Source: http://digitalcollection.chicagohistory.org/cdm/ref/collection/p16029coll6/id/698/
Timestamp: 2019-04-20 05:03:28+00:00

Document:
Prepared by Lee C. Fosburgh, April 1994; revised by Christopher Tounsel 2005.
Gift of William E. Gardner (accession number #: M1983.0021).
Advance appointment with special permission required to view a small portion of the collection.
Julius J. Hoffman papers (Chicago History Museum) plus a detailed description, date, and box/folder number of a specific item.
Related materials at Chicago History Museum, Research Center, include the Judge Julius Hoffman papers addition (2005.0116) which is not described in this descriptive inventory, the Julius Hoffman photographs (2000.0151), the Judge Julius Hoffman photograph collection (1987.0626), and published excerpts from the Chicago 7 trial transcript and related documents.
Eight publications, including the 1947 and 1953 programs for the induction ceremony for judges of the United States District Court, were transferred to the library. A "We Support Judge Hoffman" button was transferred to Decorative & Industrial Arts.
The collection contains correspondence, newsclippings, legal records, speeches, and sound recordings by or about Julius J. Hoffman, a judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Most of the papers concern Judge Hoffman's handling of the Chicago Seven Conspiracy trial (1969-1970) and include letters from the public regarding him (mostly favorable) and 10 audio recordings of television news coverage about the events. Smaller amounts of material concern Judge Hoffman's involvement in other well-known trials, including Durovic-Krebiozen cancer cure case (1965); Kamsler case (1968, 1969); South Holland (Ill.) School District 151 case (1969); Tell City case (1962); United States v. Accardo (1962); United States v. Isaacs, Kerner (1971); Frank Walus immigration case (1978). Mementos of his professional career, 1944-1983, and correspondence with relatives also are in the collection.
Julius J. Hoffman, lawyer and jurist for 36 years, was born in Chicago on July 7, 1885. Hoffman was educated in the Chicago public schools and attended Lewis Institute in Lockport (Ill.) and law school at Northwestern University. He was admitted to the Bar of the State of Illinois in October 1915 and entered the general practice of law. In 1936, he became general counsel for the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company and also served as vice-president and director until 1944. He returned to general law practice in 1944. In November 1947, Hoffman was elected judge of the Superior Court of Cook County for a six-year term. President Eisenhower appointed Hoffman as judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on May 14, 1953.
Judge Hoffman served as a member of the faculty of Northwestern Law School. He also was a member of the Illinois State Housing Board, Northwestern University Associates, board of directors of Northwestern University Law School Alumni, the American Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Association, and the American Judicature Society. He also served as associate editor of the American Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, vice-chairman of the Hospital Building Fund of the Jewish Federation of Chicago on behalf of Michael Reese and Mount Sinai Hospitals, and was an active participant in philanthropic and charitable affairs in Chicago from 1958-1983.
On February 3, 1972, Judge Hoffman retired from active service in the United States District Court and assumed senior status on the bench. He continued to hear cases until 1982, when the executive committee of the United States District Court ordered that no new cases be assigned to him.
Judge Hoffman achieved national fame when he presided over the Chicago Seven Conspiracy trial (U. S. v. David T. Dellinger, et al.), involving originally eight defendants (Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Rennie Davis, Tom Hayden, David Dellinger, Lee Weiner, John Froines, and Bobby Seale) who were accused of conspiring to incite riots in Chicago during the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The trial was known as the Chicago Seven Conspiracy case after Bobby Seale, a co-founder of the Black Panther Party, was removed from the case. After a week of court spectacle, which involved the binding and gagging of Seale, a mistrial was declared for Seale. Judge Hoffman sentenced Seale to four years in prison on sixteen counts of contempt. After five months of trial, the jury acquitted the seven defendants of the conspiracy charge, but found five of them guilty (all except Weiner and Froines) of crossing state lines to incite a riot.
In 1972, a Circuit Court decision overturned the convictions and declared the "the demeanor of the judge and the prosecutors would require reversal even if errors did not." A new trial on the 200 contempt citations Judge Hoffman had entered against the defendants and their lawyers was tried by the United States District Judge Edward L. Gignoax. All but 13 of the citations were dismissed, and no jail sentences were imposed.
