Collection context
Summary
- Title:
- Mosk family autograph collection
- Dates:
- 1776-2013
- Creators:
- Mosk, Stanley, 1912-2001, Mosk, Richard M., and Mosk, Richard M.
- Extent:
- 22 linear feet (19 boxes and 3 map case drawers)
- Language:
- English .
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item]; Mosk Family Autograph Collection, MSS 1701; [box number, folder number]; California Judicial Center Library.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The Mosk Family Autograph Collection consists of over 3,000 autographed manuscripts, photographs, and other materials collected by California Supreme Court Justice Stanley Mosk and his son Richard Mosk. Father and son collected materials signed by United States presidents, United States vice presidents, United States Supreme Court justices, and other notable politicians, jurists, and celebrities. The collection includes both standalone autographs and autographed correspondence, official documents, and photographs. Most of the items were purchased by the Mosks from booksellers. However, some of the documents were sent to Stanley Mosk in his official roles, reflecting his work and relationships as excutive secretary to California Governor Culbert Olson (1939-1943); Los Angeles County Superior Court judge (1943-1958); California Attorney General (1959-1964); and associate justice on the California Supreme Court (1964-2001).
- Biographical / historical:
-
Born in San Antonio, Texas, in 1912, Stanley Mosk received his primary and secondary education in the public schools of Rockford, Illinois. His involvement in community service developed early. A fledgling journalist, he co-edited his high school newspaper and represented Rockford in the annual Illinois High School Press Conference. He was a member of the school's championship debate team. An athlete as well as a scholar, he played baseball during his high school years and covered the football and basketball seasons for the school paper.
Mosk received a bachelor of philosophy degree from the University of Chicago, Division of the Social Sciences, in June 1933. He continued his education at Southwestern University School of Law and was admitted to the practice of law in California in 1935.
He married Edna Mitchell on September 27, 1936. Their son, Richard, was born on May 18, 1939. Edna Mosk conducted a small manufacturing business and was later a realtor in Beverly Hills as well as an artist. She played an active role in the management of her husband's campaigns for attorney general in 1958 and 1962, and remained a lifelong Democrat, active in the party, until her death in 1981.
Mosk's life of public service began with his appointment to the staff of Governor Culbert L. Olson in 1939. He served in the cabinet as legal advisor and later as executive secretary. In 1943 he was appointed to the Superior Court in Los Angeles County. He resigned his judgeship to serve in the U.S. Army during World War II. At the conclusion of his military service, he returned to the bench, remaining until his successful campaign for attorney general. He won the 1958 election for that office by a margin of more than one million votes.
In his nearly six years as attorney general, Mosk issued more than 1,500 written opinions in matters ranging from water rights to voting rights. He is remembered for his strong stand in support of the right of African American golfer Charlie Sifford to compete in the PGA Tour. Among his many constructive proposals in the field of law enforcement was the establishment of the Commission on Peace Officers' Standards and Training.
Justice Mosk was appointed to the California Supreme Court in September 1964 and served until his death in June 2001. He is the author of more than 1,400 opinions in matters as varied as the use of racial quotas as a basis for admission to medical school (the Bakke decision); the ability of disabled parents to retain custody of their children; and the requirement that physicians disclose treatment options and risks to their patients (the doctrine of informed consent). At his death on June 19, 2001, Justice Mosk was survived by his widow, Mrs. Kaygey Kash Mosk, and his son, Richard Mosk.
- Acquisition information:
- The collection was donated to the California Judicial Center Library by the Mosk family in 2017.
- Processing information:
-
The collection was processed by Marie Silva in 2025. Materials were removed from file cabinets, reunited, and rehoused in archival enclosures. The series arrangement was created by the archivist.
- Arrangement:
-
The collection is arranged into four series: 1) United States Supreme Court Justices, 1776-2009; 2) United States Presidents, 1793-2009; 3) United States Vice Presidents, 1785-2003; and 4) Other Notable Figures, 1789-2013.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed terms
About this collection guide
- Date Encoded:
- This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2025-12-08 16:15:13 -0800 .
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Collection is open for research upon approval of written request. Requests should be submitted to: California Judicial Center Library, Special Collections and Archives, 455 Golden Gate Avenue, Room 4617, San Francisco, CA, 94102-7013, or by e-mail to archives@jud.ca.gov. All researchers must sign the California Judicial Center Library Special Collections Access Agreement form. This agreement can be sent electronically by request. Records in the collection may contain confidential information, as defined in the Access Agreement. Publication or disclosure of such information is strictly prohibited.
- Terms of access:
-
Because of the assembled nature of this collection, copyright status varies across the collection. Copyright is assumed to be held by the original creator of individual items in the collection. The California Judicial Center Library is not authorized to grant permission to publish or reproduce materials from this collection.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item]; Mosk Family Autograph Collection, MSS 1701; [box number, folder number]; California Judicial Center Library.
- Location of this collection:
-
455 Golden Gate Avenue, Room 4617San Francisco, CA 94102-7013, US
- Contact:
- (415) 865-4383