Inventory of the Sam J. Ervin Papers,
Subgroup B: Private Papers, 1898-1990

Collection Number 3847B

unc seal
Manuscripts Department, Library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Collection Information
block Descriptive Summary
block Administrative Information
block Online Catalog Headings
block Biographical Note
block Collection Overview
plus Detailed Description of the Collection
block Items Separated
Contact Information:
Manuscripts Department
CB#3926, Wilson Library
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC 27514-8890
Phone: 919/962-1345
Fax: 919/962-3594
Email: mss@email.unc.edu
URL: http://www.lib.unc.edu/mss/
Processed by
Carolyn Hamby
Date Processed
June 1995
Encoded by
Lynn Holdzkom
Date Encoded
June 2003
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Descriptive Summary

Repository
Southern Historical Collection
Creator
Ervin, Sam J. (Samuel James), 1896-1985.
Title
Sam J. Ervin Papers, Subgroup B: Private Papers, 1898-1990
Call Number
3847B
Extent
40,350 items (63.0 linear feet)
Abstract
Samuel James Ervin, Jr., was a Burke County, N.C., attorney, North Carolina legislator, judge, United States senator, and long-time champion of civil liberties. Ervin was first appointed to the North Carolina General Assembly in 1923, where he also served in 1925 and 1931. After the death of his brother Joseph W. Ervin (1901-1945), Ervin was appointed to the House of Representatives. In 1954, Ervin was appointed to the United States Senate, where he served on the Judiciary Committee, the Rackets Committee (Select Committee on Improper Activities in Labor Management), and the Watergate Committee (Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities. The Private Papers Subgroup contains letters, subject files, financial material, and writings chiefly of Ervin and his wife Margaret. The bulk of the material is dated after his Senate appointment in 1954. Earlier items include letters from Ervin while he was stationed in France during World War I, 1917-1919; collegiate material from the University of North Carolina, 1913-1917, and Harvard University Law School, 1919-1922; and letters relating to Ervin's judicial appointments, 1930s-1954. Post-1954 items include letters from colleagues, family members, and others; subject files documenting his chief interests, including constitutional law, Watergate, the Equal Rights Amendment, and school desegregation; and speeches, articles, and books by and about Ervin. Also included are Ervin family history materials; biographical materials; items relating to the estates of Ervin family members; photographs of Ervin; films, videos, and audio tapes he recorded; and items relating to trips the Ervins made and to organizations in which they were active, especially the North Carolina Society of Washington, D.C.
Language
English.


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Administrative Information

Restrictions to Access
No restrictions.
Provenance
Received from Samuel James Ervin, Jr., 1979-1984; the estate of Samuel James Ervin, Jr., 1985-1989; and Jean Conyers Ervin, 1987.
Processing Information
Sam Ervin's Senate papers have been filed and described as Sam J. Ervin Papers, Subgroup A: Senate Records (#3847A).
Series 16 is not used.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], in the Sam J. Ervin Papers, Subgroup B: Private Papers #3847B, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Copyright Notice
Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
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Online Catalog Headings

These and related materials may be found under the following headings in online catalogs.

Burke County (N.C.)--Social life and customs.
Civil rights--United States--History--20th century.
Equal rights amendments--United States.
Ervin family.
Ervin, Margaret Bell, 1898-1986.
Ervin, Sam J. (Samuel James), 1896-1985.
Estates (Law)--North Carolina--History--20th century.
Harvard Law School--Students--Social life and customs--20th century.
Judges--North Carolina--History--20th century.
Lawyers--North Carolina--History--20th century.
Legislators--North Carolina--History--20th century.
Legislators--United States--History--20th century.
North Carolina--Politics and government--1865-1950.
North Carolina--Politics and government--1951- .
North Carolina Society of Washington, D.C.
School integration--United States--History--20th century.
Soldiers--United States--Correspondence.
United States. Congress. Senate.
United States--Constitution.
United States--Economic conditions--20th century.
United States--Foreign relations--1945- .
University of North Carolina (1793-1962)--Students--Social life and customs.
Watergate Affair, 1972-1974.
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Biographical Note

See biographical note in Sam J. Ervin Papers, Subgroup A: Senate Records (#3847A).

