Legal Profession in Indiana, 1976-1980
A Guide to the Collection of Oral History Interviews at Indiana University
Bloomington
Finding aid prepared by the staff of the Center for
the Study of History and Memory with a grant from the National Endowment for the
Humanities Division of Preservation and Access, 2000-2002
Overview of the Collection
Repository
Indiana University Center for Documentary Research and Practice
Indiana University
Franklin Hall 0030B
601 E. Kirkwood Avenue
Bloomington, IN 47405
Phone: 812/855-2856
Fax: 812/855-0002
E-mail: ohrc@indiana.edu
https://cdrp.mediaschool.indiana.edu
Creator
Indiana University Center for the
Study of History and Memory
TitleLegal Profession in Indiana, 1976-1980
Project No.
ohrc113
Interviews
6 interview. Audiotapes, transcripts, and collateral
materials.
Physical Location
Interviews are housed in Franklin Hall, Room 0030B. Copies of interview transcripts are also held by the IU Libraries University
Archives.
Contact archives@indiana.edu for more information. For other locations housing the interviews
from this project, please contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice office.
Language
Materials are in English.
Abstract
This project contains interviews with attorneys in Indiana. Among
the topics discussed are the Indiana Judiciary System, the Indiana General
Assembly, the United States Legislature, the United States Supreme Court, the
Monroe County judiciary system and Monroe County politics. All interviewees
reflect upon the public's perception of the legal profession and how is has
changed over the years.
Scope and Content Note
This collection contains six interviews conducted from 1976 to 1980. The interviews range from 75 minutes to 9 hours, 30
minutes. All interviews consist of audio tapes and most have typed transcripts.
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
Oral history interviews conducted by the Indiana University Center for the
Study of History and Memory from 1968 to the present, with particular focus on the
history of twentieth-century America and the Midwest.
Usage Restrictions
The archive of the Center for Documentary Research and Practice at Indiana University is open
to the use of researchers. Copies of transcript pages are available only when such copies
are permitted by the deed of gift. Scholars must honor any
restrictions the interviewee placed on the use of the interview. Since some of our earlier
(pre-computer) transcripts do not exist in final form, any editing marks in a transcript
(deletions, additions, corrections) are to be quoted as marked. Audio files may not be copied for
patrons unless the deed of gift permits it, and a transcript is unavailable for that
interview. The same rules of use that apply to a transcript apply to the audio interview.
Interviews may not be reproduced in full for any public use, but excerpted quotes may be
used as long as researchers fully cite the data in their research, including accession
number, interview date, interviewee's and interviewer's name, and page(s).
Preferred Citation
[interviewee first name last name] interview, by [interviewer first name last
name], [interview date(s)], [call number], [project name], Center for Documentary Research and Practice, Indiana University,
Bloomington, [page number(s) or tape
number and side if no transcript; if digital audio and no transcript, cite time when quote occurs].
