Collection View
Series 1: Writings, 1920-1971
These records document Medina's writings about law, religion, politics and literature. This series includes introductions to others' books, book reviews, and the texts of articles, speeches and memorials authored by Medina. Information about when and where Judge Medina gave these speeches can be found in the correspondence series.
The order in which these files came to Princeton has been maintained.
Book Reviews, 1927-1970
Review of Alpheus Mason's Harlan Fiske Stone: Pillar of the Law, 1956 November 15 - 1957 March 27
The Bill of Rights, 1958
Articles, 1920-1968
Current Development in Pleading, Practice, and Procedures in the New York Courts, 1945 January 31
Faith, 1968 October 6
Legal Aid Society, 1960
Loyalty, 1950 June 18
Near East Society Reception for UN Delegates from the Near Eastern Countries, 1949 November 27
Retirement, 1958 June 10
Why Lawyers?, undated
Series 2: Correspondence, 1908-1987
The correspondence in this series includes discussion of both personal and professional matters.
Medina's extensive correspondence is arranged first thematically (general correspondence, correspondence with family, etc.), then chronologically, then alphabetically by correspondent. From 1958 forward, there are no folders for correspondence. Material is divided alphabetically by dividers from letter boxes, often for six month periods rather than yearly.
The Communist Trial, undated
Correspondence, undated
Classical Library - Correspondence with the Blackwell, Ltd. re: Books for the Library, 1939-1954
Series 3: Scrapbooks, 1905-1980
These scrapbooks include press clippings, texts of speeches, correspondence, awards, and miscellaneous records of Judge Medina's life and career.
Scrapbooks are arranged chronologically, and a card subject index is available in the first box of the series.
Scrapbook, 1932
Scrapbook, 1933
Scrapbook, 1924-1931
Scrapbook, 1951
Scrapbook, 1958 March 1
Scrapbook, 1969-1980
These records document Harold Medina's work as a law professor and with the "Medina Course," an independent venture to help students study for the New York bar. Records include notes (mostly from current events in the world of jurisprudence), some financial records, correspondence, and copies of bar exams.
The order in which these files came to Princeton has been maintained.
The Medina Course, 1915-1946
Lecture Notes, undated
Bar Exams, undated
Law Summaries, undated
Miscellaneous documents, undated
Bar Exam Notes, undated
Bar Exams, 1917 April
Selected Readings, 1942
Teaching Notes, undated
Series 5: Legal Career, 1909-1947
Medina had the work he had done as an attorney bound into volumes. These volumes are listed by number, and include a list of the major cases contained within.
The order in which these files came to Princeton has been maintained.
Miscellaneous, undated
Melcher, Schumer v. Caplan; Miller v. Hogan; Hughes v. Macaroni Company Cutcheon, Tonnele, 1924
Silberstein v. Weintraub Lanyi v. Lanyi Albin v. Ellin and Yellow Taxi Donnarumma v. Potter, 1924
Golden v. Shaw; Fried v. Hecker, Jones, Jewell; People v. Goldberg; Gilardi v. Greenberg, 1925
Heimerich v. Clemente Matter of Leyhane Matter of Moll Lamport MFG. V. Ocean S. S. Company, 1925
Harris v. Harris, 1925
Vought v. McCarthy Smyk v. Munson Herman v. National T. G. Company Marino v. Estate of Castree, 1928
Brown v. Brown, 1928
Knopp v. Teagle Matter of Levy Becker Klein v. Atlantic Transport Company Matter of McCann, 1930
Kochanowitz v. Montgomery Filippo v. U.S. Shipping Board Stewart v. U.S. Casualty Company, 1930
Meyer v. Harvey Fisk and Sons Inc. Horan v. MacDonald Gallagher v. Kusnirak Bedell v. Kunkel, 1931
People v. Bernard K. Marcus, Saul Singer and Herbert Singer Case on Appeal Volumes I and II, 1932
People v. Bernard K. Marcus, Saul Singer and Herbert Singer Case on Appeal Volumes III and IV, 1932
