James Clark McReynolds papers, 1819/1977

Access and use

Location of collection:
University of Virginia, Special Collections Dept.
Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library
University of Virginia
P.O. Box 400110
170 McCormick Rd
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4110
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Special Collections Public Services & Reference Staff
Phone: (434) 243-1776
Fax: (434) 924-4968
Restrictions:

There are no restrictions.

Terms of access:

There are no restrictions.

Summary

Extent:
3.5 Cubic Feet 8 archival boxes
Creator:
McReynolds, James Clark, 1862-1946
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

This collection includes Justice James Clark McReynolds's professional, financial, personal, and genealogical papers spanning the years 1819-1967. The professional papers contain correspondence, opinions, memoranda, and notes principally from his years in the Justice Department. From the Supreme Court years, there is a relatively small body of correspondence, as well as the printed material and miscellaneous notes regarding the "Gold Clause Cases." In addition to the private correspondence, there are records of financial transactions, newspaper clippings, genealogical records, notebooks, election broadsides, photographs, and printed material about Justice McReynolds.

Biographical / historical:

James Clark McReynolds was born on 3 February 1862, in Elkton, Todd County, Kentucky. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Vanderbilt University in 1882, where he was elected valedictorian and served as editor-in-chief of The Vanderbilt Observer. Upon graduation, he commenced the study of law at the University of Virginia, where he obtained a law degree in 1884. His formal education completed, McReynolds embarked upon a lucrative private law practice in Nashville, while teaching law at Vanderbilt University. In 1903, however, he moved to Washington, D.C., and became Assistant Attorney General, a position he held until 1912. During this period, his vigorous prosecution of the "tobacco trust" bolstered his reputation among progressive reform groups. Active in Woodrow Wilson's successful presidential campaign in 1912, he was appointed Attorney General after briefly practicing law in New York City.

In 1914, Wilson appointed McReynolds to the United States Supreme Court, where he served until his retirement in 1941. Justice McReynolds died in 1946.

Acquisition information:
This collections was transferred, with the donor's permission, from Alderman Library to the Arthur J. Morris Law Library in 1985.
Custodial history:

The papers were originally given to the University of Virginia Library on October 16, 1950 by the justice's nephew, James O. McReynolds of Los Angeles, California. The donor gave additional materials in 1950, 1951, 1967, and 1969.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard