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Ernst, Morris L. (Morris Leopold), 1888-1976
Variant names
Morris Ernst (August 23, 1888 – May 21, 1976) was an American lawyer and prominent attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). In public life, he defended and asserted the rights of Americans to privacy and freedom from censorship, playing a significant role in challenging and overcoming the banning of certain works of literature (including James Joyce's Ulysses and Radclyffe Hall's The Well of Loneliness) and in asserting the right of media employees to organise labor unions. He also promoted an anti-communist stance within the ACLU itself, and was a member of the President's Committee on Civil Rights.
Morris Leopold Ernst was born in Uniontown, Alabama, on August 23, 1888, into a Jewish family. The family moved to New York when Morris was two, and lived in several locations in Manhattan where Carl ran a general store. Morris attended the Horace Mann School and graduated from Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, in 1909. He studied law at night at New York Law School where he graduated in 1912 and was admitted to the New York bar in 1913.
In 1912, he married Susan Leerburger, with whom he had a son (who died in infancy) and a daughter. Susan died in 1922. Ernst married Margaret Samuels in 1923, and together they had a son and a daughter. Margaret died in 1964. Ernst kept a summer home on Nantucket, Massachusetts, and enjoyed sailing small boats. He died at home in New York City on May 21, 1976. He was survived by his son, both daughters, and five grandchildren.
Archival Resources
| Role | Title | Holding Repository | |
|---|---|---|---|
| referencedIn | Alexander Woollcott correspondence, ca. 1856-1943 (inclusive), 1920-1943 (bulk). | Houghton Library | |
| referencedIn | Donald and Katharine Foley Collection of Penguin Books, 1935-1965 | Bancroft Library | |
| referencedIn | Oswald Garrison Villard papers | Houghton Library | |
| referencedIn | Jerome New Frank papers, 1918-1972 (bulk 1929-1957) | Yale University. Department of Manuscripts and Archives | |
| referencedIn | Robert E. Sherwood papers, 1917-1968 (inclusive), 1934-1955 (bulk). | Houghton Library | |
| referencedIn | Ann Bridge [pseudonym of Mary Dolling Sanders O'Malley] Papers TXRC95-A3., 1815-1973, bulk 1905-1973 | Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center | |
| referencedIn | Brennan, William Joseph. William J. Brennan Papers, 1945-1998. | Library of Congress. Manuscript Division | |
| creatorOf | Ernst, Morris Leopold, 1888-1976. Morris L. Ernst Banned Books Collection, ca. 1956-1990. | University of California, Santa Barbara, UCSB Library | |
| referencedIn | Willard L. (AC 1920) and Clarice Brows Thorp Papers | Amherst College Archives and Special Collections | |
| referencedIn | American Civil Liberties Union. Illinois Division. Records, 1920-1982 | Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library, | |
| referencedIn | John Mason Brown papers, 1922-1967. | Houghton Library | |
| referencedIn | Ehrmann, Herbert Brutus, 1891-1970. Papers of Herbert Brutus Ehrmann, 1906-1970 (inclusive), 1926-1968 (bulk). | Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138 | |
| referencedIn | The Nation, records, 1879-1974 (inclusive), 1920-1955 (bulk). | Houghton Library | |
| creatorOf | Bridge, Ann, 1889-1974. Papers, 1815-1973, (bulk 1905-1973). | Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center | |
| referencedIn | Joseph Barnes Papers, 1923-1970 | Columbia University. Rare Book and Manuscript Library | |
| creatorOf | Ernst, Morris Leopold, 1888-1976. Papers, 1933-1937 ((inclusive). | Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America | |
| referencedIn | Ehrmann, Herbert B. (Herbert Brutus), 1891-1970. Papers, 1906-1970 | Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138 | |
| creatorOf | Ernst, Morris Leopold, 1888-1976. Correspondence with Theodore Dreiser, 1928-1937. | University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library | |
| referencedIn | Cousins, Margaret, 1905-1996. Papers, 1921-1973 | Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center | |
| referencedIn | Russell Cornell Leffingwell papers, 1883-1979 | Yale University. Department of Manuscripts and Archives | |
| referencedIn | Thomas J. Dodd Papers, undated, 1919-1971. | Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Center. | |
| referencedIn | The Nation, records, 1879-1974 (inclusive), 1920-1955 (bulk). | Houghton Library | |
| referencedIn | Raushenbush, Elizabeth Brandeis. Paul A. Raushenbush and Elizabeth Brandeis Raushenbush papers, 1918-1980. | Wisconsin Historical Society, Newspaper Project | |
| referencedIn | Kirchwey, Freda. Papers, 1871-1972 (inclusive), 1937-1971 (bulk) [microform]. | Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America | |
| referencedIn | William B. Provine collection of evolutionary biology reprints, 20th century. | Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library. | |
| referencedIn | George Sarton additional papers, 1901-1956 | Houghton Library | |
| referencedIn | Zeligs, Meyer Aaron. Meyer Aaron Zeligs Papers. 1923-1978. | Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138 | |
| referencedIn | Chester Bowles papers, 1924-1982 | Yale University. Department of Manuscripts and Archives | |
| referencedIn | Papers of Mary Ware Dennett | Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America | |