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Collection Overview

Subgroup B contains the letters, subject files, financial material, and writings of Sam J. Ervin and his family. The bulk of the material dates after his Senate appointment in 1954.

Early items include letters from Ervin while he was stationed in France during World War I (1917-1919), collegiate material from the University of North Carolina (1913-1917) and Harvard University Law School (1919-1922), and letters relating to Ervin's judicial appointments (1930s-1954). The post-1954 items include letters, subject files, collected material, and writings. Files on Ervin's financial dealings with the William Morris Agency of New York City highlight his contracts with ABC News and American Express.

Writing show that Ervin was a prolific writer. He wrote numerous articles on the United States Constitution. He was the author of three books: The Whole Truth (a work on Watergate), Preserving the Constitution (autobiography); and Humor of a Country Lawyer. Ervin was also the subject of many books. The most acrimonious correspondence surrounds Richard L. Dabney's A Good Man: The Life of Sam J. Ervin (1975).

Ervin and his wife Margaret Bell Ervin maintained memberships in several historical and genealogical organizations, such as the Society of Mayflower Descendants, the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Sons of the Confederacy. There are also family histories and genealogical materials about the Ervin family.

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Organization of Collection

17. Correspondence
17.1. General Correspondence
17.2. Family Correspondence
17.3. Greeting Cards and Notes
17.4. Invitations Accepted and Declined
18. Writings
18.1. Speeches and Statements
18.2. Articles
18.3. Books
18.4. Notes
19. Subject Files
19.1. General Subject Files
19.2. North Carolina Courts
19.3. North Carolina Society of Washington, D.C.
20. Financial and Legal Materials
20.1. Income Tax Returns
20.2. Advertising Contracts
20.3. Insurance Policies and Claims
20.4. Banking Information
20.5. Property
20.6. Ledger Books
20.7. Estate of Laura Powe Ervin
20.8. Estate of Margaret J. Bell
20.9. Travel
20.10. Organizations
20.11. Social Security Benefits
21. Biographical Material
21.1. Books
21.2. Articles
21.3. Clippings
21.4. Awards and Citations
21.5. Calendars
21.6. Interviews
21.7. Editorials
21.8. Programs from Speaking Engagements
21.9. Death of Sam J. Ervin
21.10. Biographical Sketches
21.11. Miscellaneous
22. Margaret Bell Ervin
22.1. Calendars
22.2. Financial and Legal Materials
22.3. Correspondence
22.4. Printed Material
22.5. Presbyterian Church
22.6. Converse College
22.7. Funeral Documents
23. Collected Material
23.1. Newsletters
23.2. Printed Materials
23.3. Watergate Materials
23.4. Ruth Kramer Materials
23.5. Family History
24. Audio-visual Materials
24.1. Pictures
24.2. Film
24.3. Videotape
24.4. Audiotape
25. Museum Items
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Items Separated

Separated items include oversize papers (OP-3847B/1-21); an oversize volume (V-3847B/S-1); photographs (P-3847B/1-88); audiotapes (T-3847B/1-5); films (F-3847B/1-2); and museum items (MU-3847/1-22).

