George Crockett Papers
Collection
Identifier: UP000276
Scope and Content
Part I:
Part I of the George Crockett, Jr. papers contains clippings, correspondences, and drafts of a column he wrote for the Michigan Chronicle during the mid 1940s entitled, Labor Looks Ahead.
Series Description Series I, Correspondents and "Labor Looks Ahead" 1944-1946: Correspondence, clippings and drafts of column, "Labor Looks Ahead"
Series Description Series I, Correspondents and "Labor Looks Ahead" 1944-1946: Correspondence, clippings and drafts of column, "Labor Looks Ahead"
Part II:
Part II, which is the larger part of the collection, primarily contains records that reflect Crockett's activities as a Detroit Recorders Court judge, including correspondences, memos, agenda, minutes, various administrative records, reports, clippings, proposals, pleadings, articles, legal opinions and memoranda, court reform proposals, surveys, organizational charts, court orders, and tributes/testimonials, amongst other records.
Crockett was presiding judge of that body in 1974. Part II of the collection provides a unique glimpse into the day-to-day activities of the Detroit Recorders Court during an important period in Detroit's history. That Crockett challenged the court's way of doing business,
particularly as regards African Americans, makes these records particularly valuable.
Series Description Series I, Subject Files, 1948-1979: Matters documented in this series concern such issues as assigned council, bail, the court's docket, proposals to reorganize Recorders Court, and proposals to establish one-man grand juries for narcotics-related cases. Records reflecting these and other matters include correspondences, memos, agenda, minutes, administrative records regarding Recorders Court, reports, clippings, proposals, pleadings, articles, legal opinions and memoranda, surveys, organizational charts, and court orders, amongst other records. The folders are arranged alphabetically with the contents of the folders arranged chronologically.
Series II, Correspondence with Recorder's Court Judges, 1973-1978: Correspondences and memos between Crockett and his colleagues on the Recorders Court bench. The correspondences were primarily written in his capacity as presiding judge of this court. The folders are arranged alphabetically with the contents of the folders arranged chronologically.
Series III, General Correspondence, 1971-1978: Correspondence with constituents, members of the judiciary outside of Recorders Court, public officials, politicians, law enforcement officers, officers of civic organizations regarding numerous issues. The letters either refer to the correspondent or the organization with which the correspondent is connected. The folders are arranged alphabetically with the contents of the folders arranged chronologically.
Series IV, Clippings and Tributes/Testimonials, 1952-1995: The clippings, which comprise the majority of the material in this series, concern the New Bethel Case in which Crockett presided. Other clippings concern his service as a congressman. Various tributes/testimonials from the 1980s and 1990s are also in this series. Finally, a journal article and letter to the editor authored by Crockett in addition to a memo and court transcript are located in this series.
Series Description Series I, Subject Files, 1948-1979: Matters documented in this series concern such issues as assigned council, bail, the court's docket, proposals to reorganize Recorders Court, and proposals to establish one-man grand juries for narcotics-related cases. Records reflecting these and other matters include correspondences, memos, agenda, minutes, administrative records regarding Recorders Court, reports, clippings, proposals, pleadings, articles, legal opinions and memoranda, surveys, organizational charts, and court orders, amongst other records. The folders are arranged alphabetically with the contents of the folders arranged chronologically.
Series II, Correspondence with Recorder's Court Judges, 1973-1978: Correspondences and memos between Crockett and his colleagues on the Recorders Court bench. The correspondences were primarily written in his capacity as presiding judge of this court. The folders are arranged alphabetically with the contents of the folders arranged chronologically.
Series III, General Correspondence, 1971-1978: Correspondence with constituents, members of the judiciary outside of Recorders Court, public officials, politicians, law enforcement officers, officers of civic organizations regarding numerous issues. The letters either refer to the correspondent or the organization with which the correspondent is connected. The folders are arranged alphabetically with the contents of the folders arranged chronologically.
Series IV, Clippings and Tributes/Testimonials, 1952-1995: The clippings, which comprise the majority of the material in this series, concern the New Bethel Case in which Crockett presided. Other clippings concern his service as a congressman. Various tributes/testimonials from the 1980s and 1990s are also in this series. Finally, a journal article and letter to the editor authored by Crockett in addition to a memo and court transcript are located in this series.
