Overview
Papers primarily relating to Henry Jacob Friendly's career as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Dates
- Creation: 1958-1985
Conditions Governing Access
Access to these papers is governed by the rules and regulations of the Harvard Law School Library. This collection is housed off-site at Harvard Depository and requires 2 business-day advance notice for retrieval.
Conditions Governing Use
The Harvard Law School Library holds copyright on some, but not all, of the material in our collections. Requests for permission to publish material from this collection should be directed to the Special Collections staff. Researchers who obtain permission to publish from the Harvard Law School Library are also responsible for identifying and contacting the persons or organizations who hold copyright.
A member of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit must review any work derived from the the Papers in order to provide an opportunity to reflect the judges' views on the advisability of disclosure. The Chief Judge or his designee must approve the final draft before permission to publish is granted. This restriction ends in 2036.
Extent
1 collection (104 linear feet)The papers of Judge Henry Jacob Friendly span the years 1903-1986 with the bulk of the materials falling between the years of 1958 and 1985.
The collection includes chamber files, memos, minutes, court calendara and assignments, requisitions, statistics, reports, conference materials, opinions, personnel files, journals, bench books, appeals, trial transcripts, motions, research materials, briefs, speeches, correspondence, subject files, articles, reviews, lectures, books, and scrapbooks.
Friendly's papers reflect his career as a federal judge on the United States Second Circuit Court of Appeals, which spanned the years 1959-1986. The bulk of his papers is in Series I, Appeals Court Files, and consists of his case files. Also of interest to his career are the bench books in Series II, which contain his hand-written notes on the cases he heard from 1959 to 1985. Series II also includes many files realting to Friendly's work with railroad reorganization, which have special significance due to his tenure, beginning in 1974, as presiding judge of the Special Railroad Court. Aside from his court papers, Friendly also kept drafts of speeches, lectures, and articles he wrote. The collection also holds a small amount of Friendly's professional and personal correspondence, some of which dates back to his time as a student at Harvard University.
Historical/Biographical Information
- 1903Born, Elmira, New York, July 3.
- 1923Graduated from Harvard, summa cum laude, history.
- 1927Harvard Law School, summa cum laude. Editor-in-chief, Harvard Law Review.
- 1927-1928Law clerk for Mr. Justice Brandeis of Supreme Court of the United States, Washington, D.C.
- 1928-1936Associate of law firm Root, Clark, Buckner, Howland & Ballantine of New York City.
- 1930Married Sophie M. Stern of Philadelphia, daughter of former Chief Justice Horace stern of Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.
- 1937-1945Partner in law firm Root, Clark, Howland & Ballantine of New York City.
- 1940Elected President of the Jewish School Service Association.
- 1944Appointed by Harvard President Conant to the Harvard Law School Committee in charge of faculty appointments.
- 1945Elected Trustee-at-large of the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies.
- 1945Chairman of the Federation’s Building Committee.
- 1946-1959Joined George E. Cleary, Leo Gottilieb and others in forming the firm Cleary, Gottilieb, Friendly & Hamilton with offices in New York City, Washington, D.C. and Paris.
- 1946-1959Director, Vice President, and general counsel for Pan Am World Airways.
- 1954Elected member of the Board of Directors, Greater New York Fund.
- 1955Elected member of the Board of Directors, Citizens’ Committee to Keep New York Clean.
- 1957-1959Appointed by Harvard President Pusey to fund raising committee for the International Legal Studies Building at Harvard Law School.
- 1958-1959President, Harvard Law School Association of New York City.
- 1959Appointed to United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
- 1959Appointed by Mayor Wagner as member of the Commission on Hospital Care.
- 1959Elected first Vice President, Harvard Alumni Association.
- 1960-1961President, Harvard Alumni Association.
- 1964-1969Overseer, Harvard University.
- 1971-1973Chief Justice of the Second Circuit.
- 1974-1986Presiding judge of the Special Court under the Rail Reorganization Act (in addition to regular duties.)
- 1986Died at Park Avenue apartment, New York City, March 11.
- 1903
- Born, Elmira, New York, July 3.
- 1923
- Graduated from Harvard, summa cum laude, history.
- 1927
- Harvard Law School, summa cum laude. Editor-in-chief, Harvard Law Review.
- 1927-1928
- Law clerk for Mr. Justice Brandeis of Supreme Court of the United States, Washington, D.C.
- 1928-1936
- Associate of law firm Root, Clark, Buckner, Howland & Ballantine of New York City.
- 1930
- Married Sophie M. Stern of Philadelphia, daughter of former Chief Justice Horace stern of Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.
- 1937-1945
- Partner in law firm Root, Clark, Howland & Ballantine of New York City.
- 1940
- Elected President of the Jewish School Service Association.
- 1944
- Appointed by Harvard President Conant to the Harvard Law School Committee in charge of faculty appointments.
- 1945
- Elected Trustee-at-large of the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies.
- 1945
- Chairman of the Federation’s Building Committee.
- 1946-1959
- Joined George E. Cleary, Leo Gottilieb and others in forming the firm Cleary, Gottilieb, Friendly & Hamilton with offices in New York City, Washington, D.C. and Paris.
- 1946-1959
- Director, Vice President, and general counsel for Pan Am World Airways.
- 1954
- Elected member of the Board of Directors, Greater New York Fund.
- 1955
- Elected member of the Board of Directors, Citizens’ Committee to Keep New York Clean.
