urn:taro:utexas.law.00007 Guide to the J. Edwin Smith Papers at the Tarlton Law Library Tarlton Law Library The University of Texas at Austin2004 EAD tagging performed at the Tarlton Law Library by Addy Sonder on 9/8/04. Finding aid written in English. Guide to the J. Edwin Smith Papers at the Tarlton Law Library Tarlton Law Library The University of Texas at Austin 2004 Collection Summary Smith, J. Edwin, 1911-2001. J. Edwin Smith Papers 1937-1995 J. Edwin Smith was a UT Law grad, Houston attorney who was active in civil rights litigation and the liberal wing of the Democratic party. His collection includes legal records and other materials from the Terry vs. Adams case, as well as legal briefs filed by Smith in Texas and federal appellate courts. 2.75 linear ft. Rare Books & Special Collections, Tarlton Law Library, The University of Texas at Austin

727 E. Dean Keeton St., Austin, TX 78705-3224, (512) 471-7263

Historical Background

A 1937 graduate of the University of Texas School of Law, J. Edwin Smith began practicing law in the Marshall-Longview area in 1937 in the law firm of Franklin "Soupy" Jones, and in 1942 moved to Houston where he was a general practitioner for close to 50 years. The most notable cases Smith handled included civil rights, criminal defense, torts, and estates, several of which went as far as the supreme courts of Texas and the United States. These cases included Terry v. Adams (1953), where the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Smith's Afro-American clients and ordered a stop to the whites-only "Jaybird Primary" in Fort Bend County, Texas; and McClelland v. Texas (1966), where the Supreme Court outlawed a court of inquiry procedure in Texas as a violation of due process. Smith was also active in the liberal wing of the Texas Democratic Party, and was an unsuccessful candidate for the Texas Supreme Court in the 1956 Democratic primary. He frequently contributed articles to the Houston Post and the legal press on the legal profession, civil liberties, and personal reminiscences.

Contents of the Collection

Terry v. Adams Files, 1950-1954, 1977-1981 (5 in.), contain briefs, petitions, affidavits, transcripts, slip opinions and other legal records created and gathered by J. Edwin Smith in his capacity as attorney for plaintiffs in Terry v. Adams (345 U.S. 461); news clippings on the case; and speeches by Smith, ephemera, correspondence, and a master's thesis relating to commemorations and historical studies of the Terry v. Adams case. Legal Briefs, 1937-1990 (2.25 linear ft.) make up the bulk of the collection, and are mainly appellate briefs filed by Smith in Texas and federal appellate courts for a wide variety of cases, including McClelland v. Texas. The General series (1976-1994) includes articles by Smith on a variety of legal, political, and personal topics; legal memoranda Smith wrote for other attorneys; and correspondence containing reminiscences.

Arrangement of the Collection

Organized in three series: General, 1976-1994 (1 in.); Legal Briefs, 1937-1990 (2.25 linear ft.), arranged alphabetically by case name; Terry v. Adams Files, 1950-1954, 1977-1981 (5 in.), arranged chronologically.

Index Terms Major Subjects Smith, J. Edwin, 1911-2001--Archives. Voting--Texas. Jay Bird Democratic Association of Fort Bend County. African Americans--Suffrage. Segregation--Texas. Fort Bend County (Tex.)--Politics and government. Administrative Information Cite As

J. Edwin Smith Papers, Tarlton Law Library, University of Texas at Austin.

Acquisition Information

Gift of J. Edwin Smith.

General, 1976-1995 M121 6 Will Contest Litigation / J. Edwin Smith, 1978 M121 7 Liz Faulk to J. Edwin Smith : letter, 1987 Oct. 25

NOTE: Discusses John Henry Faulk's illness, loan of appartment by attorney Dick DeGuerin to Faulks.

M121 8 Memorandum to W. T. Bennett, Huntsville, Tex., re Mexican Divorces, 1976 Sept. 1 M121 9 Articles, writings & publications of J. Edwin Smith, 1982-1994

NOTE: Topics include judicial elections, politics, civil liberties, law practice, Judge John R. Brown, Justice Thurgood Marshall, and personal reminiscences.

