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Collection Overview

Creator:
Mason, Alpheus Thomas, 1899-1989.
Title:
Alpheus Thomas Mason Papers
Repository:
Public Policy Papers
Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/3t945q774
Dates:
circa 1925-1979
Size:
30 boxes
Storage Note:
  • Mudd Manuscript Library (scamudd): Box 1-30
Language:
English

Abstract

Alpheus T. Mason taught in the Dept. of Politics at Princeton University beginning in 1925 and authored a number of legal works as well as biographies of Supreme Court justices Harlan Fiske Stone and Louis D. Brandeis. This collection consists of papers of Mason, including material relating Stone, Brandeis and Woodrow Wilson.

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

Consists of papers of Mason, including material relating to Supreme Court justices Harlan Fiske Stone and Louis D. Brandeis and to Woodrow Wilson.

Arrangement

This is an unprocessed collection and remains in its original arrangement.

Collection Creator Biography:

Mason, Alpheus Thomas, 1899-1989.

Alpheus Thomas Mason (1899-1989), McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence Emeritus at Princeton University, was born in a small farming and fishing village two miles outside of Snow Hill, Maryland. At age fifteen he gained a reputation as a speaker, and at age sixteen he entered Dickinson College and receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1920 (and a Master of Arts degree in 1921, plus a Doctor of Philosophy in 1923 from Princeton University).

In 1923 Alpheus Thomas Mason became a professor at Trinity College (now Duke University) a small Methodist coeducational institution. In 1925 he accepted a teaching position at Princeton University where he became a distinguished Constitutional scholar in the Politics Department. He remained at Princeton University for forty three years until he retired to emeritus status in 1968. After his retirement from Princeton University, Mason went on to teach at fifteen different universities in the United States, Japan and Israel.:

Alpheus Thomas Mason was the author of twenty-two books and numerous articles relating to the Supreme Court and its Justices including:

He was awarded the American Library Association's Liberty and Justice Award and the Francis Parkman Prize in history for Harlan Fiske Stone: Pillar of the Law. In the 1930's, he was one of the few political scientists to hold a visiting membership at the Institute for Advanced Study. He was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Political Science Association.

At the time of his death on October 31, 1989, Mason was survived by his wife Christine, daughter Louise Bachelder, three granddaughters and two great-grandchildren.

Collection History

Acquisition:

Most of the collection was the gift of Christine Mason in 1992. The accession number associated with this gift is ML1992-7. The material that comprises Box 30 was donated by Louise Mason Bachelder in 1998. The accession number associated with this gift is ML1998-6. The material that comprises Box 29 was donated by John Fatherley in 2011. The accession number associated with this gift is ML.2011.030.

Appraisal

No information about appraisal is available for this collection.

Processing Information

This is an unprocessed collection. The contents list provided is a preliminary inventory. A box accessioned in 1998 that was not included in the inventory was found in the repository in 2014 and added to the collection as Box 30.

Access & Use

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

Credit this material:

Alpheus Thomas Mason Papers; Public Policy Papers, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/3t945q774
Location:
Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library
65 Olden Street
Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
(609) 258-6345
Storage Note:
  • Mudd Manuscript Library (scamudd): Box 1-30