- 1957-1959
- Appointed by Harvard President Pusey to fund raising committee for the International Legal Studies Building at Harvard Law School.
- 1958-1959
- President, Harvard Law School Association of New York City.
- 1959
- Appointed to United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
- 1959
- Appointed by Mayor Wagner as member of the Commission on Hospital Care.
- 1959
- Elected first Vice President, Harvard Alumni Association.
- 1960-1961
- President, Harvard Alumni Association.
- 1964-1969
- Overseer, Harvard University.
- 1971-1973
- Chief Justice of the Second Circuit.
- 1974-1986
- Presiding judge of the Special Court under the Rail Reorganization Act (in addition to regular duties.)
- 1986
- Died at Park Avenue apartment, New York City, March 11.
Series List/Description
- Series I. Appeals Court Chamber Files, 1959-1984.1959-1984.
ThisSeries contains extensive chamber files of cases reviewed by JudgeFriendly. It includes memoranda by Friendly and other judges on the2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, correspondence from attorneys, anddrafts of opinions.
- Series II. Appellate and District Court Records, 1959-1983. 1959-1983.
- ___ Subseries A. Appellate Rules and Administrative Materials, 1960-1971.1960-1971.Thissubseries contains administrative memos, minutes of Second CircuitCouncil meetings, court calendars and assignments, requisitions,statistics of appeals, reports to Circuit Council, Judicialconference materials (minutes, memos, and correspondence), rules andinstructions on criminal and civil procedure, opinions filed andpending, employee contracts, and court library-related materials.Items in this subseries are arranged topically.
- ___ Subseries B. Bench Books, Bound Court Opinions, and Docket Books,1959-1983.1959-1983.Thissubseries contains court calendars, journals, and Friendly’s opinionsbound into a set.
- ___Subseries C. District Court Cases, 1961-1976.1961-1976.Thissubseries contains court records consisting of appeals filed and/ordocketed, opinions, court memos, transcripts of trials, motions,research materials, briefs, and affidavits of significant cases. ThePenn Central merger and cases involving the REA Express, Long IslandRailroad, New York Central and the Erie-Lackawanna Railroad, andCatholic Medical Center v. Rockefeller comprise a large proportion ofthis subseries.
- ___Subseries D. Motions and Status Reports, 1959-1974.1959-1974.Thissubseries includes pro se motions, applications and orders,substantive motions and orders, mandamus files, petitions, pro seclerks’ and judges’ memos, motion calendars, briefs, andtranscripts.
- ___Subseries E. Special Court Papers, 1973-1983.1973-1983.Thissubseries consists of special cases involving the Regional RailReorganization Act of 1973 and its subsequent amendments. Valuationproceedings for the Central Railroad of New Jersey, Conrail, and PennCentral Patent are included, as well as briefs, bench memos, reportsof committees, pre-argument transcripts, rehearing conferences,opinions and orders, andcorrespondence.
- Series III. Speeches, Addresses, Etc., 1960-1971.1960-1971.
ThisSeries contains a variety of speeches and addresses given by Friendlyat various legal and non-legal events.
- Series IV. General Correspondence and Subject Files, 1948-1970.1948-1970.
ThisSeries contains correspondence files arranged by year, as well assubject files containing correspondence.
- Series V. Lectures, Articles, Etc., 1968-1974.1968-1974.
ThisSeries contains alphabetically arranged files of articles, reviews,and lectures written by Friendly.
- Series VI. Correspondence Files, 1965-1986. 1965-1986.
- ___Subseries A. Professional Correspondence, 1965-1985.1965-1985.Thissubseries contains correspondence alphabetically arranged by subjectand author. A significant portion of the correspondence deals withFriendly’s ties to Harvard University.
- ___Subseries B. Personal Correspondence, 1959-1986.1959-1986.Thissubseries contains alphabetically arranged correspondence with familymembers, colleagues, and friends.
- Series VII. Miscellaneous, 1903-1985.1903-1985.
Thisseries contains papers and correspondence relating to the RegionalRail Reorganization Act of 1973 and the Inter-Circuit Tribunal. Thereare also speeches and articles written by Friendly.
- Series VIII. Personal, 1906-1983.1906-1983.
In 2009,as part of the re-processing, these items were foldered anddescribed, though not interfiled with the rest of the collection.This series contains personal correspondence between Friendly and hisparents, clippings that document the rise of his career, scrapbooks,and bound items that mark milestones in Friendly's life.
Within each series and/or subseries individual items orfolders are identified by box and folder number. For example, thenumber 5-12 corresponds to box 5, folder12.
Physical Location
Harvard Depository
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Henry Jacob Friendly Papers were bequeathed to the President and Fellows of Harvard College for the use of the Harvard Law School Library by Judge Friendly. The gift was received on July 16, 1986.
Processing Information
Processed by Ernestina V. Furtado, October 1989
Tagged by Margaret Peachy, January 2009
- Title
- Henry Jacob Friendly. Papers, 1958-1985: Finding Aid
- Author
- Harvard Law School Library, Cambridge, MA 02138
- Language of description
- und
- EAD ID
- law00219
Repository Details
Part of the Harvard Law School Library, Historical & Special Collections Repository
Harvard Law School Library's Historical & Special Collections (HSC) collects, preserves, and makes available research materials for the study of the law and legal history. HSC holds over 8,000 linear feet of manuscripts, over 100,000 rare books, and more than 70,000 visual images.
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