Converted to EAD3 : Encoded Archival Description (EAD), Version 3 : Release: 1.1.1 : Release Date: 2019-12-16. Validating against latest version of schema.
Contact information: https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/mss.contact
Catalog Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/mm2011085605
Collection material in English
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the LC Catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically.
The papers of Harry T. Edwards, judge, labor arbitrator, and educator, were given to the Library of Congress by Edwards in 2011. Additional material was given by Edwards in 2012.
The papers of Harry T. Edwards were arranged and described by Connie L. Cartledge with the assistance of Chad Conrady, Michael Folkerts, Rosa Hernandez, and Sherralyn McCoy in 2018.
Sound recordings and videotapes have been transferred to the Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division, where they are identified as part of the Harry T. Edwards Papers.
Other papers of Harry T. Edwards can be found in the Bentley Historical Library of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Copyright in the unpublished writings of Harry T. Edwards in these papers and in other collections in the custody of the Library of Congress is reserved. Consult reference staff in the Manuscript Division for further information.
Restrictions apply governing the use, photoduplication, or publication of items in this collection. Consult reference staff in the Manuscript Division for information concerning these restrictions. In addition, many collections are stored off-site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for research use.
Government regulations control the use of security classified items in this collection. Manuscript Division staff can furnish information concerning access to and use of classified material.
Digital files were received as part of the papers of Harry T. Edwards. Reference copies were created from the original digital media. Consult reference staff in the Manuscript Division for more information.
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Container number or digital ID number, Harry T. Edwards Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
The papers of Harry Thomas Edwards (1940- ) span the years 1940-2012, with the majority of material concentrated between 1980 to 2010. The collection documents chiefly Edwards's career as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 1980 to 2010 and his service as chief judge of that court from 1994 to 2001. Also present are papers relating to his work as a labor arbitrator, his endeavors as part of a committee for the National Academy of Sciences identifying deficiencies in the nation's forensic science system, and his career as a professor at Harvard Law School at Cambridge, Mass., and the University of Michigan Law School at Ann Arbor, Mich. The collection also includes family papers and files relating to Edwards's school and childhood. The papers are in English and are organized into seven series: Correspondence, United States Court of Appeals File, Speech and Engagement File, Writings File, Miscellany, Classified, and Digital Files.
The Correspondence series, 1980-2010, documents Edwards's professional career and personal interests. The correspondence is organized into two categories: general and personal. The general correspondence makes up the majority of the correspondence and relates chiefly to administrative matters relating to Edwards duties as a judge and requests for him to speak or write articles for legal publications. The general correspondence also documents Edwards's teaching activities at various law schools and contains a few letters from his students. The personal correspondence pertains to family matters and reflects his interests in golf and travel.
The United States Court of Appeals File, 1976-2010, is the largest series in the collection. It is organized into three subseries: Case File, Chief Judge File, and Office File. The Case File is arranged chronologically by year and therein by case number. Cases are filed by date of last court action. The majority of the cases pertain to administrative law and relate to the rule making of federal independent agencies. Cases heard by the court range from environmental law, civil rights, antitrust matters, labor rights, freedom of speech, separation of powers, and criminal cases. As chief judge of the court of appeals, Edwards presided over the Microsoft anti-trust case (
Other prominent cases in which Edwards participated include the controversy over the release of the tape about the space shuttle Challenger disaster
The Chief Judge File subseries chronicles Edwards's tenure as chief judge of the court of appeals from 1994 to 2001. During his stint as chief judge, Edwards was credited with fostering greater collegiality among his colleagues on the court. The Chief Judge File documents Edwards's implementation of many computer technology initiatives that made the court operate more efficiently, a reorganization of the Clerk's Office and Legal Division, and his management of the construction of an annex to the court of appeals courthouse. He also established and wrote a monthly staff newsletter, "The Circuit Writer." It included information about administrative changes, recent court decisions, and personal events such as staff birthdays.
The Office File subseries chronicles Edwards's administrative and professional duties in particular his work with the Automation Committee, his activities with judicial conferences, and periodic reunions of Edwards and his law clerks. The Office File includes some legal cases such as the miscellaneous motion cases that record the panel rulings of the judges about various motions. Also represented in the Office File are miscellaneous cases; these cases were of special interest to Edwards, but he did not serve as a panel member for them.