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Detailed Description of the Collection

17. Correspondence, 1898-1987.

About 18,400 items.
Letters, cards, and invitations relating to Sam Ervin and his wife, Margaret Bell Ervin. It is divided into four subseries. The general correspondence consists primarily of letters written to Ervin by his friends, political colleagues, and admirers across the country. The subjects covered by the letters changed as Ervin became more well known. Family correspondence includes letters written by Ervin's children, as well as more distantly related relatives and close friends. The third subseries contains greeting cards and notes from family members, friends, and political associates. The final subseries includes invitations, accepted and declined, for some of the political and private social functions the Ervins were asked to attend.
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17.1. General Correspondence, 1921-1985.
About 9,600 items.
Arrangement: chronological and alphabetical by last name.
Letters written to Sam Ervin on various subjects and copies of his replies. Topics changed over time as Ervin moved from the local political scene to the national arena. The earliest letters discuss the Ervins' upcoming marriage. On 24 May 1924, Edwin Bridges wrote, "I congratulate you and extend to her my sympathy." As Ervin became more widely known in North Carolina as an able lawyer, the letters shifted from personal matters to political ones. On 10 November 1936, P. Cleveland Gardner wrote to Ervin that he would make a fine North Carolina Supreme Court justice: "[Y]our friends know and admit that your age, training, learning and all around qualifications point to you alone as the most logical man for an able judge--one that would be progressive, liberal minded, and a representative of our age and generation, and not a `moss back' type of the stone age."
The letters jump very quickly from discussions of North Carolina politics and Kiwanis Club activities to the post-Watergate era. After his retirement, Ervin received large amounts of mail. Because of the fame Ervin gained as a result of his Watergate hearing activities, the bulk of the letters in the 1970s are requests for assistance. Correspondents asked for Ervin's advice on their own legal problems, appointments to the service academies, and money. One letter, dated 5 February 1975, asked Ervin to help start a movement to pardon Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Some of the correspondents wrote Ervin just to tell him what a fine job he had done on the Watergate Committee and to wish him happy retirement. On 4 April 1975, the sixth grade class of Shiply Elementary School in Wilmington, Del., sent Ervin a copy of the class constitution. Ervin responded by telling the class, "This is a tremendous document and the writers are to be commended for the diligent efforts in behalf of the Sixth Grade." Ervin also received a few letters from people who were obviously emotionally and mentally troubled.
Ervin's fellow legislators in Congress frequently wrote to him. folder 19 contains copies of letters from President Gerald Ford thanking Ervin for his work on bills that passed after his retirement. Other letter writers were senators Thurmond, Kennedy, Baker, Dole, Inouye, and Helms. Ervin gave advice and, when asked, spoke for or against various pieces of legislation his former colleagues were working on.
