, Senator Estes Kefauver, and Supreme Court Justice Byron White. Arranged alphabetically and chronologically.

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Series III: Writings, 1927-62 (1.00 cu.ft.)
Notes, drafts, and published versions of books, speeches, and articles by Morgan. Arranged alphabetically by title.

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Series IV: Professional Activities and Service, 1937-60(3.00 cu.ft.)

Reports, notes, publications, and correspondence regarding activities engaged in by Morgan, primarily as a service to the nation or to the legal profession, but in some instances as a paid consultant. Includes information related to the revision of the federal rules for civil procedure and the development of a Uniform Code of Military Justice, as well as to the development of rules of civil procedure for Puerto Rico and Israel. Arranged by subject or by name of organization served.

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Series V: Course Materials, 1926-62, nd (2.75 cu.ft.)
Lecture notes and handouts for courses in civil procedure, evidence, jurisprudence, legal history, and trial and appellate practice, dating primarily from Morgan's Harvard and Vanderbilt years. Includes the full text of weekly lectures delivered for a Harvard course in jurisprudence during the academic year 1926-27. Arranged alphabetically by course.

Series VI: Cases, 1942-61, nd (.35 cu.ft.)
Depositions, briefs, and decisions for a variety of cases that Morgan apparently used for his courses or his own research or for which he served counsel in a consulting capacity. Includes information regarding the 1952 prosecution of Alger Hiss. Arranged alphabetically by title of case.

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Series VII: Collected Writings, 1914-62 (.25 cu.ft.)
Typescripts or published versions of articles, speeches, and publications on legal issues. Arranged alphabetically by title within each document type.

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Overview | Biography | Scope and Content Note | File Listing: Boxes 1-15

 


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