John Simpson Hastings papers, 1933-1977, bulk 1959-1976
A Guide to the Papers at the Indiana University Archives
Electronic finding aid encoded by Donald C. Force
Summary Information
Repository
Indiana University Archives
1320 East Tenth Street
Herman B Wells Library E460
Bloomington, IN 47405-7000
Phone: 812-855-1127
Email: archives@indiana.edu
http://www.libraries.iub.edu/archives
Creator
Hastings, John Simpson,
1898-1977.
TitleJohn Simpson Hastings papers,1933-1977, bulk 1959-1976
Collection No.
C119
Extent
2 cubic feet
(2 boxes)
Language
Materials are in English.
Abstract
Indiana University alumnus and charter
member of the IU Foundation. John Simpson Hastings graduated from the Indiana University
School of Law in 1924 and practiced law in his hometown until 1957 when he was appointed
to the United States Court of Appeals. Hastings maintained close ties to Indiana
University, serving as president of the Alumni Association, vice president and board
member of the Indiana University Foundation, president and member of the Board of
Trustees, and member of the School of Law Board of Visitors. Collection includes
correspondence, speeches and other subject files, and memorabilia. The correspondence
primarily consists of IU related topics such as the IU Foundation and the Alumni
Association, and of correspondence with prominent IU officials William Lowe Bryan, John
W. Ryan, and Herman B Wells.
Access Restrictions
One folder containing a letter of recommendation is closed to researchers at this
time.
Advance notice is required for access.
Biographical Note
John Simpson Hastings was born June 30, 1898, in Washington, IN. He graduated from
Washington High School in 1916 and attended Indiana University from 1916 to 1918. He
left Indiana to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point. Hastings
graduated from West Point in 1920 with a B.S. degree and a commission as a second
lieutenant in field artillery. He reached the rank of first lieutenant before resigning
from the army in 1921.
Hastings entered the IU School of Law in 1921, and graduated with an LL.B. degree in
1924. He won the Gamma Eta Gamma award for the highest scholastic average in the senior
year of law school. Hastings practiced law in his home town of Washington from
1924-1957.
In 1957, President Eisenhower appointed Hastings as a judge of the United States Court
of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago. Hastings was chief judge from 1959-1968.
He retired on February 1, 1969, but continued as active senior judge. In January 1972,
Chief Justice Burger, of the United States Supreme Court, named Hastings as Circuit
Judge of the Temporary Emergency Court of Appeals of the United States.
Hastings was president of the Indiana University Alumni Association, 1933-1935. On June
17, 1935, Hastings and Uz McMurtrie, representing the IU Alumni Council, appeared before
the IU Board of Trustees to propose the establishment of the Indiana University
Foundation. Hastings was a charter member of the Foundation and served on its board of
directors from 1936 to 1969. After his resignation, he was made an honorary director for
life. He was vice president of the IU Foundation from 1951 to 1969. Hastings was an
Indiana University trustee, 1936-1959, and was president of the Board of Trustees from
1950 to 1959. He served on President Ryan's Ad Hoc Committee of Special Consultants on
Legal Education at Indiana University, 1975. He was a member of the Board of Visitors
for the Indiana University School of Law, 1970-1977.
Hastings belonged to numerous legal and community organizations. He was a member of the
board of governors of the Riley Hospital for Crippled Children, Indianapolis, until
1969.
Among the honors he received were: honorary LL.D.s from Indiana University (1959) and
Northwestern University (1961); Order of the Coif; Phi Beta Kappa (1968); Lincoln
Academy of Illinois law award (1967); membership in the Indiana Academy (1972).
Hastings died on February 8, 1977, at age 78. His childhood sweetheart and wife of many
years, Mary Esther Smiley, was among his survivors.
Arrangement
Collection is organized into three series: Correspondence, Subject files, and
Memorabilia.
Scope and Content Note
The John Simpson Hastings papers comprise 2 cubic feet and are organized into three
series: Correspondence, Subject files, and Memorabilia.
The Correspondence series, 1947-1977, is a mixture of letters and mailings to Hastings
from various individuals and organizations and of letters generated by Hastings himself.
Much of the correspondence related to Indiana University dates from the 1970s. The bulk
of the series includes congratulatory correspondence from family, friends, and
colleagues regarding Hastings’ appointment to the United States Court of Appeals in
1957. This correspondence includes letters from Herman B Wells, Indiana Governor Harold
W. Handley, and presidents of Bar Associations across the state. Of interest in the
general correspondence file are letters regarding Hastings’ inclusion in the
publication,
Trustees and Officers of Indiana University,
1950-1970
and letters concerning Hastings’ honorary degrees.
The Subject files, 1959-1977, include materials associated with the dedication of the
IPFW campus in 1964 at which Hastings delivered a speech. Two other prominent subjects
included in this series are Indiana University Foundation and the School of Law. The
School of Law files include information on Hasting’s involvement on a special committee
to determine the possibility of consolidating the Bloomington and Indianapolis law
schools, and as a member of the Board of Visitors from 1970-1977. These files contain
correspondence and reports produced by these groups. Copies of speeches by Herman Wells
and by Elvis Stahr are also included in this series. Also of interest is correspondence
and signed release forms for two IU oral history projects in which Hastings
participated.