By the early 1980s and until his death, Ervin's correspondence became more involved in subjects that interested him personally. He wrote many letters urging North Carolinians not to amend the state constitution to allow governors successive terms. He also wrote in favor of a balanced budget amendment to the United States constitution. Letters from admirers still arrived, but most of these writers asked for autographs (many filed as "Requests") rather than personal assistance. Despite the large volume of mail, Ervin answered every letter.
Folder 1
1921-1944
Folder 2
1945-1966
Folder 3
1967-1974
Folder 4-5
1975: A
Folder 6-10
1975: B
Folder 11-14
1975: C
Folder 15-16
1975: D
Folder 17-18
1975: E
Folder 19-20
1975: F
Folder 21-22
1975: G
Folder 23-25
1975: H
Folder 26
1975: I
Folder 27-28
1975: J
Folder 29-30
1975: K
Folder 31-33
1975: L
Folder 34-35
1975: Mc
Folder 36-39
1975: M
Folder 40-41
1975: N
Folder 42
1975: North: Carolina: Press: Association: Letters
Folder 43
1975: O
Folder 44-46
1975: P
Folder 47
1975: Q
Folder 48-49
1975: R
Folder 50-52
1975: Requests
Folder 53-56
1975: S
Folder 57-58
1975: T
Folder 59
1975: U
Folder 60
1975: V
Folder 61-62
1975: W
Folder 63
1975: X-Z
Folder 64
1976: A
Folder 65
1976: B
Folder 66
1976: C
Folder 67
1976: D
Folder 68
1976: E
Folder 69
1976: F
Folder 70
1976: G
Folder 71-72
1976: H
Folder 73
1976: I
Folder 74
1976: J
Folder 75
1976: K
Folder 76
1976: L
Folder 77
1976: M
Folder 78
1976: N
Folder 79
1976: O
Folder 80
1976: P
Folder 81
1976: R
Folder 82-83
1976: Requests
Folder 84
1976: S
Folder 85
1976: T
Folder 86
1976: V
Folder 87
1976: W
Folder 88
1976: X-Z
Folder 89
1977: A
Folder 90-91
1977: B
Folder 92
1977: C
Folder 93
1977: D
Folder 94
1977: E
Folder 95
1977: F
Folder 96
1977: G
Folder 97
1977: H-I
Folder 98
1977: J
Folder 99
1977: K
Folder 100
1977: L
Folder 101
1977: M
Folder 102
1977: N-P
Folder 103
1977: R
Folder 104-105
1977: Requests
Folder 106
1977: Succession Amendment
Folder 107
1977: S-V
Folder 108
1977: W-Z
Folder 109
1978: A
Folder 110-111
1978: B
Folder 112
1978: C
Folder 113
1978: D
Folder 114
1978: E-F
Folder 115
1978: G
Folder 116
1978: H
Folder 117
1978: I-K
Folder 118
1978: L
Folder 119-120
1978: M
Folder 121
1978: N-O
Folder 122
1978: P
Folder 123
1978: R
Folder 124-125
1978: Requests
Folder 126
1978: S
Folder 127
1978: T-V
Folder 128
1978: W-Z
Folder 129
1979: A
Folder 130-131
1979: B
Folder 132
1979: C
Folder 133-134
1979: Constitutional Convention
Folder 135
1979: D
Folder 136
1979: E
Folder 137
1979: F
Folder 138
1979: G
Folder 139
1979: H
Folder 140
1979: I
Folder 141
1979: J
Folder 142
1979: K
Folder 143
1979: L
Folder 144
1979: Mc
Folder 145
1979: M
Folder 146
1979: N
Folder 147
1979: O
Folder 148
1979: P
Folder 149
1979: R
Folder 150-151
1979: Requests
Folder 152-153
1979: S
Folder 154
1979: T
Folder 155
1979: V
Folder 156
1979: W
Folder 157
1979: X-Z
Folder 158
1980: A
Folder 159-160
1980: B
Folder 161
1980: C
Folder 162
1980: D
Folder 163
1980: E
Folder 164
1980: F
Folder 165
1980: G
Folder 166
1980: H
Folder 167
1980: I
Folder 168
1980: J
Folder 169
1980: K
Folder 170
1980: L
Folder 171
1980: Mc
Folder 172
1980: M
Folder 173
1980: N
Folder 174
1980: O
Folder 175
1980: P
Folder 176
1980: R
Folder 177-178
1980: Requests
Folder 179-180
1980: S
Folder 181
1980: T
Folder 182
1980: V
Folder 183-184
1980: W
Folder 185
1980: X-Z
Folder 186
1981: A
Folder 187
1981: B
Folder 188-189
1981: C
Folder 190
1981: D
Folder 191
1981: E
Folder 192
1981: F
Folder 193