Interview List
Interviewee
Andrews, William H., III
November 3,
1976
Call Number
76-058
Physical Description
49 pages; 1 reel, 1 7/8 ips, 120 minutes; index
Interviewer
Anderson, Terry H.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Judge William H. Andrews, III, born June 7, 1934, discusses his
educational background, family history, and career as an attorney and judge in
Monroe County, Indiana. He attended school throughout his life, mostly in
Bloomington. For his undergraduate degree he attended DePauw University in
Greencastle, Indiana, and returned to Bloomington to earn a law degree from
Indiana University School of Law. He then served in the United States Air Force
Judge Advocate General Corps at Fairchild Air Force Base. After returning to
Bloomington he started his own private practice. Mr. Andrews was the elected
city judge for Bloomington, Indiana from 1972-1976. He speaks of the general
state of the legal profession in Indiana, and the services the Indiana Bar
Association provides. He discusses the public's perception of the legal
profession. Mr. Andrews speaks of his tenure on the bench as the city judge for
Bloomington, Indiana. He describes the typical work week as a judge, the kinds
of cases he tried, and his sentencing philosophy. Mr. Andrews speaks of the
programs he started as the city judge: a small claims court, a bond program, an
alcohol rehabilitation program, a probation officer program, and the earned
dismissal program. Mr. Andrews also discusses of the judicial system in Indiana
and how its different branches relate to each other.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Army ROTC
- Bloomington Bar Association
- Bloomington City Court
- Bloomington Civil Liberties Union
- Bloomington Public Defender Program
- DePauw University
- Fairchild Air Force Base
- Indiana State Reformatory
- Indiana University
- Indiana University School of Law
- United States Air Force
- United States Air Force Judge Advocate General
Corps
-
-
Occupation Names
- attorney
- deputy prosecutor
- judge
-
-
Personal Names
- Hall, Mary
- Johnson, Grace
- Little, Nobel
-
-
Place Names
- Bloomington, Indiana
- Martinsville, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- 1966 Miranda Law
- alcohol rehabilitation programs
- appeals process
- Bloomington city judge duties
- disbarment offenses
- earned dismissal program
- federal judge appointment process
- illicit drug sentencing
- Indiana attorneys
- Indiana penitentiary system
- judge's salary
- justice of the peace courts
- Korean War
- law education
- misdemeanors
- small claims court
- state judge appointment process
- streakers
- traffic offenses
- trial backlogs
Interviewee
Baker, Leroy
October 8,
1976
Call Number
76-056
Physical Description
38 pages; 1 reel, 1 7/8 ips, 90 minutes; no index;
newspaper article about interviewee
Interviewer
Anderson, Terry H.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Leroy Baker outlines his life history and gives his perceptions
of some aspects of the legal profession in Indiana. He discusses growing up an
a farm in Dearborn County, Indiana, and moving to Bloomington, Indiana in the
1920s to attend Indiana University School of Law. After earning his law degree
he began a private practice in Bloomington. During the Great Depression he was
the prosecuting attorney for Monroe and Owen Counties. He was also a member of
the Indiana National Guard, and during World War II spent some time in Hawaii
and the Philippines. After the war Mr. Baker returned to Bloomington to his
private practice. He describes the Indiana Bar Association and its role in
disciplining attorneys. He discusses the structure of the judicial system in
Indiana and the changes that have been made over the years. He discusses major
social events and their impact on law in Indiana, such as Prohibition, the
Great Depression, the Ku Klux Klan, the Cold War, and the Miranda law. Mr.
Baker ends the interview by giving his impression of the state of the legal
profession in Indiana.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Indiana Bar Association
- Indiana National Guard
- Indiana University School of Law
- Ku Klux Klan
-
-
Occupation Names
- attorney
-
-
Personal Names
- Andrews, William H., III
- Dillenger, John
- Eisenhower, Dwight David
- MacArthur, Douglas
- McNutt, Paul V.
- Roosevelt, Franklin Delano
- Stephenson, David Curtis
- Truman, Harry S.
-
-
Place Names
- Bloomington, Indiana
- Dearborn County, Indiana
- Monroe County, Indiana
- Owen County, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- 1966 Miranda Law
- child support payments
- Cold War
- Communism
- crime investigation methods
- disbarment
- Great Depression
- Indiana judicial system
- justice of the peace courts
- military discrimination
- New Deal
- plea bargaining
- Prohibition
- prosecuting attorneys
- small claims court
- White Cap case
- World War I
- World War II
Interviewee
Bontrager, William
August 31,
1977
Call Number
77-021
Physical Description
71 pages; 2 reels, 1 7/8 ips, 170 minutes; no index;
Elkhart, Indiana political office application
Interviewer
Anderson, Terry H.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
William Bontrager, attorney and judge in Elkhart, Indiana,
discusses the legal profession in Indiana. He first outlined his childhood and
educational background, culminating in a law degree from the Indiana University
School of Law. He discusses his father's, D. Russell Bontrager, career in the
law. He reflects upon the success and actions of the Indiana Bar Association.
