Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Cheryl D. James defense committee records , 1967-1975
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- James, Cheryl D.; Women's International League for Peace and Freedom; Cheryl James Defense Committee; Spencer, Arthur C., III (Arthur Champlin), 1938-
- Title
- Cheryl D. James defense committee records
- Dates
- 1967-1975 (inclusive)19671975
- Quantity
-
0.075 linear feet, (3 folders)
- Collection Number
- A 307
- Summary
- Cheryl Dawn James was an eighteen-year-old African American woman from Portland, Oregon, who was convicted of assaulting an FBI agent; a group of interested parties formed a defense committee on her behalf and argued that racism within the court and the FBI had factored into the case. The collection (1967-1975) contains defense committee records, clippings, printed matter, and also newsletters from the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom.
- Repository
-
University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives
UO Libraries--SCUA
1299 University of Oregon
Eugene OR
97403-1299
Telephone: 5413463068
spcarref@uoregon.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open to the public. Collection must be used in Special Collections and University Archives Reading Room. Collection or parts of collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives in advance of your visit to allow for transportation time.
- Additional Reference Guides
-
See the Current Collection Guide for detailed description and requesting options.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for production of this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC)
Historical NoteReturn to Top
Cheryl Dawn James was an eighteen-year-old African American woman from Portland, Oregon. James graduated from Jefferson High School. In 1971, she was convicted of assaulting an FBI agent who came to the James' residence on January 4, 1971, to arrest her brother, Charles T. James, Jr., who was absent without leave from the Navy.
A defense committee was formed by interested people and groups in Portland who agitated for an appeal, and who argued that racism within the court and the FBI had factored into the case. Arthur C. Spencer, III was the secretary of the defense committee.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The collection contains a defense committee records, clippings, printed matter, and newsletters from the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom.
The collection contains a notebook of materials collected by committee secretary Arthur C. Spencer, III. Materials include historical and biographical note on the James family, the event that led to Cheryl James' arrest, news releases, letters to the editor, correspondence, and newspaper clippings regarding the case.
Also included in the collection are newsletters of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (1967-1975), and the case is discussed in the newsletters post 1971. There is also a folder of flyers and other documents of the League.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- African American women--Oregon--Portland
- African Americans
- African Americans--Civil rights--Oregon--Portland--History--20th century
- African Americans--Oregon--Portland
- Discrimination in criminal justice administration--Oregon--Portland
- Women prisoners--Oregon
Personal Names
- James, Cheryl D.
Corporate Names
- Cheryl James Defense Committee
- United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation
Family Names
- James family
Geographical Names
- Portland (Or.)--Race relations
- Portland (Or.)--Social conditions--20th century
Form or Genre Terms
- Clippings
- Correspondence
- Newsletters