1981: G
Folder 194
1981: H
Folder 195
1981: I
Folder 196
1981: J
Folder 197
1981: K
Folder 198
1981: L
Folder 199
1981: Mc
Folder 200
1981: M
Folder 201
1981: N
Folder 202
1981: O
Folder 203-204
1981: P
Folder 205
1981: Q
Folder 206
1981: R
Folder 207-208
1981: Requests
Folder 209
1981: S
Folder 210
1981: T
Folder 211
1981: U
Folder 212
1981: V
Folder 213
1981: W
Folder 214
1981: X-Z
Folder 215
1982: A
Folder 216
1982: B
Folder 217
1982: C
Folder 218
1982: D
Folder 219
1982: E
Folder 220
1982: F
Folder 221
1982: G
Folder 222
1982: H
Folder 223
1982: I
Folder 224
1982: J
Folder 225
1982: K
Folder 226
1982: L
Folder 227
1982: Mc
Folder 228
1982: M
Folder 229
1982: N
Folder 230
1982: O
Folder 231
1982: P
Folder 232
1982: R
Folder 233
1982: Requests
Folder 234
1982: S
Folder 235
1982: T
Folder 236
1982: U
Folder 237
1982: V
Folder 238
1982: W
Folder 239
1982: X-Z
Folder 240
1983: A
Folder 241
1983: B
Folder 242
1983: C
Folder 243
1983: D
Folder 244
1983: E
Folder 245
1983: F
Folder 246
1983: G
Folder 247
1983: H
Folder 248
1983: J
Folder 249
1983: K
Folder 250
1983: L
Folder 251
1983: M
Folder 252
1983: N
Folder 253
1983: O
Folder 254
1983: P-Q
Folder 255
1983: R
Folder 256
1983: Requests
Folder 257-258
1983: S
Folder 259
1983: T
Folder 260
1983: U-V
Folder 261
1983: W
Folder 262
1984-1985: A
Folder 263
1984-1985: B
Folder 264
1984-1985: C
Folder 265
1984-1985: D
Folder 266
1984-1985: E
Folder 267
1984-1985: F
Folder 268
1984-1985: G
Folder 269-270
1984-1985: H
Folder 271
1984-1985: I
Folder 272
1984-1985: J
Folder 273
1984-1985: K
Folder 274
1984-1985: L
Folder 275
1984-1985: M
Folder 276
1984-1985: N
Folder 277
1984-1985: O
Folder 278
1984-1985: P-Q
Folder 279
1984-1985: R
Folder 280
1984-1985: Requests
Folder 281-282
1984-1985: S
Folder 283
1984-1985: T
Folder 284
1984-1985: U
Folder 285-286
1984-1985: W
Folder 287
1984-1985: X-Z
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17.2. Family Correspondence, 1898-1987 and undated.
About 1,800 items.
Arrangement: chronological.
Letters, sympathy cards, wedding invitations, thank you letters, and vacation post cards documenting the Ervins' daily family life.
Letters dated through 1963 are primarily from close family members, including those from the Ervins' children Samuel J. Ervin III, Laura Powe Ervin, and Leslie Ervin at college. In 1948, Samuel J. Ervin III began his studies at Harvard Law School after being graduated from Davidson College. Samuel J. Ervin III letters from Harvard discuss how difficult his studies were, his lack of preparation, and bad weather. He also asked his parents to send money: "If you'd send me a check for $15.00 I'll stop bothering you" (6 April 1949).
Leslie Ervin attended Duke University for a while and then transferred to the University of North Carolina. Unhappy at Duke she wrote on September 1948, "[I]t took me the whole night to discover a North Carolinian. I didn't realize there were so many Yankees in spite of all the warnings." Laura Powe Ervin attended St. Mary's College in Raleigh and the Woman's College at Greensboro.
After the Ervins' children left college and started families of their own, correspondence is chiefly with friends and more distantly related relatives. Cousin Bertha, a patient at the State Hospital in Morganton, N.C., frequently wrote poignant letters, including one, dated 21 January 1956, in which she thanked the Ervins for their Christmas gift of The State magazine and remarked that "I was pretty well informed about dear old North Carolina ('before I went crazy' got 'dumped' in the 'bug house' You know why people gave it that name? So many roaches on these wards running everywhere)."
