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Abraham Minkus Papers: Blacklisted Teachers in Los Angeles, 1945-1983

MSS 040

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Table of contents

Collection Contents

Series 1. Abraham Minkus, 1943-1983

Physical Description: 19 folders

Scope and Content Note

This series includes correspondence with Minkus' lawyers and the U.S. Department of Justice, Minkus' FBI file, notes, other documents, and case files from Minkus' several lawsuits. The lawsuits include: Los Angeles City School Board vs. Abraham Minkus (1953-1955), Abraham Minkus vs. Los Angeles City School Board (1977), Abraham Minkus and Serril Gerber vs. Los Angeles City School Board (1977), and Minkus, Gerber, Eisenberg, Arkin, Sirell and Cooper vs. Los Angeles City School Board (1977). A portion of Gerald L. K. Smith's FBI file is also included in this section. Smith was a proponent of "Christian American Nationalism," a "race-baiter" and a "native fascist." The file details a protest of a Smith speech in 1945 by, among others, Minkus and Charlotta Bass.

Box-folder 1/1-1/5

Correspondence

Box-folder 1/1

County of Los Angeles, 1977-1982

Box-folder 1/2

Law Offices of Melvin D. Morgan, 1981-1982

Box-folder 1/3-1/4

Law Offices of Silverton, Miller and Narvid [2 folders], 1977-1983

Box-folder 1/5

U.S. Department of Justice, 1978

Box-folder 1/6-1/7

FBI Files

Box-folder 1/6

Abraham Minkus, 1943-1968

Box-folder 1/7

Protest at Gerald L.K. Smith Speech, 1945

Box-folder 1/8

Meeting Notes, 1954, 1977, n.d.

Box-folder 1/9

Miscellaneous, 1953-1981, n.d.

Box-folder 1/10-2/7

Legal Documents

Box-folder 1/10

Statements, 1977, 1979, n.d.

Box-folder 1/11

Testimony, 1953

Box-folder 1/12-2/1

Los Angeles City Board of Education (LACBE) vs. Abraham Minkus

1/12

1953

2/1

1953-1954

Box-folder 2/2

Abraham Minkus vs. Los Angeles City Board of Education, 1955, 1977

Box-folder 2/3-2/4

Minkus and Gerber vs. Los Angeles City Board of Education

2/3

1951, 1977-1980

2/4

1953, 1979-1980

Box-folder 2/5

Minkus, Gerber, Eisenberg, Arkin, Sirell and Cooper vs. Los Angeles City Board of Education, 1977-1981

Box-folder 2/6

Declarations -- Minkus, Arkin, Cooper, and Sirell, [1977?]

Box-folder 2/7

Settlement Agreement -- Minkus, et al., 1982

Series 2. Other Los Angeles Teachers, 1953-1980

Physical Description: 17 folders

Scope and Content Note

This series includes legal documents, biographical sketches, income statements, and other materials relating to other Los Angeles teachers who were blacklisted. Of special interest is the miscellaneous material on Frances Eisenberg, which includes her letter requesting a copy of her FBI file (the actual file is in her collection).

Arrangement

Files are arranged alphabetically by teacher.

Box-folder 2/8-2/9

David Arkin

Box-folder 2/8

Los Angeles City Board of Education vs., 1953-1955

Box-folder 2/9

Miscellaneous, [1977?]

Box-folder 2/10

Alice Ball vs. Los Angeles City Board of Education, 1968

Box-folder 3/1-3/3

Minna Cooper

Box-folder 3/1

Los Angeles City Board of Education vs., 1954-1955

Box-folder 3/2

Los Angeles City Board of Education vs. Cooper, Goldin, Sirell, Kaye, Rubenstein, and Arkin, [1954?]

Box-folder 3/3

Miscellaneous, [1978?]

Box-folder 3/4-3/6

Frances Robman Eisenberg

Box-folder 3/4

Los Angeles City Board of Education vs., 1953-1955, 1977

Box-folder 3/5

Eisenberg, Arkin, and Sirrell vs. Los Angeles City Board of Education, 1978-1979

Box-folder 3/6

Miscellaneous, 1975-1980

Box-folder 3/7

Clarence and Doris Gerber -- Wills, 1977

Box-folder 3/8-3/11

Serril Gerber

Box-folder 3/8

Los Angeles City Board of Education vs., 1953-1954

Box-folder 3/9

vs. Los Angeles City Board of Education, 1953, 1977

Box-folder 3/10

Retirement, 1974-1975, n.d.

Box-folder 3/11

Miscellaneous [Includes Wills for Serril and Lillian], 1976-1979

Box-folder 3/12

Harry Shepro -- Biography, 1954

Box-folder 3/13

Los Angeles Board of Education vs. June Sirell, 1953-1955

Box-folder 3/14

Jean B. Wilkinson -- History of Case, [1954?]

Series 3. Other Documents, 1947-1982

Physical Description: 16 folders

Scope and Content Note

This series includes subject and background files related to the blacklisting and court cases as well as two issues of the L.A. Teacher, newspaper clippings, and materials on a teacher blacklisting case from Hawaii (John Reinecke and Aiko Reinecke vs. State of Hawaii).

Box-folder 3/15

Assembly Bills, 1959-1978

Box-folder 3/16

Code of Civil Procedure, n.d.

Box-folder 3/17

Communist Party, 1953-1959

Box-folder 3/18

Compensation Cases, 1975-1976, n.d.

Box-folder 4/1

Employee Rights, 1961, n.d.

Box-folder 4/2

Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education, 1954-1980, n.d.

Box-folder 4/3

Loyalty Oaths, 1948, 1953, n.d.

Box-folder 4/4-4/5

Teachers

Box-folder 4/4

Dismissal, 1964, 1966

Box-folder 4/5

Resignation, [1957?]

Box-folder 4/6

Reinecke vs. State of Hawaii, 1976-1978

Box-folder 4/7-4/8

Miscellaneous Cases [2 folders], 1945-1976, n.d.

Box-folder 4/9

L.A. Teacher, 1953, 1954

Box-folder 4/10-4/12

Clippings [3 folders], 1947-1982

Collection Contents

Abraham Minkus, 1943-1983

Other Los Angeles Teachers, 1953-1980