Dates
- 1944 - 1995
Language of Materials
Material entirely in English.
Access
Collection is open for research.
Use
Refer to the Walter P. Reuther Library
Rules for Use of Archival Materials.
History
George Crockett, Jr. was born August 10, 1909, in Jacksonville, Fl. He is a graduate of Morehouse College (1931) and the University of Michigan Law School (1934). Between degrees, he joined the Marine Cooks and Steward's
Union (1931) and waited on tables aboard ships on trips between the U.S. and South America. He practiced law for a short period in Florida and West Virginia before becoming a lawyer with the U.S. Dept. of Labor
(1939-1943) and a hearings examiner with the Fair Employment Practices Commission (1943). At this time, he was a member of the Government Employees Union (CIO). Thereafter, he worked with the UAW as a consultant on minorities (1944), director of its Fair Employment Practices Committee (1945), and then as an administrative assistant within its secretary
treasurer's office (1946). During this period he also wrote a weekly column for the Michigan Chronicle. (1944-1946) and was a member of the National C.I.O. Anti-Discrimination Commission (1944-1945).
Crockett established a private practice and became one of five lawyers who represented the leadership of the Communists Party who had been charged with violating the Smith Act (1949-1950); he spent four months in jail for contempt in connection with this case. Thereafter, he became a founding partner of Goodman, Crockett, Eden and Robb, the first known interracial law partnership in the U.S. (1950-1966). Following an unsuccessful bid for the city council (1965), he was elected as a judge of the Detroit Recorders Court (1966-1978). After a short stint as the acting city corporation counsel for Detroit, Crockett then served five terms as a congressman (1980-1991) representing Michigan's 13th congressional district comprising a portion of Detroit. He died in 1997 at the age of 88.
Crockett established a private practice and became one of five lawyers who represented the leadership of the Communists Party who had been charged with violating the Smith Act (1949-1950); he spent four months in jail for contempt in connection with this case. Thereafter, he became a founding partner of Goodman, Crockett, Eden and Robb, the first known interracial law partnership in the U.S. (1950-1966). Following an unsuccessful bid for the city council (1965), he was elected as a judge of the Detroit Recorders Court (1966-1978). After a short stint as the acting city corporation counsel for Detroit, Crockett then served five terms as a congressman (1980-1991) representing Michigan's 13th congressional district comprising a portion of Detroit. He died in 1997 at the age of 88.
Extent
5 Linear Feet (2 MB, 4 SB)
Abstract
Judge Crockett was a former general counsel of the UAW and director of its Fair Employment Practices Committee (1944-46). He was elected to Recorder's Court of Detroit in 1966. Subjects include fair employment practices, discrimination, police misconduct; race relations in Detroit; racial discrimination in the criminal justice system; New Bethel Baptist Church incident; and the United Negro College Fund. Among the correspondents are Victor Reuther and Walter Reuther.
Arrangement
Part I:
Arranged in 1 series – Series 1 (Box 1). Folders are arranged chronologically.
Part II:
Arranged in r series – Series 1 (Boxes 1-4), Series 2 (Box 4), Series 3 (Box 4), and Series 4 (Box 4). The folders are arranged alphabetically with the contents of the folders arranged chronologically.
Acquisition
Part I of the papers of George Crockett, Jr. were placed in the Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs on February 3, 1968 by George Crockett, Jr. They were open for research on January 17, 1969. Part II of the papers of
George Crockett, Jr. were placed in the Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs in 1994 by his son, George Crockett, III, in 1994 and by George Crockett, Jr. in August 1996. Part II of the collection was opened for
research in July 2006. Since the original donation, both George Crockett, jr. and the Crockett estate designated all records deposited by George Crockett, jr. as part of the Damon J. Keith Law Collection of African American Legal History.
Transfers
A video about Crockett is located in the Archives' Audiovisual Department
Processing History
Processed and finding aid written by Walter P. Reuther Library on January 17, 1969 and updated to include Part II in July, 2006.
- Title
- Guide to the George Crockett Papers
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Processed by Walter P. Reuther Library.
- Date
- 1969-01-17
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the Walter P. Reuther Library Repository
Contact:
5401 Cass Avenue
Detroit MI 48202 USA
5401 Cass Avenue
Detroit MI 48202 USA