Letters in this series contain only occasional references to the political scene, chiefly in postscripts to letters that ask if "everything was okay in Washington" following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. Even Ervin's work on the Watergate hearings did not elicit much commentary except for pride in his achievements.
Folder 288
1898-1947
Folder 289
1948
Folder 290
1949-1950
Folder 291
1951
Folder 292
1952
Folder 293-294
1953
Folder 295
1954-1957
Folder 296
1958-1960
Folder 297
1961-1963
Folder 298
1964
Folder 299
1965
Folder 300
1966
Folder 301
1967
Folder 302
1968
Folder 303
1969-1970
Folder 304
1971-1972
Folder 305-308
1974
Folder 309
1975
Folder 310
1976-1977
Folder 311
1978
Folder 312
1979
Folder 313
1980
Folder 314
1981-1982
Folder 315
1983-1984
Folder 316
1985-1987
Folder 317-319
Undated
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17.3. Greeting Cards and Notes, 1950-1983.
About 1,000 items
Arrangement: by type.
A sample of greeting cards including birthday, Christmas, Easter, and get-well cards received by the Ervins. There are also cards, letters, and telegrams for the Ervins' 50th wedding anniversary and congratulatory letters concerning Ervin's appointment to and retirement from the Senate and his receiving the Congressional Distinguished Service Award in 1976 (see also series 24.4 for an audio tape from the award ceremony). Many of Ervin's congratulatory letters are alphabetized by correspondent and bound into books.
Folder 320-321
Greeting cards and notes
Folder 322-323
Christmas cards
Folder 324-327
50th Wedding Anniversary, 1974
Folder 328-329
Letters of congratulation, 1954
Folder 330
Telegrams of congratulation, 1954
Folder 331
Letters of congratulation, 1975
Folder 332-334
Letters of congratulation, 1976
Folder 335-339
Retirement letter acknowledgements
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17.4. Invitations Accepted and Declined, 1923-1985.
About 6,000.
Arrangement: chronologial.
Invitations to speaking engagements and social functions, including symposia, installations, graduation ceremonies, and various club functions. The vast majority of these occasions occurred after Ervin's retirement from the Senate in 1974. From 1975 to 1985, files are split between engagements accepted and those declined.
Folder 340
1923-1956
Folder 341
1957
Folder 342
1959
Folder 343
1960
Folder 344
1961
Folder 345
1962
Folder 346-347
1963
Folder 348
1964-1965
Folder 349
1966
Folder 350
1967-1969
Folder 351
1970
Folder 352
1971
Folder 353-354
1972-1974
Folder 355-372
1975: Accepted
Folder 373-396
1975: Declined
Folder 397-408
1976: Accepted
Folder 409-424
1976: Declined
Folder 425-434
1977: Accepted
Folder 435-446
1977: Declined
Folder 447-458
1978: Accepted
Folder 459-470
1978: Declined
Folder 471-482
1979: Accepted
Folder 483-494
1979: Declined
Folder 495-504
1980: Accepted
Folder 505-516
1980: Declined
Folder 517-526
1981: Accepted
Folder 527-538
1981: Declined
Folder 539-550
1982: Accepted
Folder 551-562
1982: Declined
Folder 563-569
1983: Accepted
Folder 570-581
1983: Declined
Folder 582-591
1984: Accepted
Folder 592-603
1984: Declined
Folder 604-605
1985: Accepted
Folder 606-608
1985: Declined
Folder 609
Invitations pending
Folder 610
Invitations without response
Folder 611
Invitations, undated