| referencedIn | Kluger, Richard. Brown vs. Board of Education collection, 1950-1975 (inclusive). | Yale University Library | |
| referencedIn | Gannett, Lewis, 1891-1966. Papers, 1681-1966 (bulk 1900-1960) | Houghton Library | |
| referencedIn | Learned Hand papers | Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138 | |
| referencedIn | Kluger, Richard. Brown vs. Board of Education collection, 1950-1975 (inclusive). | Yale University Library | |
| referencedIn | Florence Rose Papers MS 134., 1832 - 1970, 1920-1969 | Sophia Smith Collection | |
| referencedIn | Dennett, Mary Ware, 1872-1947. Papers: Series II, 1894-1948 (inclusive). | Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America | |
| referencedIn | Leon Trotsky exile papers, 1929-1940. | Houghton Library | |
| referencedIn | Wisdom, William B. William B. Wisdom collection of Thomas Wolfe. 1909-1959. | Houghton Library | |
| referencedIn | John Foster Dulles oral history collection, 1964-1967 | Princeton University. Library. Dept. of Rare Books and Special Collections.Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library. Public Policy Papers. | |
| referencedIn | Harry Huntt Ransom Papers 73-88; 83-413; 85-302; 86-255; 90-248; 90-323; 92-210; 95-228; 97-146; 98-132; 98-263; 2002-238; 2005-091; 2008-112; 2008-316., 1930-1990 | Dolph Briscoe Center for American History | |
| creatorOf | Ernst, Morris Leopold, 1888-1976. Reminiscences of Morris Leopold Ernst : oral history, 1965. | Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries | |
| referencedIn | New York Times Company records. A.M. Rosenthal papers, 1955-1994, 1967-1986 | New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division | |
| referencedIn | Rose, Florence. Papers, 1832-1970 bulk 1920-1969. | Smith College, Neilson Library | |
| referencedIn | Joseph Barnes Papers, 1923-1970 | Columbia University. Rare Book and Manuscript Library | |
| referencedIn | Kirchwey, Freda, 1893-1976. Papers, 1871-1972 | Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America | |
| referencedIn | Brennan, William Joseph. William J. Brennan Papers, 1945-1998. | Library of Congress. Manuscript Division | |
| referencedIn | Papers, 1938-1944. | New York State Historical Documents Inventory | |
| referencedIn | Paul A. Freund papers | Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138 | |
| referencedIn | J. B. Matthews Papers, 1862-1986 and undated | David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library | |
| referencedIn | New York Times Company records. Arthur Hays Sulzberger papers, 1823-1999 | New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division | |
| referencedIn | Gannett, Lewis, 1891-1966. Papers, 1681-1966 (bulk 1900-1960) | Houghton Library | |
| referencedIn | Marshall, Lenore, 1897-1971. Papers, 1887-1980. | Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries | |
| referencedIn | Roger William Riis Papers, 1903-1990, (bulk 1921-1952) | Library of Congress. Manuscript Division | |
| creatorOf | Morris L. Ernst Banned Books Collection, ca. 1956-1990 | University of California, Santa Barbara. Davidson Library. Department of Special Collections. | |
| referencedIn | Dennett, Mary Ware, 1872-1947. Additional papers of Mary Ware Dennett, 1892-1945 (inclusive). | Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America | |
| referencedIn | Thomas J. Dodd Papers, undated, 1919-1971. | Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Center. | |
| referencedIn | American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois. Records, 1938-1982. | University of Chicago Library | |
| referencedIn | Ransom, Harry Huntt, 1908-1976. Ransom, Harry Huntt, papers, 1930-1967. | University of Texas Libraries | |
| creatorOf | Ernst, Morris Leopold, 1888-1976. Papers, 1948-1950. | Indiana University | |
| referencedIn | Chester Bowles papers, 1924-1982 | Yale University. Department of Manuscripts and Archives | |
| referencedIn | Jerome New Frank papers, 1918-1972 (bulk 1929-1957) | Yale University. Department of Manuscripts and Archives | |
| referencedIn | GABOR, Professor Dennis (1900-1979), 1911-1985 | Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine | |
| referencedIn | Leffingwell, R. C. (Russell Cornell), 1883-1960. Russell Cornell Leffingwell papers, 1883-1979 (inclusive). | Yale University Library | |
| creatorOf | Bergman, Bernard Aaron, 1894-1980. Papers, 1933-1978. | Ohio State University Libraries | |
| referencedIn | Harry Weinberger papers, 1915-1944 | Yale University Library | |
| creatorOf | Cousins, Margaret, 1905-1996. Papers, 1921-1973. | Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center | |
| referencedIn | Research materials on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 1910-1972 | Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138 | |
| referencedIn | Welles mss., 1930-1950, (Bulk 1936-1947) | Lilly Library (Indiana University, Bloomington) | |
| creatorOf | Ernst, Morris Leopold, 1888-1976. Letter, 1967, to Lewis Mumford. | University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library | |
| creatorOf | Papers, 1933-1937 | Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America |
Bibliographic and Digital Archival Resources
| Role | Title | Holding Repository | |
|---|---|---|---|
| referencedIn | Papers of Drew Pearson. 1915 - 1969. Files from the Georgetown Office and Residence | Lyndon Baines Johnson Library |
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Birth 1888-08-23
Death 1976-05-21
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