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William J. Jameson Papers, 1886-1996

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Jameson, William J. (William James), 1898-1990
Title
William J. Jameson Papers
Dates
1886-1996 (inclusive)
Quantity
46.0 linear feet
Collection Number
Collection 1. University of Montana Law Library.
Summary
Personal and professional papers of William J. Jameson, judge in the U.S. District Court for Montana from 1957-1969 and Senior Judge from 1969-1990. Also included are records of the Stella Duncan Memorial Fund.
Repository
University of Montana, William J. Jameson Law Library
University of Montana
32 Campus Dr. #9999
59812-9936
Missoula, MT
Telephone: 4062432699
stacey.gordon@umontana.edu
Access Restrictions

Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of Archives and Special Collections, the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, and the University of Montana--Missoula.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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Biographical Note

Judge William James Jameson was born August 8, 1898 to William J. and Annie J. (Roberts) Jameson. He received his A.B. in 1919, his LL.B in 1922, and LL.D in 1952 at the University of Montana. He also received a LL.D at the University of Manitoba (Canada) in 1954. On July 28, 1923 he married Mildred Lore. Their union produced two children: Mary Lucille (Mrs Walker Honaker) and William James, Jr. After being admitted to the Montana Bar in 1922, William Jameson was associated with Coleman and Johnston, Billings from 1922 to 1929; a member in the firm Johnston, Coleman and Jameson from 1929 to 1940, and Coleman, Jameson and Lamey from 1940 to 1957. He served as judge in the U.S. District Court for Montana from 1957 to 1969 and as Senior Judge from 1969 until his death in 1990.

Judge Jameson earned a reputation for extensive public service and dedicated leadership, having served on the local school board and in the state legislature, chaired the Yellowstone County chapter of the Red Cross and served as president of the Montana Bar Association, American Bar Association and American Judicature Society. The judge's selection in 1973 to receive the prestigious ABA Medal, the highest award conferred by the ABA, shows his stature in the legal profession. The award citation proclaimed, "It is said that law is a public profession. The tradition of service and leadership which supports that profession is nowhere better illustrated than in the career of Judge William J. Jameson...he has brought honor to the profession." A graduate of The University of Montana School of Law, Judge Jameson routinely chose UM graduates to work beside him as clerks. Whenever possible he lectured in Law School classes and judged moot court competitions. He never failed to inquire about the quality of each year's first-year class. "Higher education in Montana never had a better friend than Judge Jameson," said Dean Martin Burke, himself a former Jameson clerk.

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Content Description

The collection contains examples of Judge Jameson's court cases from the 7th, 9th, and D.C. Circuit Courts and also the Temporary Emergency Court of Appeals. It also contains civil and criminal cases from The United States District Court for the District of Montana, including those from the Billings Division, Butte Division, Great Falls Division, Havre-Glasgow Division, Helena Division and the Missoula Division. Speeches and writings by Judge Jameson, articles, personal documents, awards, photographs, and audio tapes are also included in this collection.

The collection is divided into nine series.

Series I: Court Cases, ca. 1950-1986 (34.25 linear feet) Court cases from this collection include those from the 7th Circuit Courts from the cities of Chicago, Los Angeles, Pasadena, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, and the District of Columbia. Also included are Temporary Emergency Court of Appeals of the United States. There are also court cases from the United States District Court, Montana Division. The cities present from this Division are Billings, Butte, Great Falls, Havre-Glasgow, Helena, and Missoula. These court cases involve both civil cases and criminal cases. This series also includes documents pertaining to rules, orders, and act plans from the Northern Mariana Islands.

Series II: Speeches/Writings, 1924-1986 (4.5 linear feet) The speeches and writings in this series have a wide array of topics in association to the judicial system. In most cases the material used to make these speeches is included. The speeches were presented to organizations, dinner guest speakers, to peers, and to graduating classes from both high schools and universities.

Series III: Articles, 1919-1988 (2 linear feet) This series includes various articles collected by Jameson, about Jameson, and written by Jameson. These articles concern other judges, the judicial system and other miscellaneous topics.

Series IV: Personal, 1886-1996 (0.75 linear feet) This series contains biographical information regarding Jameson and his family, including his wife and both of his parents. Material such as diaries, obituaries, oral history transcripts, brief biographies, wedding/engagement announcements, and military records can be found in this series. Also included is material regarding Jameson's personal involvement in the American Bar Association, the Lions Club, and the University of Montana School of Law.

Series V: Correspondence, 1947-1989 (2 linear feet) The correspondence in this series is mostly professionally related. It includes letters relating to judiciary matters, organizations with which Jameson was affiliated, and correspondence involving requests.

Series VI: Awards, 1925-1989 (0.25 linear feet) This series includes awards given to Jameson for his personal, professional, and philanthropic accomplishments. Some of these awards are accompanied by articles or programs that describe when and where the honors were bestowed. In most cases, actual certificates are present. The series also includes descriptions of awards given to other judges, and an account of an award named after Jameson.

Series VII: Photos, 1955-1982 (0.25 linear feet) Black and white and color photos are included in this series, along with color slides. These photos and slides depict Jameson receiving awards, with law associates and friends, and with Mrs. Jameson. This series also has several pictures of Jameson in portrait form.

Series VIII: Audio Tapes, (1982-1990), (0.5 linear feet) Tapes in this series mostly contain biographical information about Judge Jameson, Mrs. Jameson, and their parents and children. Interviews with Jameson, Mrs. Jameson, Bill, Jr. and Mary Honaker (Jameson) are included.

Series IX: Stella Duncan Memorial Fund, 1949-1977 (1.5 linear feet) These papers detail the operation of the Stella Duncan Memorial Fund at the University of Montana--Missoula, of which Jameson was a long-time trustee. Financial reports and some general information regarding the fund are included in this series. Also present is correspondence pertaining to the establishment of the fund and the activity of the board of trustees.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Researchers are responsible for using in accordance with 17 U.S.C. and any other applicable statutes. Copyright status is unknown.

Preferred Citation

[Name of document or photograph number], William J. Jameson Papers, Law Library, The University of Montana-Missoula.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The collection is divided into nine series:

Series I: Court Cases, 34.25 linear feet, 1950-1986

Series II: Speeches/Writings, 4.5 linear feet, 1924-1986

Series III: Articles, 2.0 linear feet, 1919-1988

Series IV: Personal, 0.75 linear feet, 1886-1996

Series V: Correspondence, 2.0 linear feet, 1947-1989

Series VI: Awards, 0.25 linear feet, 1925-1989

Series VII: Photos, 0.25 linear feet, 1955-1982

Series VIII: Audio Tapes, 0.5 linear feet, 1982-1990

Series IX: Stella Duncan Memorial Fund, 1.5 linear feet, 1949-1977

Acquisition Information

Gift of the William Jameson estate, 1995.

Processing Note

The collection was originally processed in 1995, but the processor's actions are unknown. In 1998-1999, the collection was re-described and new items were added to the existing collection.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Judges--Montana
  • Legal Opinions--Montana
  • Montana--History--Sources

Finding aid prepared by Robert Applegate, Bob Lovely, Brooke Simpson, and Traver Kauffman
1999

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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