Judge Hoffman presided over several other trials which drew nationwide attention, among them the Durovic-Krebiozen cancer cure case (1965), one of the longest cases to be tried in any United States District Court. Judge Hoffman also presided over the Tell City case (1962), United States v. Tony Accardo (1962), United States v. Isaacs and Kerner (1971), the 1978 Frank Walus immigration case, and the Kamsler case (1968, 1969): the historic 1969 school desegregation decision for the South Holland (Ill.) School District 151. Judge Hoffman was known for his numerous articles in various law journals, and speeches before many important national organizations and bar associations.
Judge Hoffman married Eleanor H. Greenebaum on September 20, 1928. They had no children together, but Mrs. Hoffman had two sons, William and Ernest, from a previous marriage. Eleanor Hoffman died in 1980. Judge Hoffman died on July 1, 1983 at the age of 98.
The collection is arranged three series. The first and second series have three and four subseries, respectively.
Relates to Judge Hoffman's judicial career, primarily concerning the Chicago Seven Conspiracy Trial, but also including materials on the Durovic-Krebiozen Cancer-Cure Trial, and the School District 151 Integration Trial.
Subseries 1, The Chicago Seven Conspiracy trial, 1969-1970, contains incoming letters to Hoffman, Hoffman's trial notes, and newspaper clippings related to the case. The largest body of materials are favorable incoming correspondence (boxes 1-22) that approve Judge Hoffman's conduct during the trial. Only six folders (box 23) contain highly critical reactions to his trial conduct. The correspondence is arranged chronologically.
The trial notes (box 23) contain the notes Judge Hoffman took during the trial especially regarding the defendants contempt of court charges. The trial notes are arranged chronologically. There are also five folders of clippings from newspapers cross the nation regarding the trial.
Three enlargements of newsclippings pertaining to the overturning of Hoffman's decision that the Judge had framed and displayed in his office have been stored with the oversize collections.
Subseries 2, Other trials, 1961-1978, consists of random correspondence, newsclippings, and legal files on six well-known cases over which Judge Hoffman presided. The cases documented (box 24) include: Durovic-Krebiozen cancer cure trial (1965), Kamsler case (1968, 1969), the historic 1969 school desegregation decision for the South Holland school district 151, Tell City case (1962), United States v. Tony Accardo (1962), United States v. Isaacs and Kerner (1971), and the 1978 Frank Walus immigration case. The records are arranged alphabetically by case.
Subseries 3, Case journals, 1964-1979, consist of eight bound journals (box 25-26) kept by Judge Hoffman from 1964-1979. Judge Hoffman's entries on the cases that he was assigned are usually prefaced by the case's identifying number. His entries are brief, difficult to decipher, and incomplete. The journals are arranged chronologically.
Series 2 consists of correspondence, newsclippings, and speeches relative to Judge Hoffman's professional career and personal life. The records are divided into four subseries, each arranged alphabetically by topic.
Subseries 1, Biographical data, 1950-1983, contains several versions of biographical write-ups (box 27) done for and by Judge Hoffman. There is one folder of newsclippings which relate to many areas of Judge Hoffman's professional career. The folders include correspondence relative to his federal judiciary appointment. Personal memorabilia includes a marriage license, passport, receipts, and American Bar Association materials.
Subseries 2, Correspondence, 1930-1984, consists of personal correspondence (boxes 28-29) between Judge Hoffman and his relatives, especially his two stepsons, William and Ernest. The correspondence includes topics such as Judge Hoffman's career, naturalization, peoples reaction to speeches, senior judge status, parties, 1953 appointment to the District Court, his resignation from the Brunswick Corporation, and his birthday.
Subseries 3, Speeches, 1942-1982, contains transcripts of speeches given by Judge Hoffman (boxes 30-35) and concern issues related to the law. There are also many versions of speeches given by Judge Hoffman at wedding ceremonies, award, naturalization, and organizational events, and dignitary events.
Subseries 4, Newsclippings, 1970-1975, contains additional newsclippings (box 35) covering many aspects of Judge Hoffman's career, especially the years following the Chicago Seven Conspiracy trail. The newsclippings are arranged in chronological order.
Ten audio tapes contain sound recordings of CBS, NBC, and ABC television broadcasts about the trial.