People v. Bernard K. Marcus, Saul Singer and Herbert Singer Case on Appeal Volumes V and VI, 1932
People v. Bernard K. Marcus, Saul Singer and Herbert Singer Case on Appeal Volumes IX and X, 1932
Janvier v. Clinical Laboratories Company Robins Dry Dock v. Navigazione Libera Triestina, S. A, 1932
U.S. v. McNamara, 1937
Felt v. Trans-Lux, 1938
Matter of Rathbone, 1941
Matter of Rathbone, 1941
Kreiger v. Kreiger; 1165 - 5th AVE. Corporation v. Alger Matter of Emma B. Johnson, 1941 - 1942
Matter of Hargrove, 1942
Anaham Realty Corporation v. Automobile Manufacturers Association Inc.; Pocket Books v. Meyers, 1943
Herzig v. Swift and Company; Douchkess v. Campbell; Hart v. New York Life Insurance Company, 1946
Hyman v. Devine, 1946
Margulies v. Standard Oil Company of New Jersey and Westvaco Chlorine Products Corporation, 1946
Hyman v. Devine, 1946
Margulies v. Standard Oil Company of New Jersey and Westvaco Chlorine Products Corporation, 1947
Professional Organizations, undated
These records document Medina's work on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, to which he was nominated by Harry S. Truman in 1947 and where he served until 1953. Records document two major cases -- United States v. Foster and United States v. Morgan, in addition to smaller, less-known cases. Cases are listed by both name and case number whenever available.
The two major cases of Medina's career, United States v. Foster and United States v. Morgan, have been arranged into their own subseries, followed by the remaining records of Medina's work with the Southern District of New York.
Pamphlets, 1932-1949 May 23
Clippings, undated
Brief in Support of Objections to Questions Addressed to Defendent John Gates C. 128-87, 1949 June
Brief in Support of Objections to Questions Addressed to Defendent John Gates - C. 128-87, 1949
Memorandum of Law, 1949
Memorandum, undated
Miscellaneous, undated
Problem regarding 282 and 283 of Civil Practice Act, and Effect of 1932 repeal of 282, undated
World Documents Judge Medina's Charge to the Jury and Judge Medina's Addresses to the Jury, 1949
Stenographer's Minutes - Pre-trial Exhibits and Challenge Exhibits, 1949 January 17 - 1949 March 1
Correspondences, 1949
Commie Letters, 1949 May
Anti-Trust Case, Index to Exhibit 41-A, 3 Issuer Summaries Volume 1 (A-L) Volume 2 (M-Z), 1954
Anti-Trust Case, Issue Date Sheets, 1 and 2 Anti-Trust Case, Issuer Document Files, 28, 1954 May 20
Anti-Trust Case, index to Exhibit 41-A, 1 Anti-Trust Case, Cross-Index of Evidence, 2, 1954 May 20
Exquisite Form Bras-Siere, Inc. v. Royal Worcester Corset Company Civil. 41-791, 1947 August 19
Brown, Wheelock, etc. v. American Safety Razor Corporation et. al. Civil 42-774, 1947 August 26
Niagara Fire Insurance Company et al. v. United States (27 on cal.) Civil. 38-964, 1948 February 20
Omag Optik Und Mechanik, A.G. v. Alexander J. Weinstein, et al. Civil. 41-563, 1948 February 24
Maritime Maintenance Corporation v. East Coast Shipyards, Inc. Civil. 35-520, 1948 February 27
Nedo-Belgique, Societe de Personnes v. Stoddard Shipping Company, Inc. Civil. 45-350, 1948 June 29
Anglo-Continentale Treuhand A.G. v. St. Louis South-Western RY. Company Civil, 1948 October 11
Teeval Company Inc. v. Thomas E. Dewey N. L. Goldstein and Frank Hogan Civil. 57-75, 1950 April 4
State of Netherlands (De Verrier) v. Federal Reserve Bank of New York Civil. 46-575, 1950 April 11
Acme Utilities Corporation v. American and Foreing Enterprises, Inc. Civil. 46-322, 1948 August 18
WM.R.McComb, Admr.Wage and Hour Div. v. Frank Scerbo and Sons, Inc. Civil. 40-167, 1948 August 17
United States ex rel. Frank A. Russo v. E.E. Thompson, Warden, et al. - Two Folders, 1948 August 24
Shane R. O'Neill, 1957
Armstrong v. S.S. Mormacmar, etc., Moore-McCormack Lines, Inc. et. al. Civil. 133-67, 1950 October
United States v. Metrepolitan Leather and Findings Association, Inc. Civil. 128-277, 1949 January 14
