Guide to the J. Edwin Smith Papers at the Tarlton Law Library
Collection Summary |
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| Creator | Smith, J. Edwin, 1911-2001. | |
| Title | J. Edwin Smith Papers | |
| Dates | 1937-1995 | |
| Abstract | 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. | |
| Size | 2.75 linear ft. | |
| Repository | 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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.
Detailed Description of the Collection