Martin Popper Papers
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Abstract
This collection documents the life and career of American attorney Martin Popper (1910-1989), a participant in many left-wing causes during the mid- and late-20th century and an executive secretary of the National Lawyers Guild (NLG). In his legal practice Popper defended the "Hollywood Ten" during the entertainment industry blacklist, represented the family of slain civil rights activist Andrew Goodman, and interacted with many prominent American activists and progressive organizations. The bulk of the collection is comprised of documents related to Popper's involvement in the NLG, the Consular Law Society, and the Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy, and includes legal documents related to his indictment before the House Un-American Acitivities Committee (HUAC), policy statements in support of anti-nuclear proliferation, and amicus briefs filed on behalf of clients and colleagues.
Historical/Biographical Note
Martin Popper (1910-1989) was an American attorney associated with leftist and civil rights causes during the second half of the twentieth century. Born in Manhattan, a graduate of City College and the Brooklyn Law School, Popper was a founding partner of the New York law firm Wolf, Popper, Ross, Wolf & Jones. In 1945, Popper served as a consultant at the 1945 United Nations San Francisco Conference, and in 1946 acted as an observer for the American Bar Association at the Nuremberg trials. Popper served as executive secretary of the National Lawyers Guild (NLG), as vice president of the Consular Law Society, a member of the American Society of International Law, and co-chairman of the Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy. As an attorney Popper defended several prominent figures accused of Communist affiliations, including Dalton Trumbo and John Howard Lawson of the ''Hollywood Ten." In later years he represented the family of slain Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) civil rights worker Andrew Goodman, participated in nuclear disarmament campaigns, founded the International Association of Democratic Lawyers, and offered support for the Palestinian Liberation Organization on behalf of the New York City Chapter of the NLG.
Arrangement
This collection has not been arranged by an archivist. The materials are arranged in the order in which they were received from the donor.
Scope and Content Note
This collection documents Martin Popper's involvement in several prominent legal cases, as well as his participation in leftist and civil rights issues during the second half of the 20th-century. The bulk of the collection relates to Popper's position as executive secretary of the National Lawyers Guild (NLG), including published reports, copies of the Lawyers Guild Review and Guild Practitioner, drafts of articles and legal briefs, interview transcripts, and correspondence describing his direction of the Guild's political orientation. Popper's defense of the "Hollywood Ten" before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) is reflected in publications produced by the NLG; and his 1961 conviction for contempt of Congress and its 1962 reversal is represented in newspaper clippings, memoranda, official court records and declassified FBI documents. Also included in the collection are publications and photographs related to Popper's involvement in the 1945 United Nations San Francisco Conference; publications related to his co-chairmanship of the Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy; and his representation of many accused of Communist affiliations or sympathies, including Dalton Trumbo and Paul Robeson. Later records, including newspaper clippings, correspondence, and court records, detail Popper's representation of the family of slain Congress Of Racial Equality (CORE) civil rights worker Andrew Goodman; his opposition to the United States' involvement in the Contra War in Nicaragua; and his 1984 amicus observation of photographer Fred Sparks' bequest to the Palestinian Liberation Organization. Included in the correspondence is a letter to Popper from Shirley Graham Du Bois regarding the overthrow of Ghanaian president Kwame Nkrumah.
One box of Popper's papers added to the collection in 2017 contains files of personal correspondence between 1943 and 1980, the bulk of which is dated 1958-1964. It also includes several certificates related to Popper's admittance as an attorney to various district and appeals courts, and an audio recording of Martin Popper's memorial service on February 25, 1989.
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Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Any rights (including copyright and related rights to publicity and privacy) held by Martin Popper, the creator of this collection, were relinquished and transferred to the public domain in 2015 by Joseph Popper. These materials are governed by a Creative Commons CC0 license, which permits publication and reproduction of materials accompanied by full attribution. See, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date; Martin Popper Papers; TAM 680; box number; folder number; Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition note
Materails doanted by Joseph Popper in 2016; additional materials were donated by Laura Popper in 2016 and by Joseph Popper in 2017. The accession numbers associated with these gifts are 2015.074, 2016.008, and 2017.016.
Audiovisual Access Policies and Procedures
Audiovisual materials have not been preserved and may not be available to researchers. Materials not yet digitized will need to have access copies made before they can be used. To request an access copy, or if you are unsure if an item has been digitized, please contact tamiment.wagner@nyu.edu with the collection name, collection number, and a description of the item(s) requested. A staff member will respond to you with further information.
About this Guide
Processing information note
At the time of accessioning, materials were moved into archival housing, and a collection-level finding aid with a box list was created to describe these materials. Loose material was moved to folders in its original order. No physical processing or arrangement was performed at this time.
The Martin Popper FBI Investigation Papers were added to the collection in February 2016. Materials were moved into archival housing and loose materials were moved into folders in their original order. No physical process or arrangement was performed. These materials were added to the collection as boxes 8-10. In 2017 one small box of personal correspondence was added to the collection as box 11. These materials have been retained in their original order.
