Richard M. Mosk Warren Commission papers, 1963-2015

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Summary

Creators:
Mosk, Richard M.
Abstract:
Richard M. Mosk was a California Court of Appeal Justice who over more than three decades of public service investigated the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, chaired the Motion Picture Classification and Rating Administration that provides the parental ratings for motion pictures, and sat on the Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal at The Hague, where he served as a judge from 1981 to 1984 and 1997 to 2001. The Warren Commission was established by President Lyndon B. Johnson on November 29, 1963 and was chaired by Chief Justice Earl Warren to investigate the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Mosk's papers consist of correspondence between members of the staff, both personal and professional, clippings, audio and video documentaries, copies of reports, interviews and speeches all related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Extent:
9 Linear Feet 9 boxes
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[Box/folder# or item name], Richard M. Mosk Warren Commission papers, Collection no. 6120, Special Collections, USC Libraries, University of Southern California

Background

Scope and content:

The Richard M. Mosk papers, 1963-2015, consist of correspondence between members of the Warren Commission staff, both personal and professional, clippings, audio and video documentaries, copies of reports, interviews and speeches all related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence between former members of the Warren Commisssion, and it includes e-mails, letters, and memorandums of President Kennedy's assassination and the findings of the Warren Commission. The papers also include reports about Lee Harvey Oswald, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, assassination materials disclosure act, and the report of the select committee on assassinations. Mosk's papers also include clippings, articles, magazines, transcripts of television and radio shows, drafts, and legal documentes pertaining to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and the findings of the Warren Commission Report.

Biographical / historical:

Richard M. Mosk (1939-2016) was an associate justice of the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division Five since 2001 when he was appointed by Gray Davis.

Mosk was born in Los Angeles in 1939, the son of Stanley Mosk, a former California Attorney General and state Supreme Court justice. A graduate of both Stanford University and Harvard Law School, Richard Mosk served as a California Supreme Court law clerk and later was appointed to the staff of the Warren Commission (President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy) where he was charged with examining the background of Lee Harvey Oswald. From 1981 to 1984, Mosk served as the U.S. appointed judge on the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal, which was established as part of the settlement of the Iranian hostage crisis. Subsequently, he served as a substitute judge on that Tribunal from 1984 to 1997. In 1997, he was reappointed to that Tribunal and served until 2001 when he was appointed to his current position on the California Court of Appeal.

In 1991, Mosk served as a member of the Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department, also known as the Christopher Commission. The Commission was formed to investigate the L.A.P.D. shortly after the highly publicized beating of motorist Rodney King. Between 1994 and 2000, Mosk served as both Chair and Co-Chair of the Motion Picture Classification and Rating Administration (of the Motion Picture Association of America) that provides the parental ratings for motion pictures.

Justice Mosk practiced law in Los Angeles, tried both civil and criminal cases, and argued cases before the California and United States Supreme Courts. He taught law at the University of Southern California Law Center and the T.C. Beirne School of Law at Queensland University in Australia. In addition, he lectured at many law schools in the United States, Europe, and Asia.

The Warren Commission, chaired by Chief Justice Earl Warren, was established on November 29, 1963 and was tasked with investigating the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. On September 24, 1964, the commission presented its final report, consisting of 888 pages, to President Johnson. The report concluded that Lee Harvey Oswalt acted alone in the assassination of President Kennedy. Over the years, the commission's report has proven to be controversial and its findings have been challenged by skeptics and conspiracy theorists.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Sandra Mosk, June 14, 2016.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE. Advance notice required for access.

Terms of access:

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Manuscripts Librarian. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Preferred citation:

[Box/folder# or item name], Richard M. Mosk Warren Commission papers, Collection no. 6120, Special Collections, USC Libraries, University of Southern California

Location of this collection:
Special Collections
Doheny Memorial Library, Room 209
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0189, US
Contact:
(213) 740-5900
specol@usc.edu
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