Judge Carl O. Bue, Jr. Papers:

An Inventory of His Records at the Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library

Historical Note

The 1960s were a period of social unrest as minority groups, particularly those of color, struggled to obtain civil rights which racism and hatred had denied them, sometimes violently and fatally; for generations. As Judge Bue noted in an overview of his life (Box 5 , Folder 24) civil rights law was busy with new federal statutes and Supreme Court decisions. President Lyndon Johnson was prolific in sending civil rights legislation to congress, obtaining passage and signing bills into law. The courts also worked hard to expand civil rights to all, regardless of ethnic background. Yet this catch-up effort did not satisfy many. Extreme dissatisfaction with the American presence in the Vietnam War, poverty and anger contributed to several violent civil disturbances in major cities. Even prisoners in local and state prisons complained and filed lawsuits, charging that jails were overcrowded and conditions were unacceptable. This would lead to a memorable case for Judge Bue.

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Biographical Note

(For more information see Box 5, Folder 24)

Always wanting to be an attorney, Carl Bue (born 27 March 1922) pursued that ambition with a doggedness that did not allow military service in World War II, lack of funding, a young family, or an expiring G.I. Bill of Rights deter him. Family financial support was limited due to a father incapacitated by tuberculosis and a society that did not provide well-compensated employment for women, limiting the contribution Bue’s mother could make. Bue compensated by obtaining and maintaining a scholarship to a military preparatory school. Combined with World War II, his military service was mandated like millions of others. Sent to Africa but arriving too late to participate in those hostilities, he wrangled a transfer to work for the Adjutant General of the camp where he was posted. This assignment to the Adjutant General lasted through the war, despite several transfers to other countries. He returned to the University of Chicago but the hepatitis he had contracted during the war forced him to leave school. In 1947 he began work for a real estate management firm, enrolling in real estate coursework at Northwestern University where he completed a Ph. B. in 1951. He declined a lucrative career there in favor of attending the University of Texas Law School and graduated in 1954, having already passed the bar exam. He had married Mary Waring in December, 1948, and their small daughter Kathryn had made law school even more of a challenge but they persevered.

The first phase of Carl Bue’s career was as an attorney for the Houston firm of Royston, Rayzor & Cook, which specialized in maritime law. Bue learned a methodical and thorough approach to investigating and handling maritime law cases which he used throughout his career. With much maritime traffic in the fifty mile Houston ship channel, the firm and Bue were very busy. He made partner in four years and lectured and wrote on what he had come to know so well. His most prominent case was the 1961 collision of the Berean and the Union Reliance, which claimed twelve lives and wound up on the Supreme Court docket.

In 1969, the Nixon administration began considering Attorney Bue for a vacancy in the South Texas District Court. Bue was favored because he had never paid much attention to politics and therefore had offended no one. The Senate confirmed his nomination in November, 1970, and he became a judge on the Federal District Court. He held that position until his retirement in 1987, declining advancements to the Federal Circuit Court and lucrative private practice offers so that he could remain home while his son Richard was attending grade school.

The civil rights movement came to Judge Bue’s court in 1972 with the Lawrence Alberti, et al, case. The plaintiffs claimed that their incarceration conditions in the Harris County Jail were unconstitutional because of overcrowding, inadequate medical and dental treatment, unsanitary conditions, poor diet and numerous other complaints. The suit was resolved when Harris County agreed to build a new jail. See box 4 folders 1 and 2 for photographs of the beginning of the construction of the new jail.

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Scope and Contents

The scope of the collection is from 1961 through 1989, covering most of Carl Bue’s career as an attorney and all of his years on the bench. Significant maritime case documents are in the collection. Chambers papers for seventy-nine cases are in the collection. Personnel files of various law clerks are included, along with highlights of his judgeship, such as anniversaries, retirement, and correspondence. Records include opinions and cases appealed, affirmed, reversed and remanded.

Correspondence is a primary format of the collection but there is also an autobiographical overview, a biography, chambers papers describing what are presumably prominent cases, Congressional Record issues, court of Appeals decisions, greeting cards, the Houston Building Code, journals, judicial opinions in hardbound form, magazines, newspaper clippings, notebooks of appealed cases and the results, a performance questionnaire, personnel files, photographs both in notebooks and loose, a presidential inauguration invitation, Senate confirmation, speeches, telegrams, Supreme Court decisions, visible record tapes, and a White House worship service.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

Restricted material has been removed and filed separately. Access to it is by authorization of the HMRC Manager. The following items are restricted: Box 10 because of personal information.

Use Restrictions

Permission to publish or reproduce materials from the Judge Carl O. Bue, Jr. Papers must be obtained from the Houston Metropolitan Research Center or the appropriate copyright holder.

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Related Material

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Judge Carl O. Bue, Jr. Papers. Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library.

Acquisition Information

Judge Carl O. Bue, Jr., donated the collection on November 20, 1991, with an additional donation in 2000.

Processing Information

Processed by: Ron Drees, April, 2006.

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Detailed Description

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