Long Island Rail Road Company v. United States and Interstate Commerce COMM. Civil. 43-402, 1947
Quarterly Reports Concerning Cases Held Advisement and Pending on References to Masters, 1947-1950
Charge to Jury, undated
Opinions, undated
Series 7: United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit Judicial Records, 1945-1984
The cases in this series include a docket or case number which such a designation was available. These public records were bound by a media service at Medina's request and contain very little unpublished content, other than correspondence with clerks and other judges.
The order in which these files came to Princeton has been maintained.
American Safety Table Company v. Schreiber and Goldberg., Docket Number 24959, 24960, 1958 October
American Travelers Club Inc. v. Hostetter, et al., Docket Number 63 Civil No. 943, 1959 - 1963
Coclin Tobacco Company v. Brown and Williamson Tobacco Company, Docket Number 30007, 1965 November
Cunningham v. Erie Railroad Company and United Railroad Workers of America, CIO, Local 1463, 1959
Jack Kahn Music Company, Inc. v. Baldwin Piano and Organ Company, Docket Number 79-7093, 1979 May
Maryland Tuna Corporation v. The MS Benares,et al., Docket Number 31141 31142 34245, 1970 January
United States ex rel. Agnes Scranton v. State of New York, Docket number 75-2145, 1976 January
U.S. ex rel Joel Smith v. McMann, Warden of Auburn State Prision, Docket Number 32609, 1969 January
United States ex rel.Kelly Wilson v. The Hon. Daniel McMann, Docket Number 31934 31935, 1969 January
These files were retrieved from Medina's filing cabinets at his Foley Square office in 1986. Much of it may complement other series but is from later in his life; personal and professional files are interspersed.
The order in which these files came to Princeton has been maintained.
American Judicature Society: Judge Medina Awarded "Justice Award", 1971 June 8-1971 October 20
American Farm School - Celebration of Ann House's 90th Birthday, 1978 February 14-1978 October 28
Columbia Law Alumni Association Luncheon - Judge Medina's 90th Birthday, 1978 January 4-1978 May 18
MacKay, Richard V. - Correspondence Re: Letters of Recommendation, 1948 December 1-1953 June 4
Correspondence with Mexican Relatives: Sra. Flora Gutierrez de Zavala, 1973 March 18-1974 July 22
Correspondence with Mexican Relatives: Sra. Bertha M. Gutierrez de Seijo, 1974 January 7-1975 June 9
Correspondence with Mexican Relatives: Srta. Lucy Medina Morales, 1973 March 26-1977 October 3
Correspondence with Mexican Relatives: Sra, Olda M. de Lizarraga, 1973 March 15-1985 November 13
Correspondence with Mexican Relatives: Srta. Aida Medina Vidiella, 1973 March 26-1982 January 7
Shellabarger, Samuel - Correspondence Regarding his Biography, 1957 September 25-1957 October 11
Conference on Continuing Legal Education (Harrison Tweed's Project), 1961 October 20-1961 October 31
Member of Board of Trustees of Teachers College - Columbia University, 1956 January 9-1984 April 13
Princeton 1909 Correspondences regarding Amending Class Constitution, 1968 January 2-1970 July 27
Miscellaneous Correspondences with Administrative Office of the United States Courts, 1983-1985
Circuit Council Minutes Prepared by R. D. Lipscher Circuit Executive, 1974 October 17-1984 June 18
Correspondence regarding Judicial Conference of the United States, 1956 March 26-1985 August 12
Correspondence with West Publishing Company regarding Opinions, 1947 September 5-1976 January 14
Legal Aid Society - In Criminal Division of U.S. District Courts, 1948 March 18-1948 October 29
Opinions, 1951-1970
Jurisdiction, undated
American College of Trial Lawyers - Report of the Special Committee, 1972 March 15-1972 March 15
Remarks of Judge at Dinner of Institute of Judicial Administration, 1979 December 5-1980 July 25