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18. Writings, 1920s-1985.

About 8,300 items.
Articles, books, and speeches written by Sam Ervin. Most writings are on political or constitutional topics, however, some early articles are on colonial North Carolina history. In many writings, Ervin displayed his love for the American Constitution and its unique nature. "The Constitution is the most precious instrument of government the earth has ever known," he wrote in a speech on the Supreme Court. Many speeches were later printed as articles, often in law reviews, although one of his articles on privacy was printed in Prism, a journal of the American Medical Association. Among his books are The Whole Truth, which is about Watergate; Preserving the Constitution, an autobiography; and Humor of a Country Lawyer.
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18.1. Speeches and Statements, 1917-1983.
About 4,800 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical by subject.
Speeches and statements, the earliest of which is Ervin's address to his graduating class at the University of North Carolina in 1917. Most speeches are from his senatorial days.
Ervin often kept several copies of the same speech adapted for presentation to different groups. Only those that were changed significantly have been retained.
In addition to his speeches, Ervin also kept copies of his official press statements. Some of these statements were acknowledgements of deaths; the Condolences and Eulogies folder contain announcements of the deaths of Winston Churchill, Robert F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., and William Kerr Scott.
In many speeches, Ervin cited the Constitution as the premier instruction manual for governing society, his narrow interpretation making him an opponent of civil rights legislation and the Equal Rights Amendment and an advocate of separation of church and state and the right to privacy.
The themes of many of Ervin's speeches overlap (e.g., his views on privacy can be found in the privacy folders, as well as folders on government spying, the computer and privacy).
Folder 612
ABM
Folder 613
Administrative Procedures Act
Folder 614
Agriculture
Folder 615
America's Magnificent Dream
Folder 616
America's Vanished Dream
Folder 617
American Legion
Folder 618
Anecdotes of Senator Sam Ervin, Jr.
Folder 619
Anti-Trust Law and Organized Sports
Folder 620
Appalachian State University: Dorm Dedications
Folder 621
Appointments and Resignations
Folder 622-623
Army Spying
Folder 624
Averasboro: Dedication of Monument
Folder 625
Aycock, Charles Brantly
Folder 626
Bail Reform
Folder 627
Barnhill, Maurice V.
Folder 628
Belk, William Henry
Folder 629
Bicentennial
Folder 630
Brown Mountain Lights
Folder 631
Budget: Federal
Folder 632
Burke County
Folder 633
Campus Disorders
Folder 634-638
Civil Rights and Desegregation
Folder 639
Commencement Speeches
Folder 640
Compulsory Unionism
Folder 641
Computers and Privacy
Folder 642
Condolences and Eulogies
Folder 643
Congressional Budget and Impoundment Act
Folder 644
Congressional Salamagundi
Folder 645
Constitution and Founding Fathers
Folder 646
Constitution and Freedom
Folder 647-648
Constitution and Religion
Folder 649
Consumer Protection Agency
Folder 650
Craven, Judge J Braxton
Folder 651
Crisis in Confidence
Folder 652-653
D.C. Crime Bill, 1970
Folder 654
Darlington Case
Folder 655
Democratic Party
Folder 656
Direct Election of the President
Folder 657
U.S.S. Durham: Commissioning
Folder 658
Equality and Liberty
Folder 659-662
ERA
Folder 663
Everlasting Things
Folder 664
Executive Privilege
Folder 665-666
Federal Employees Bill of Rights
Folder 667
Federal Jury Reform
Folder 668-669
First Amendment
Folder 670
Flag Day Speech
Folder 671
Foreign Aid
Folder 672
Fortas, Abe
Folder 673
Fourth Amendment: Exclusionary Rule
Folder 674
Free Enterprise
Folder 675
Freedom
Folder 676
Freedom of Peril
Folder 677
Freemasonry
Folder 678
Genocide Convention
Folder 679
Gettysburg
Folder 680
Good Government Society
Folder 681
Government in Caring Society
Folder 682
Gravel Case
Folder 683
Hibernians
Folder 684
Huffman, Robert O.
Folder 685
Huguenots, Contributions to America
Folder 686
