Scope and Contents
Arrangement Note
Conditions Governing Access
Conditions Governing Use
Source of Acquisition
Accruals and Additions
Related Materials
Preferred Citation
Biographical Note
Contributing Institution:
Special Collections & University Archives
Title: Judge Earl Ben Gilliam Papers
Creator:
Gilliam, Judge Earl B. (Earl Ben Gilliam)
Identifier/Call Number: MS-0494
Physical Description:
10.84 Linear Feet
Date (inclusive): 1945-2011
Date (bulk): 1965-1981
Language of Material:
English
.
Scope and Contents
The
Earl B. Gilliam Papers document five decades of Gilliam's career as a judge in San Diego County. The collection includes news clippings, photos,
correspondence, invitations, federal bench nominations, court cases, class notes, scrapbooks, award certificates, court dockets,
and judicial questionnaires. The majority of the material dates from around the 1940's to the late 1990's, and highlights
Gilliam's community service, as well as his appointments to local, state, and federal judgeships. The collection is divided
into five series:
Personal Files (1945-1999),
Professional Files (1956-2011),
Memorial Files (2001),
Scrapbooks (1945-2001), and
Video Files (1979-2004).
The Personal Files (1945-1999) document Gilliam's high school experience and achievements, as well as his community involvement. This series
includes personal photographs of his childhood, friends' memorial programs, San Diego High School programs, personal correspondence,
certificates of achievement, the
Sun Reporter newspaper, the
Lighthouse newspaper, the
San Diego Observer newspaper, and materials regarding Gilliam's hospitalization in the 1990's. The files are arranged in alphabetical order with
minimal documentation regarding his early childhood.
The Professional Files (1956-2011) largely document Gilliam's career as a municipal court and federal bench judge. The series includes congratulatory
correspondence, court dockets, appointment books, news clippings, biography for federal judgeship, courtroom procedures, judicial
questionnaires, photographs, federal bench petition, retirement documents from U.S. District Judgeship, and judicial application.
Highlights include correspondence and news clippings of Gilliam's appointment to the federal bench. The series is arranged
alphabetically by folder title.
The Memorial Files (2001) document Gilliam's passing. These files include letters of condolence, obituaries, and information regarding funeral
arrangements gathered by Gilliam's wife, Rebecca Prater. These files are the smallest of the series and are arranged alphabetically.
The Scrapbook Files (1945-2001) consist of five scrapbooks, two of which that document a trial of 197 counts of federal tax evasion and fraud
by Nancy Hoover Hunter. The files include newspaper clippings and correspondence regarding the trial. Much of the correspondence
is unsupportive of Gilliam's final verdict. The rest of the scrapbooks include news clippings of Gilliam's appointments from
Municipal Judge to Federal Bench judge, news articles of personal interest, and personal photographs.
The Video Files (1979-2004) contain video tributes to Gilliam, reunion ceremonies, an interview of Gilliam on audio cassette tape, and oral
histories. The series is in chronological order.
Arrangement Note
I. Personal Files (1946-1999)
II. Professional Files (1956-2011)
III. Memorial Files (2001)
IV. Scrapbooks (1945-2001)
V. Audio/Video Files (1979-2004)
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
The copyright interests in some of these materials have been transferred to or belong to San Diego State University. The nature
of historical archival and manuscript collections means that copyright status may be difficult or even impossible to determine.
Copyright resides with the creators of materials contained in the collection or their heirs. Requests for permission to publish
must be submitted to the Head of Special Collections, San Diego State University, Library and Information Access. When granted,
permission is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical item and is not intended to include or imply
permission of the copyright holder(s), which must also be obtained in order to publish. Materials from our collections are
made available for use in research, teaching, and private study. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the
materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials.
Source of Acquisition
Rebecca Prater
Accruals and Additions
2011-067
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Preferred Citation
Identification of item, folder title, box number, Judge Earl B. Gilliam Papers, Special Collections and University Archives,
San Diego State University Library.
Biographical Note
Earl Ben Gilliam was born in Clovis, New Mexico on August 17, 1931. At age 10, Gilliam and his parents, James Earl and Lula
Mae Gooden Gilliam, moved to San Diego. Gilliam attended Memorial Jr. High and San Diego High School where he played football
and ran track. He graduated high school in 1949 and then attended San Diego State College where he studied business with an
emphasis in accounting and a minor in economics. During college, Gilliam helped to establish the Delta Epsilon Chapter of
KAP Fraternity. In 1953, he was accepted to Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco and passed his Bar Examination in
1957. In the 1940's, Gilliam's family had opened the Seafood Louisiana Market on Imperial Avenue where Gilliam worked as a
clerk during high school, college, and while on vacation from law school. While in law school, he also worked as a janitor
and a playground director. Gilliam married Barbara Jean Crawford in 1956 and had two children, Kenneth Earl and Derrick James
Gilliam. Gilliam and Barbara Jean divorced in 1975.
Gilliam began practicing law in 1957 as a deputy district attorney and entered into private practice in 1961. In 1963, he
became the first Black judge of the Municipal Court in San Diego County. In 1975, he was elevated by Governor Jerry Brown
to the U.S. Superior Court. Afterwards, President Jimmy Carter appointed Gilliam to the federal bench of the United States
District Court of Southern California.
Besides his legal practice, Gilliam gave much of his time to serving the San Diego community. He was active in the following
organizations: Traffic Committee for the California State Bar Association; National Association for the Advanced Colored People
(NAACP); Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA); Senior Housing Charity; Salvation Army; Boys' Club; Urban League; Navy
League; Southeast Chamber of Commerce; and the Junior Chamber of Commerce. He was also a law instructor for ten years at Western
State College.
Gilliam received many awards and accolades from the community. In 1981, he was the recipient of the Golden Man and Boy Award
for the Boys' Club of San Diego. Additionally, the Association of Black Attorneys of San Diego County changed their name to
the Earl B. Gilliam Bar Association in 1982 in honor of his professional accomplishments as Black lawyer and judge. After
Gilliam's death, the city named the Imperial Avenue post office in Gilliam's name.
In 1978, Gilliam met his second wife, Rebecca Prater. They married in 1993. After two weeks of marriage, Gilliam had elective
heart surgery. Complications during the surgery left him paralyzed and dialysis-dependent. Gilliam then retired to Senior
Judge Status and continued his legal work part-time. He passed away on January 28, 2001. Upon his death a sculpture of him
was placed at the San Diego Court's Hall of Justice.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
African American civic leaders--California--San Diego--Biography--Sources
African Americans--California--San Diego