The Carl Panzram Papers document Panzram's experience in America's prison system as well as his reflections on and assessment of his own violent behavior. The collection includes Panzram's handwritten autobiographical manuscript, photocopies of annotated typescript of the manuscript, correspondence between Lesser and Panzram, reviews and promotional material for Killer, and correspondence with several criminologists, psychologists, and writers, including H.L. Mencken and Sheldon Glueck.  The collection also contains copies of some of Panzram's prison files, which Lesser obtained through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). These files include Panzram's death certificate, the prison case report for the murder of R.G. Warnke, as well as correspondence between psychologist Karl Menninger and prison warden T.B. White. The collection is arranged chronologically.

Carl Panzram was born 28 June 1892 in East Grand Forks, Minnesota. When he was about eight years old his father abandoned the family, leaving Panzram's mother to raise Panzram and his six siblings alone. At age 11, he robbed a neighbor and was sent to the Minnesota State Training School where he was beaten and sexually abused. This experience was the first of many at various reform schools, jails, and prisons.

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This collection is open for research. Please note that only photocopies are available for use. Permission must be granted by the Head of Special Collections to view the original documents.