He discusses the public's perceptions of the legal profession in Indiana. Mr.
Bontrager describes the powers and procedures of the courts in Elkhart, Indiana
and the rest of the state. He describes his appointment to the Indiana Board of
Corrections, focusing on the innovations and challenges of the correctional
system in Indiana. He outlines criminal rehabilitation programs like work
release, shock probation, and probation. He discusses correctional facilities
and their relationship to the community they are located in. He discusses the
interactions between the Board of Corrections, the Department of Corrections,
and the governor's office. Mr. Bontrager finally reflects on the political
aspects of his tenure as judge in Elkhart, and the public's influence on a
judge's decision making process.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Bontrager, Spahn, Atwater and Arko
- Indiana Bar Association
- Indiana Board of Corrections
- Indiana Department of Corrections
- Indiana University School of Law
- Republican Party
-
-
Occupation Names
- attorney
- judge
-
-
Personal Names
- Bontrager, D. Russell
- Heyne, Robert
- Lash, Russell
-
-
Place Names
- Elkhart, Indiana
- Michigan City, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- bar associations
- correspondence degrees
- disciplinary procedures
- local politics
- maximum security prisons
- prison administration
- prison conditions
- prison overcrowding
- sentencing strategy
- shock probation
- trial procedures
- work release program
Interviewee
Fuchs, Ralph F. November 8, 1979; November
15, 1979; November 29, 1979; December 1, 1979; December 13, 1979; January
15, 1980; January 17, 1980; January 24, 1980
Call Number
79-061
Physical Description
untranscribed; 5 reels, 1 7/8 ips, 9 hours, 30 minutes; no index;
interviewer's question sheets; article on interviewee's election as president
to the American Bar Association; article about faculty tenure; news release
about interviewee's receipt of Washington University's distinguished alumni
award; listing in directory of interviewee; report of 1959 nominating attorney
general's committee on administrative procedure; article about interviewee from
American Association of University Professors
Bulletin
; page from
Indiana University
Midwestern Pioneer
mentioning interviewee; article about Indiana
Civil Liberties Union
Interviewer
Hartzer, Ronald B.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Ralph F. Fuchs, professor emeritus from the Indiana University School of Law,
discusses the legal profession in Indiana. He outlines his childhood and
educational background. He speaks of his time practicing law in St. Louis,
Missouri, and teaching at Washington University. He discusses his activities
with the American Association of University Professors. Professor Fuchs
discusses the concept of academic freedom, its importance in educational
philosophy, and McCarthyism's impact on academic freedom. He outlines his work
for the government on both a state and federal level. He speaks of his
involvement with the American Civil Liberties Union, the Indiana Civil
Liberties Union, and the Bloomington Civil Liberties Union. He describes his
work with the United States Solicitor General's Office and the United State
Supreme Court, outlining some of the cases he worked on. Professor Fuchs ends
the interview describing how he would like to be remembered.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- American Association of Law Schools
- American Association of University Professors
- American Bar Association
- American Civil Liberties Union
- Bloomington Civil Liberties Union
- Board of Legal Examiners of the Civil Service Commission
- Federal Communications Commission
- Federal Security Agency
- Indiana Civil Liberties Union
- Indiana University Faculty Council
- Indiana University School of Law
- Missouri National Rifle Association
- NAACP
- National Enforcement Commission of the Economic Stabilization
Agency
- Social Security Administration
- United State Attorney General
- United States Solicitor General's Office
- United States Supreme Court
- Washington University
- Works Progress Administration
-
-
Occupation Names
- attorney
- law professor
-
-
Personal Names
- Allen, Rowland
- Andrews, Paul Shippman
- Cardozo, Michael
- Dodson, George R.
- Douglas, William O.
- Eliot, Frederick May
- Fahy, Charles
- Gavit, Bernard
- Gellhorn, Stanley
- Glass, Bentley
- Hamilton, Walter Hale
- Harper, Fowler V.
