Scope and Content Note
The papers of John Paul Frank (1917-2002) span the years 1936-2000 and include correspondence, memoranda, a legislative bill, notes, photographs, speeches, and writings. The bulk of the collection, 1946-1971, consists of correspondence with United States Supreme Court Justice Hugo LaFayette Black and Frank's memoranda, notes, and writings about Black. The correspondence began when Frank was a law clerk for Black in 1942 and continued until Black's death in 1971. The letters include exchanges of personal and family news, discussions of Frank's writings, and comments about Supreme Court opinions and related issues. The letters, along with Frank's memoranda and notes, form the basis for his book, Inside Justice Hugo L. Black: The Letters. Frank's correspondence also includes a few letters from Black's wife, Elizabeth, and from others writing about Black. The papers also contain speeches by Black, photographs, and other material relating to the justice.
Also documented in the papers are Frank's efforts to desegregate law schools in 1951 while a professor at Yale Law School and his interest in the creation of an intermediate court of appeals to assist in reducing the work of the Supreme Court. The “Intermediate court of appeals” folders include two letters from Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist.