Guide to the Judge Joe R. Greenhill, Sr. Papers at the Tarlton Law Library

Historical Background

A University of Texas graduate with highest honors (B.A. and B.B.A. 1936, L.L.B 1939), Justice Joe R. Greenhill served in the U.S. Naval Reserve during World War II. In 1949 he became the first assistant attorney general for the state of Texas and helped argue Sweatt v. Painter, a landmark segregation case, before the U.S. Supreme Court. He co-founded Graves, Dougherty and Greenhill, an Austin law firm, in 1950, where he practiced until 1957 when Governor Price Daniel appointed him as an Associate Justice of the Texas Supreme Court.

Justice Greenhill remained an Associate Justice following an election the next year, and served in that capacity until 1972 when he became the Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court. During his tenure on the bench Justice Greenhill labored to bring about a Texas constitution amendment that granted criminal jurisdiction to the Court of Civil Appeals. Justice Greenhill retired from the Supreme Court in 1982, going on to serve in leadership positions for numerous legal organizations. Since his retirement, Justice Greenhill has also worked to change Texas laws that discouraged mediation and arbitration, resulting in a reduction of the backlog of cases and increased access to the legal system for low-income individuals.

Among his many awards and honors, Justice Greenhill was named a Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Texas School of Law in 1977, an Outstanding Texas Lawyer by the Texas Bar Foundation in 1989. Also in 1989, Baker Botts established the Endowed Presidential Scholarship in Law at The University of Texas in Judge Greenhill's name. One of his highest honors was his selection for membership in the Warren Burger Society by the National Center for State Courts. Presently Justice Greenhill serves as Counsel to Baker and Botts, an Austin Law Firm, where he primarily advises attorneys with cases before the Texas Supreme Court or other appellate Courts. He is Executive Director Emeritus of the State Bar of Texas and President of the Texas Supreme Court Historical Society.

Contents of the Collection

Bound volumes, Correspondence, photographs, and other materials (127 volumes, 1.5 linear ft.) document the career and life of Judge Joe R. Greenhill, Sr.

Series I, Bound Texas Supreme Court Notes (123 volumes), divided between Notes on Ungranted Applications and Notes on Causes, document numerous cases which were considered for hearing by the Texas State Supreme Court during Judge Greenhill’s tenure as both Judge and Chief Justice. The apparent gaps for volumes 36, 40, 41 and 45 in Notes on Causes are accounted for in Series II and III. Volume 46 of Notes on Causes is not present. A reference system to the Bound Texas Supreme Court Notes consisting of index cards (approximately 1,600) created by Judge Greenhill is available at Tarlton Law Library.

Series II, Texas Constitutional Revision Commission, comprises of two bound volumes of transcripts, photographs, correspondence, and other materials relating to the Texas Constitutional Revision Commission and the Constitutional Commission.

Series III, Scrapbooks, represents two bound volumes of clippings, correspondence, commentary and other material documenting the Texas State Supreme Court and Judge Greenhill’s career between 1972 and 1974.

Series IV, Correspondence (.5 linear ft.) primarily consists of letters from Judge Greenhill that serve as narrative memoires of his time in the Texas State Supreme Court. Other topics include Texas judges and prominent legal figures Judge Greenhill associated with. Prominent correspondents include former Director of the Tarlton Law Library Roy M. Mersky, Bill Pugsley of the Texas State Supreme Court Historical Society, and Head of Tarlton’s Special Collections Mike Widener.

Series V, Photographs (.45 linear ft.), mainly documents the Texas State Supreme Court from the 1950s through the early 1980s. Other subjects include events attended by Judge Greenhill, the swearing in and induction ceremonies of Judge Greenhill, the swearing in and induction ceremonies of other judges and Governors Clements and Briscoe, and the Greenhill family. Most of the photographs appear to be reproductions.

Series VI, Creative works (.26 linear ft), includes speeches, articles, and drafts documenting Texas legal history in the second half of the twentieth century, biographies of other judges, and Judge Greenhill’s career in the Texas State Supreme Court. Memoires describe Judge Greenhill’s earlier work as an enlisted serviceman in World War Two and as an attorney, as well as the work of Judge Greenhill’s mother, Violet Greenhill. Additional topics of interest include the early Texas Supreme Court and the granting of criminal jurisdiction to the Texas Court of Civil Appeals.

Series VII, Collected works (.24 linear ft), almost entirely consists of clippings, articles, and other publications about the life and work of Judge Greenhill.

Series VIII, RESTRICTED: Confidential Correspondence Files (2 folders), is off limits to researchers until the death of Judge Joe R. Greenhill, Sr.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

Files marked restricted are closed until the death of Judge Joe R. Greenhill, Sr.

Administrative Information

Cite As

Joe R. Greenhill Papers, Tarlton Law Library, University of Texas at Austin.

Acquisition Information

Donated ca. 2000-2008

Processing History

Processed by Jennifer Cummings, Assistant Archivist

Detailed Description of the Collection