- Havack, Frank
- Krishnan, Rhada
- Larner, Martin
- Lowes, John Livingston
- Michael, Jerome
- Miller, Merle
- Oppenheim, S. Chesterfield
- Paulson, Monrad
- Stahr, Elvis J.
- Usher, Roland G.
- Wechsler, Herbert
- Williams, Tyrrell
-
-
Place Names
- Bloomington, Indiana
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Washington, DC
-
-
Subjects
- 1887 Hatch Act
- academic freedom
- administrative law
-
Ashbacker Radio Corporation v.
Federal Communications Commission
- Communists
- civil liberties
-
Keyishian v.
Board of
Regents of the University of the State of New York
-
Korematsu v.
United
States and Ex Parto Endo
- law school
- law school admissions
-
McDonald v.
Commission
of Internal Revenue Service
-
Oklahoma v.
United
States Civil Service Commission
-
Radio Station WOW v.
Johnson
- Red Scare
-
United Public Workers of America v.
Mitchell
-
United States v.
Lovett
Interviewee
Hill, Nat December 2, 1976
Call Number
76-065
Physical Description
60 pages; 2 reels; 1 7/8 ips; 145 minutes; no index
Interviewer
Anderson, Terry H.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Monroe County Circuit Court judge Nat Hill discusses his involvement with the
legal profession in Indiana. He grew up in Bloomington, Indiana and attended
the Indiana University School of Business and School of Law. He discusses his
reasons for running for the circuit court and some of the details of his
campaigns. He describes the Indiana judicial system and the Monroe County
judicial system. Judge Hill reflects on the changing nature of the legal
profession in Indiana, which he feels is becoming more difficult and
cumbersome. He describes the sharp increase in criminal cases he has seen in
his court over the years, which he feels is partially due to the "drug
culture." He talks of political party activity in Bloomington, Indiana, and the
difference between the Democratic Party and Republican Party. He discusses his
reasons for being a member of the Republican party. He reflects on the decline
of the stone industry in southern Indiana. He ends the interview describing his
interests in horse racing and his opinions on pari-mutuel gambling, which he
feels would greatly benefit the Indiana economy if the legislature made it
legal.
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Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Indiana University School of Law
- Indiana University School of Business
- Monroe County Circuit Court
- Republican Party
-
-
Occupation Names
- attorney
- judge
- prosecuting attorney
-
-
Personal Names
- Hashfield, Emmett
-
-
Place Names
- Bloomington, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- appeals process
- bar associations
- criminal law
- disbarment
- gambling
- Great Depression
- horse racing
- Indiana judicial system
- Indiana penitentiary system
- limestone industry
- local politics
- Monroe County judicial system
- pari-mutuel betting
- Warren Supreme Court
Interviewee
Rogers, David November 30, 1976
Call Number
76-064
Physical Description
32 pages; 1 reel, 1 7/8 ips; 75 minutes; no index
Interviewer
Anderson, Terry H.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
David Rogers, born in Bloomington, Indiana in July 1928, discusses his
involvement with the legal profession in Indiana. He outlines his educational
background, which included a law degree from Indiana University School of Law.
He discusses his private practice in Bloomington, Indiana regarding the types
of clients he has and the prices he charges them for services provided. He
talks about his experiences in the Indiana General Assembly. He describes the
structure and function of the general assembly and the changes that have
happened over the years. Mr. Rogers also describes the changes that the legal
profession in Indiana has undergone through the years, and the public's
perception of attorneys. He also describes the political make-up of
Bloomington, Indiana and how the Republican Party and Democratic Party
interact.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Democratic Party
- Indiana General Assembly
- Indiana University School of Law
- Republican Party
- Rogers and McDonald Law
- Woolery Stone Company
-
-
Occupation Names
- attorney
- state legislator
-
-
Place Names
- Bloomington, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- attorney's fees
- law school admissions
- local politics
- minimum bar schedule