Humanities
Folder 687
Humor, Wise and otherwise
Folder 688
Indians
Folder 689
Jackson, Andrew
Folder 690
Jones, John Paul
Folder 691
Judicial Verbicide
Folder 692
Junior Order
Folder 693
John F. Kennedy Library: Interview
Folder 694
Kings Mountain Battle
Folder 695
Labor
Folder 696-668
Law Day Speeches
Folder 699
Law Enforcement
Folder 700
Lie Detector: Twentieth Century Witchcraft
Folder 701
Lincoln, Abraham
Folder 702-703
Lung Cancer and Smoking
Folder 704
Marshall, Thurgood
Folder 705
McCarthy, Joseph: Censure Resolution
Folder 706
Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence
Folder 707
Meditation on Old Age
Folder 708
Memorial Day Speech
Folder 709
Mentally Ill
Folder 710-711
Military Justice
Folder 712
Military Justice Act
Folder 713
Military Personnel and Constitutional Rights
Folder 714
Miranda v. Arizona
Folder 715-718
Miscellaneous, 1955-1980s and undated
Folder 719
Moose, Loyal Order of
Folder 720
National Penitentiary Reform
Folder 721
News Column, 31 December 1974
Folder 722
Nixon, Richard M.: Pardon and Impeachable Offenses
Folder 723-725
No-Knock Laws
Folder 726
Our Heritage: A Blessing and an Obligation
Folder 727
Our Inheritance: An Indestructible Union of Indestructible States
Folder 728
Poetical Sense and Political Nonsense
Folder 729
Prayer in Public Schools
Folder 730
Presidential Succession and Disability
Folder 731-732
Press, Rights and Responsibilities of
Folder 733-735
Preventive Detention
Folder 736-139
Privacy
Folder 740
Psychosurgery
Folder 741
Public Works
Folder 742
Pugh, Robert L.
Folder 743
Pursuit of Happiness
Folder 744-745
Religious Liberty
Folder 746
SALT Agreement
Folder 747
School Busing
Folder 748
Senatorial Responsibility
Folder 749
Separation of Powers
Folder 750
Sir Walter Raleigh's Dream
Folder 751
Speedy Trial
Folder 752-753
Subversive Activities Board
Folder 754-755
Supreme Court
Folder 756
Truth We Hold Concerning the Individual
Folder 757
Trade Policies (Textiles and Tariffs)
Folder 758
University of North Carolina
Folder 759
Veterans' Day
Folder 760
Vietnam
Folder 761-762
Voting Rights Act, 1965
Folder 763
Warlick, Judge Wilson
Folder 764-766
Watergate
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18.2. Articles, 1917-1985.
About 150 items.
Arrangement: chronological.
Articles published in various journals, including the American Bar Association Journal, Vital Speeches, and Modern Age. Many of Ervin's speeches were later turned into articles. The earliest articles, written while studying at the University of North Carolina, are on colonial history. Both of these articles appeared in the James Sprunt Historical Collection series.
Also included is correspondence between Ervin and journal editors about editorial changes and offprint requests.
Folder 767
1917-1968
Folder 768
1968-1970
Folder 769
1971-1972
Folder 770
1973
Folder 771-772
1974
Folder 773
1975-1981
Folder 774
1982-1985 and undated
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18.3. Books, 1964-1985.
About 2,600 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical by title.
Drafts, publicity, and correspondence relating to Humor of a Country Lawyer, Preserving the Constitution, "Freedom Against Tyranny," "Essentials of the Constitution," and The Whole Truth. Two books, "Essentials of the Constitution" and "Freedom Against Tyranny," were not published. "Essentials of the Constitution" was to be a guidebook to the Constitution, but the Ervin's duties kept this work from being finished. "Freedom Against Tyranny" was to be a collection of his articles and speeches, but Ervin was unable to find a publisher.
Correspondence is chiefly between Ervin and his publishers. There are also letters requesting autographed copies of books. Publicity files contain book reviews and advertisements.
Folder 775-777
Essentials of the Constitution: Draft
Folder 778
Essentials of the Constitution: Correspondence
Folder 779-782
Freedom Against Tyranny: Draft
Folder 783-787
Freedom Against Tyranny: Final Draft
Folder 788
Freedom Against Tyranny: Correspondence
Folder 789-791
Humor of a Country Lawyer: Draft
Folder 792-794
Humor of a Country Lawyer: Edited Draft
Folder 795
Humor of a Country Lawyer: Index Manuscript
Folder 796