The Memorabilia series, 1933-1976, consists of the following: a plaque from the Indiana
University Alumni Association to commemorate Hastings' years as president of that
organization; two hoods for Hastings' honorary LL.D.s from Indiana University and
Northwestern University; a plaque to commemorate his tenure as chief judge of the United
States Court of Appeals; two medals from the Lincoln Academy; a silver medal from the
Indiana Academy; and a silver medallion from the Presbyterian Home (McGraw Award,
1976).
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Indexing Terms
-
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
IUCAT, the IU Libraries' online
catalog. Materials about related topics, persons or places can be found by searching the
catalog using these terms.
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Names
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Indiana University
Foundation --History --20th century --Sources.
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Indiana
University. Alumni Association --History --20th century
--Sources.
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Hastings, John
Simpson, 1898-1977 --Archives.
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Hastings, John
Simpson, 1898-1977 --Correspondence.
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Bryan, William
Lowe, 1860-1955 --Correspondence.
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Wells, Herman B
--Correspondence.
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Ryan, John W.
(John William), 1929- --Correspondence.
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Bryan, William Lowe, 1860-1955.
Correspondence. Selections.
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Wells, Herman B. Correspondence.
Selections.
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Ryan, John W. (John William),
1929- Correspondence. Selections.
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Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
Accession 9053
Usage RestrictionsThe donor(s) of this collection have not transferred their copyrights for the materials to the Trustees of Indiana University.
For more information, please contact the Indiana University Archives staff.
The Indiana University Archives respects the intellectual property rights of others and does not claim any copyrights for
non-university records, materials in the public domain, or materials for which we do not hold a Deed of Gift. Responsibility
for the determination of the copyright status of these materials rests with those persons wishing to reuse the materials.
Researchers are responsible for securing permission from copyright owners and any other rights holders for any reuse of these
materials that extends beyond fair use or other statutory limitations.
Digital reproductions of archival materials from the Indiana University Archives are made available for noncommercial educational
and research purposes only. If you are the copyright holder for any of the digitized materials and have questions about its
inclusion on our site, please contact the Indiana University Archivist.
Preferred Citation
[Item], John Simpson Hastings papers, Collection C119, Indiana University Archives, Bloomington.
Processing InformationProcessed by Michael Katchmer; reprocessed by Janna Carney.
Completed in 2007.
Series:
Correspondence, 1947-1977
Box 1
Bryan, William Lowe, 1947-1953
Note: Included is a speech by Hastings titled, “Business and the
University,” created in the role of Chairman of the Administrative Committee
at IU. The speech has penciled notes, but it is unclear if these are Bryan’s
notes.
Burton, Robert E., 1974-1975
Congratulations on Appointment to Chief Judge of Circuit Court of
Appeals, 1959
Congratulations on Appointment to U.S. Court of Appeals, 1957
A-D
E-H
I-O
P-Z
Anonymous, Call Lists, and Groups
Franklin, Joseph A., 1973-1975
Indiana University Alumni Association (including Law Alumni
Association), 1973-1977
Indiana University Alumni Club of Chicago, 1973-1975
Indiana University School of Law, 1971-1977
Ryan, John W., 1972-1976
Wells, Herman B, 1959-1976
General Correspondence, 1959-1975
Letter of Recommendation, 1972
Restricted
Series:
Subject files, 1959-1977
Box 1
Class of 1924--50th Anniversary, 1973-1975
Emeritus Club, 1974
Indiana University Foundation,
1968-1971
1972-1977
IUPU Fort Wayne Regional Campus Dedication, 1964
Oral Histories, 1971-1972
Phi Beta Kappa, 1968
Remarks,
IU Commencement, 1959
Delivered by Hastings
Irwin, Glen W., Jr., Dedication Dinner for Riley Hospital Addition,
1971
Stahr, Elvis J., Alumni Barbecue, 1964
Includes two speeches and cover letter from Herman B Wells.
Wells, Herman B, 1969
Includes two speeches: one for the Regional Council for International
Education and one for the Conference on the Task of Universities in a
Changing World.
School of Law,
Ad Hoc Committee of Special Consultants (Ryan Committee), 1966-1975
(2 folders)
Board of Visitors, 1970-1977
(5 folders)
Series:
Memorabilia, 1933-1976
Hood for honorary LL.D.,
Box 1
from Indiana University, 1959
from Northwestern University, 1961
Medals,
Indiana Academy, 1972
(silver medal)
Lincoln Academy, 1967
(two medals: one large, one small)
Presbyterian Home, Foster G. and Mary W. McGraw Award, 1976
(large silver medallion)
Plaques,
from the Indiana University Alumni Association commemorating
Hastings' years as president of that organization, 1933-1935
to commemorate Hastings' tenure as chief judge of the United States
Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, 1959-1968