M121 10 Correspondence re personal reminiscences of J. Edwin Smith, 1994-1995 Legal Briefs, 1937-1990 M116 1 A general, 1942-1971 & undated M116 2 B general, 1947-1961 & undated M116 3 Bellefonte Underwriters Insurance Company et al v. Leon Brown et al, 1982 M116 4 Bellefonte Underwriters Insurance Company v. Leon Brown et al, 1982 M116 5 Bellefonte Underwriters Insurance Company v. Leon Brown et al, 1983-1984 M116 6 Bellefonte Underwriters Insurance Company v. Leon Brown et al, 1984 M116 7 B. S. Brown v. M. E. S. Scherck, 1963-1964 M117 1 R. J. Butler v. R. L. Phinney, 1971 M117 2 Buxkemper v. Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad Company of Texas, 1954-1955 M117 3 C general, 1939-1973 & undated M117 4 P. L. Cochran v. J. Cochran, 1958-1959 M117 5 D general, 1974 M117 6 E general, 1952-1964 M117 7 J. Escobar v. United States of America, 1967-1968 & undated M117 8 F general, 1951-1957 M117 9 G general, 1938-1984 M118 1 D. R. Gerinson v. United States of America, 1965-1966 & undated M118 2 H general, 1942-1973 & undated M118 3 H general (cont'd), 1942-1990 & undated M118 4 A. L. Huckaby v. L. M. Huckaby, 1968-1969 M118 5 I-J general, 1969-1974 M118 6 K general, 1944-1953 M118 7 M. Kay v. S. K. Sandler, 1985-1986 M118 8 L. L. Kinsel v. Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad Company of Texas, 1946 & undated M118 9 L general, 1939-1958 M118 10 M general, 1942-1976 & undated M119 1 C. B. McClelland v. F. Briscoe, 1962 & undated M119 2 C. B. McClelland (cont'd) v. State of Texas, 1964-1966 M119 3 K. L. Musgrave et al v. United States of America, 1973 & undated M119 4 N general, 1947 M119 5 W. A. Nichols v. Red Arrow Freight Lines, 1956-1957 M119 6 P general, 1937-1973 & undated M119 7 P general (cont'd), 1955 & undated M119 8 D. R. Potter et al v. Southwestern Associated Telephone Company et al, 1952 & undated M119 9 R general, 1939-1965 & undated M120 1 S general, 1939-1957 & undated M120 2 S general (cont'd), 1951-1974 & undated M120 3 T general, 1939-1948 & undated M120 4 T general (cont'd), 1955 & undated M120 5 J. Terry et al v. A. J. Adams et al, 1950-1952 M120 6 U general, 1964-1976 & undated M120 7 V general, 1962-1976 & undated M121 1 W general, 1967-1974 M121 2 J. W. Williams v. United States of America et al, 1966-1972 M121 3 Y-Z general, 1975 & undated M121 4 Loose pages from briefs, undated M121 5 Federal Diversity Jurisdiction Over Certain Proceedings Related to Decedents Estates : memorandum prepared for William T. Bennett / by J. Edwin Smith, 1976 Terry v. Adams Files, 1950-1954, 1977-1981 I207 1 U.S. District Court case file, 1950 I207 2 U.S. Court of Appeals case file, 1950, 1952, & undated I207 3 U.S. Supreme Court case file, 1951-1953 I207 4 Clippings on Jaybird case, 1950-1952 I207 5 Correspondence, clippings, speeches & ephemera, 1954, 1977-1981 I207 6 The Jaybird Democratic Association of Fort Bend County -- A White Man's Union / by Nina Benware Margraves : unpublished master's thesis, University of Houston, 1955

NOTE: Permission for extensive copying or publication must be obtained from the Dean of Graduate Studies, University of Houston.

I207 7 Duplicate items