Fourth Annual Practising Law Institute Seminar on Communications Law, 1976 May 11-1976 November 11
Introduction of Judge Midonick as Surrogate of New York County, 1971 December 21-1972 January 28
Addresses made by Judge David W. Peck of the Appellate Division, 1953 February 6-1954 April 23
Fourth Annual Practising Law Institute Seminar on Communications Law, 1976 July 9-1977 January 17
Photographs, undated
Scrapbooks, undated
Photographs, 1945-1967
Medina Course, undated
Medina Course, 1960-1964
Record Book, 1953-1960
Medina and Magill, 1936
Diary, 1953
Series 9: Personal, 1860-1995
This series is a mishmash of correspondence, calendars, writings, and family histories.
This series is arranged roughly chronologically, and strongly resembles the order in which the records came to Princeton.
Application for Admissions to Practice Before the Treasury Department, 1945 December - 1945 February
Addresses, 1944 - 1956
Writings, 1931 - 1963
These photograph albums include family photos, portraits, and press photos.
Photograph albums are arranged in chronological order.
This series is an assemblage of audio-visual materials in the collection. Because many materials are in obsolete formats, not much is known about their contents, other than the labels on the physical media.
The order in which these files came to Princeton has been maintained.
Honors include medals from the Freedom Foundation, the Holland Society, the New York Board of Trade, the National Institute of Social Sciences, the Eleanor Van Rennselaer Medal by the Colonial Dames, The Veterans of Foreign Wars, and honorary membership to the state bars of Kansas, Vermont, Maine, North Dakota, Virginia and Washington. Medina was also bestowed honorary membership to the Osage tribe.
The order in which these materials were sent to Princeton has been maintained.
- Scope and Contents
This collection includes legal records, personal and professional correspondence, photographs, audio recordings, and teaching materials; in aggregate, they offer a substantial record of Medina's life and work. The bulk of the records in this collection is legal records, collected by Medina at a time when such resources were not widely distributed. They provide an almost-comprehensive record of Medina's career as a lawyer and judge.
Correspondence is usually kept in chronological rather than subject order. Researchers looking for correspondence will find it in the correspondence series, as well as the subject files series and his personal files.
- Arrangement
The box numbers assigned at the beginning of this collection's custody at Princeton have been maintained, although in some cases they have been re-ordered throughout the finding aid for intellectual coherence. Boxes 23 and 75-82 are currently missing from the collection. Boxes 95-98, 179-180, 284-287, 297-298 and 301 have been removed from the collection.
- Collection Creator Biography:
Medina
Harold Raymond Medina was born in Brooklyn, New York on February 16, 1888, the son of Joaquin A. and Elizabeth M. Medina. He attended Princeton University, where he graduated in 1909 with highest honors in French. Medina continued to be an engaged alumnus for the rest of his life; he was Princeton's oldest living alumnus for many years.
Medina earned his law degree (LL.B.) from Columbia in 1912, and was eventually awarded honorary degrees from Columbia, St. Johns, Dartmouth, Williams, Bates, Princeton, Northeastern, and many others.
After graduating Columbia, Medina was admitted to the New York bar in 1912 and was an associate with the firm Davies, Auerbach and Cornell from 1912-1918. He was a senior member of the firm Medina and Sherpick from 1918-1947, and taught law at Columbia from 1915-1940. Medina was appointed to the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in 1947, and served until 1951, at which time he was appointed to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.
