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Harry Weinberger papers, 1915-1944

Title: Harry Weinberger papers

The papers consist of correspondence, legal papers, notes, and other materials documenting Weinberger's career as a lawyer who specialized in civil liberties cases and, later in his career, copyright law. The one hundred and sixteen (116) case files include legal briefs, writs, and memoranda prepared by Weinberger and his staff, and similar material prepared by opposing attorneys. Correspondence files include letters with clients and individuals interested in a specific case. Weinberger's clients included: Alexander Berkman, Grover Cleveland Bergdoll, Emma Goldman, and Eugene O'Neill. The papers also include a small number of Weinberg's short stories and plays and correspondence with his nephew, Warren Weinberger. The Harry Weinberger Papers cover Weinberger's professional career from around 1915 until the early 1940s. In that time, Weinberger handled many types of cases, but he took a special interest in people whom he believed had been deprived of their civil liberties. As a result, Weinberger defended many aliens, immigrants, anarchists, and radicals. Two of Weinberger's most celebrated clients were the anarchists Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman. Another client of Weinberger was the wealthy draft dodger, Grover Cleveland Bergdoll. Most of Weinberger's clients were, however, neither famous nor wealthy. Many were referred to Weinberger by service agencies like the American Civil Liberties Union, the League for Amnesty of Political Prisoners, and the Worker's Defense Fund. In the later part of his career, Weinberger became an expert in copyright law, representing many writers, including Eugene O'Neill, in copyright and plagiarism suits. Weinberger corresponded with many prominent figures in connection with his legal work. His correspondents include Roger N. Baldwin, William A. Black, Alice Stone Blackwell, Harry M. Daugherty, Albert DeSilver, Elizabeth G. Flynn, Agnes Inglis, Daniel Kiefer, Robert M. LaFollette, Alvaro Obregon, Elmer Rice, Upton Sinclair, Lincoln Steffans, Norman Thomas, Frank P. Walsh, Thomas E. Watson and Stephen S. Wise. The papers provide information on United States policies toward aliens, anarchists, and radicals in America during and after the first World War. The papers also contain material on United States immigration and deportation policies and important materials on Emma Goldman, Alexander Berkman, Ricardo Flores Magon, and Tom Mooney. There is, however, very little personal material on Weinberger in the papers. Biographical information can be found in Weinberger's "A Rebel's Interrupted Autobiography" published in the American Journal of Economics and Sociology in 1 October 1942

ArchivalResource: 21.50 linear ft.

http://hdl.handle.net/10079/fa/mssa.ms.0553 View