John Ebson Thorne (January 20, 1921-May 10, 2002) was a San Jose-based attorney and activist who specialized in civil rights and constitutional law. Over the course of his career, Thorne extended his legal services to organizations including the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP), the American Indian Movement (AIM), and anti-Vietnam War activists. He also represented Black Panther Party member and activist George Jackson, and intellectual Angela Davis. Thorne was also a prominent figure in Santa Clara County and California state Democratic Party politics. The collection primarily consists of Thorne's correspondence, legal documents, client and witness interviews, case research materials, and publications related to his professional and activist work.

John Ebson Thorne (January 20, 1921-May 10, 2002) was a San Jose, California-based attorney and activist born in Richmond, Indiana. Throughout his legal career, Thorne specialized in civil rights issues and constitutional law. He collaborated with African Americans and Native Americans in their struggles for racial and political justice, pursued legal action against the United States (U.S.) government as a means of demonstrating the illegality of the Vietnam War, and was a prominent figure in Santa Clara County and California state Democratic Party politics.

54.4 Linear Feet 123 boxes

Copyright for the items in this collection is owned by the creators and their heirs. Reproduction or distribution of any work protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires permission from the copyright owner. It is the responsibility of the user to determine whether a use is fair use, and to obtain any necessary permissions. For more information see UCSC Special Collections and Archives policy on Reproduction and Use.

This collection is open for research. Access to certain material is restricted due to attorney-client privilege. Within this guide, restricted material is marked with an Access note at the file level, specifying the extent of the closure period.