Beginning in 1912, and throughout the course of his career as a lawyer, Medina led a New York Bar preparation course. At its peak, there were 1,600 students in the course.
Medina first gained widespread public attention (culminating with his face on the cover of Time Magazine in October 1949), when from January through October of that year, he presided over United States v. Foster (known, on appeal, as United States v. Dennis), the trial of eleven Communist Party, USA leaders under the Smith Act.
A second spike of public attention came in 1952, when he presided over United States v. Morgan et al., more commonly known as the Investment Bankers Case. In this case, the antitrust division of the Department of Justice charged 17 of the biggest U.S. investment banking firms -- and the Investment Bankers' Association of America -- with conspiracy to monopolize the securities business. The complaint said that the defendants had managed the sales of nearly 69% of some $20 billion worth of securities issued by the syndicate method (several houses working together) in the last ten years. They did so, the Government charged, by eliminating competition among themselves and preventing the use of competitive bidding for new issues. However, the Justice Department failed to make a compelling case. Medina sharply criticized Justice Department attorneys for failing to be clear in their explanation of how the defendants violated the Sherman antitrust act, and in the end, ruled in favor of the investment banking firms.
Medina was well-known for his passion for books, particularly classical languages and literatures. He was instrumental in the founding of a public library in Westhampton, New York, where he lived.
Medina died in 1990 at the age of 102.
- Acquisition:
Gift of Harold R. Medina in October 1963 . Additional material was received between 1990 and 2007. The accession numbers associated with these subsequent gifts are ML.1990-13, ML.2001.004, ML.2001.013, and ML.2007.002.
- Custodial History
Before coming to Princeton in the 1960s, this collection was divided between Medina's home and office. Parts of the collection spent time in the custody of Medina's official biographer at Johns Hopkins University during the 1970s-1990s, and limited documentation of what was sent and returned is available. A small number of boxes regarding Medina's work with the Southern District Court of New York remain unaccounted for to this day.
- Appraisal
Documentation of Medina's memberships to professional, civic and religious organizations has been separated from the collection, as has documentation from a membership drive of the New York Bar Association. Personal financial documentation has also been destroyed. Documentation of Medina's role as a trustee and advisor to Princeton University has been separated and made into its own collection, AC392.
- Processing Information
This collection was processed by Maureen Callahan in summer 2011, with help from Matt Allen '12 and Alec Egan '13. At this time, materials were moved into series, file lists were created, descriptive notes were written, materials were separated from the collection, and the finding aid was updated. Finding aid written by Maureen Callahan in 2011.
- Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research.
- 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.
Series 11 is composed of audiovisual materials in various formats.
- Credit this material:
Harold R. Medina papers; Public Policy Papers, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library
- Permanent URL:
- http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/9k41zd49p
- Location:
-
Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library65 Olden StreetPrinceton, NJ 08540, USA
- Storage Note:
- ReCAP (scarcpph): Boxes 1-22; 24-94; 99-178; 181-274; 283; 288-296; 299-300; 302-353; 377
- Existence and Location of Copies
A very small part of the collection is available on microfilm (1 reel, 35 mm.): (MuddF) Micro-Film 6, (FilmM) Micro-Film 5635, and (FilmP) Micro-Film 2616, from Princeton University Library, One Washington Rd., Princeton, NJ 08544. FilmM (master printing negative) and FilmP (master preservation negative) available for reproduction only.
- Subject Terms:
- Communist Trial, New York, N.Y., 1949
Communists
District Courts -- United States
Law -- Study and teaching -- New York (N.Y.) - Genre Terms:
- Correspondence
Manuscripts.
Photographs, Original.
Prizes.
Records.
Scrapbooks.
Sound recordings. - Names:
- Columbia University. School of Law.
United States. Court of Appeals (2nd Circuit)
Princeton University. Class of 1909
