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Davis (George T.) Papers
BANC MSS 2003/320 c
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Table of contents
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
The Bancroft Library
Title: George T. Davis papers
Creator:
Davis, George Thomas
Identifier/Call Number: BANC MSS 2003/320 c
Physical Description:
10 linear feet
(4 cartons, 7 volumes, 2 boxes, 2 oversize boxes, 1 oversize folder)
Date (inclusive): approximately 1913-1990
Language of Material: Collection materials are in English.
Physical Location: Many of the Bancroft Library collections are stored offsite and advance notice may be required for use. For current information
on the location of these materials, please consult the library's online catalog.
Collection is open for research, with the exception of Box 1, which is restricted until 2064 because of attorney-client privilege.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The George T. Davis papers were gifted to the Bancroft Library by George T. Davis in 1999.
George T. Davis was a criminal defense attorney based in San Francisco. He was known for his larger-than-life trial persona
and his high-profile cases, many of which involved the death penalty. Davis graduated from law school at UC Berkeley in 1931
and served as assistant San Francisco district attorney for more than a decade. He ran for Attorney General of the state of
California in 1942. He spent most of his career as a criminal defense attorney. His first major case was that of Tom Mooney,
the labor organizer convicted for the 1916 Preparedness Day bombing in San Francisco. In 1935, Davis managed to secure a new
trial for Mooney and, in 1939, Mooney was pardoned by Governor Culbert Olson. The Mooney case was an international sensation
and established Davis’ reputation as a criminal defense attorney. During the 1950s, Davis spent five years working on the
death penalty appeal of Caryl Chessman and, in 1989, Davis represented televangelist Jim Bakker in a high-profile fraud and
conspiracy case. Davis was also active in Democratic Party politics and ran the Northern California campaigns of Presidents
Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman.
[Identification of item], George T. Davis papers, BANC MSS 2003/320c, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.
Processed by Lara Michels in November 2018.
Consists of some biographical material, including manuscript drafts of an autobiography; case files, including files on Tom
Mooney, Caryl Chessman, and James Bakker, among others; some speeches and writings; subject files; clippings, including scrapbooks
of clippings relating to Davis' cases; and photographs, including photos relating to the Tom Mooney and Caryl Chessman cases.
Some materials in these collections may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). Copyright for material
created by Alan Copeland has been assigned to the University of California Regents, managed by The Bancroft Library. In addition,
the reproduction of some materials may be restricted by terms of University of California gift or purchase agreements, donor
restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing and trademarks. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected
by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public
domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively
with the user. All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from, or otherwise use collection materials must be submitted to
The Bancroft Library. See: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/reference/permissions.html
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Davis , George Thomas, 1907-2006 -- Archives
Mooney, Thomas J., 1882-1942
Chessman, Caryl, 1921-1960
Bakker, Jim, 1940-
Criminal law
Criminal defense lawyers -- California
Trials -- California
Capital punishment
Photographs