Biographical History Biographical/historical note; Julius J. Hoffman, lawyer and jurist for 36 years, was born in Chicago on July 7, 1885. Hoffman was educated in the Chicago public schools and attended Lewis Institute in Lockport (Ill.) and law school at Northwestern University. He was admitted to the Bar of the State of Illinois in October 1915 and entered the general practice of law. In 1936, he became general counsel for the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company and also served as vice-president and director until 1944. He returned to general law practice in 1944. In November 1947, Hoffman was elected judge of the Superior Court of Cook County for a six-year term. President Eisenhower appointed Hoffman as judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on May 14, 1953.; Judge Hoffman served as a member of the faculty of Northwestern Law School. He also was a member of the Illinois State Housing Board, Northwestern University Associates, board of directors of Northwestern University Law School Alumni, the American Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Association, and the American Judicature Society. He also served as associate editor of the American Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, vice-chairman of the Hospital Building Fund of the Jewish Federation of Chicago on behalf of Michael Reese and Mount Sinai Hospitals, and was an active participant in philanthropic and charitable affairs in Chicago from 1958-1983.; On February 3, 1972, Judge Hoffman retired from active service in the United States District Court and assumed senior status on the bench. He continued to hear cases until 1982, when the executive committee of the United States District Court ordered that no new cases be assigned to him.; Judge Hoffman achieved national fame when he presided over the Chicago Seven Conspiracy trial (U. S. v. David T. Dellinger, et al.), involving originally eight defendants (Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Rennie Davis, Tom Hayden, David Dellinger, Lee Weiner, John Froines, and Bobby Seale) who were accused of conspiring to incite riots in Chicago during the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The trial was known as the Chicago Seven Conspiracy case after Bobby Seale, a co-founder of the Black Panther Party, was removed from the case. After a week of court spectacle, which involved the binding and gagging of Seale, a mistrial was declared for Seale. Judge Hoffman sentenced Seale to four years in prison on sixteen counts of contempt. After five months of trial, the jury acquitted the seven defendants of the conspiracy charge, but found five of them guilty (all except Weiner and Froines) of crossing state lines to incite a riot.; In 1972, a Circuit Court decision overturned the convictions and declared the "the demeanor of the judge and the prosecutors would require reversal even if errors did not." A new trial on the 200 contempt citations Judge Hoffman had entered against the defendants and their lawyers was tried by the United States District Judge Edward L. Gignoax. All but 13 of the citations were dismissed, and no jail sentences were imposed.; Judge Hoffman presided over several other trials which drew nationwide attention, among them the Durovic-Krebiozen cancer cure case (1965), one of the longest cases to be tried in any United States District Court. Judge Hoffman also presided over the Tell City case (1962), United States v. Tony Accardo (1962), United States v. Isaacs and Kerner (1971), the 1978 Frank Walus immigration case, and the Kamsler case (1968, 1969): the historic 1969 school desegregation decision for the South Holland (Ill.) School District 151. Judge Hoffman was known for his numerous articles in various law journals, and speeches before many important national organizations and bar associations.; Judge Hoffman married Eleanor H. Greenebaum on September 20, 1928. They had no children together, but Mrs. Hoffman had two sons, William and Ernest, from a previous marriage. Eleanor Hoffman died in 1980. Judge Hoffman died on July 1, 1983 at the age of 98.
Scope and Contents The collection contains correspondence, newsclippings, legal records, speeches, and sound recordings by or about Julius J. Hoffman, a judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Most of the papers concern Judge Hoffman's handling of the Chicago Seven Conspiracy trial (1969-1970) and include letters from the public regarding him (mostly favorable) and 10 audio recordings of television news coverage about the events. Smaller amounts of material concern Judge Hoffman's involvement in other well-known trials, including Durovic-Krebiozen cancer cure case (1965); Kamsler case (1968, 1969); South Holland (Ill.) School District 151 case (1969); Tell City case (1962); United States v. Accardo (1962); United States v. Isaacs, Kerner (1971); Frank Walus immigration case (1978). Mementos of his professional career, 1944-1983, and correspondence with relatives also are in the collection.
Arrangement The collection is arranged three series. The first and second series have three and four subseries, respectively.

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