The Speech and Engagement File documents primarily Edwards's attendance at events to give a speech, accept an award, or serve as a panel moderator. The files include Edwards's speeches and drafts of speeches, background information, and scheduling itineraries and related material. Many of Edwards speeches later became articles which are filed in the Writings File.
The Writings File is comprised mainly of draft articles by Edwards and research material relating to the articles. Topics featured are dispute resolution, labor arbitration, the legal profession, collegiality and judicial decision making, and legal education. The largest number of files pertain to Edwards's article entitled "The Journey from Brown v. Board of Education to Grutter v. Bollinger: From Racial Assimilation to Diversity," published in 2004 in commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Supreme Court's
The Miscellany series consists chiefly of files pertaining to Edwards work as part of a committee for the National Academy of Sciences that produced a report entitled "Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward." The report pointed out weaknesses in the forensic science system and made suggestions for improvement. The Miscellany series includes family papers, papers relating to his school and childhood years, and papers pertaining to his appointment to the Court of Appeals. The biographical files include a bound volume, dated 2012, of articles by Edwards, oral histories with him, and other autobiographical material documenting his life as an African-American lawyer and judge. Also represented are a few files relating to his teaching career at Harvard Law School and the University of Michigan Law School and papers about airline arbitration cases in which he served as arbitrator.
The Digital Files range from 1994 to 2012, with the majority concentrated from the years 1994 to 2004. They are arranged into two subseries: Set A and Set B. The Set A subseries relates mainly to two cases:
This collection is arranged in six series:
Correspondence and memoranda, including attachments, and email, between Edwards and friends, family, colleagues, judges, lawyers, government officials, his staff, acquaintances, and the public documenting Edwards's tenure as a judge and his teaching endeavors as a law school professor.
Arranged alphabetically by type of correspondence and therein alphabetically or chronologically.
Correspondence, memoranda, notes, orders, briefs, opinions, vote sheets, newspaper clippings, and background material relating to cases in which Edwards participated as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Arranged chronologically by year by date of last court action and therein by case number.
Correspondence, memoranda, organizational charts, testimony and statements, reports, a questionnaire, newsletters, printed matter, and other material relating to Edwards's tenure as chief judge.
Correspondence, memoranda, notes, opinions, orders, case status sheets, reports, agendas and minutes of meetings, programs, schedules, opinions, motions, invitations, newsletters, newspaper clippings, printed matter, and other material.
Arranged alphabetically by topic or type of material and therein chronologically or alphabetically.
Correspondence, memoranda, speeches, notes, reports, background material, travel itineraries, newspaper clippings, and printed matter.
Arranged chronologically by date of event.
Correspondence, articles, drafts and published versions, notes, reports, research material, photographs, newspaper clippings, and printed matter.
Arranged into two categories: by Edwards and by others. The writings by Edwards are further organized into three groups: chronological file, research material, and volumes. The chronological file and volumes are arranged chronologically by date of article. The research material is arranged alphabetically and therein chronologically. The writings by others are arranged by topic and therein chronologically.
Correspondence, memoranda, family papers, a diary, a scrapbook, biographical material, class papers, notes, reports, research material, photographs, travel itineraries, scheduling files, certificates, newspaper clippings, and printed matter.
Arranged alphabetically by name of organization, topic, or type of material.
Document.
Arranged and described according to the series, container, and folder from which it was removed.
WordPerfect files for presentations and events and scanned text documents from cases. These files were extracted from optical disks and 3.5" floppy disks. A container number and folder description are provided as a reference to the original location in the paper files. Each media was assigned a unique digital ID number. Request files using the digital ID number.
Arranged and described according to the series, container, and folders from which the items were removed.
Set B includes video files of interviews with Edwards, a video of his portrait ceremony, and a video relating to the 50th reunion of Edwards's Cornell University class. These files were extracted from optical disks. Each media was assigned a unique digital ID number. Request files using the digital ID number.
Arranged chronologically.