]> pfeffer_l Leo Pfeffer Papers An inventory of his papers at Syracuse University JMB &su_name; &su_address; Nov 1978 AMCon 19 Mar 2007 English 19 Mar 2007 - converted to EAD (AMCon) Overview of the Collection &su_name; &su_address; Pfeffer, Leo, 1910-1993. Leo Pfeffer Papers 1942-1974 22.5 linear ft. The papers of the American lawyer, activist for separation of church and state, legal counsel for the American Jewish Congress, and director of its Commission on Law and Social Action consist of correspondence, legal briefs, dockets, court transcripts, essays, speeches, and printed material, including articles, clippings, pamphlets, periodical issues, and general files relating to civil rights, federal aid to education, prayer in public schools, and other church-state issues. 149517 English Biographical History

Leo Pfeffer (1910-1993) was among the most prolific constitutional scholars of the late twentieth century. Pfeffer analyzed the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment from a "separationist" standpoint, arguing that this constitutional provision requires strict separation between church and state. From this perspective, government may offer no assistance to specific religions or religion in general. [From Encyclopedia of Religion in American Politics (1999)]

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Leo Pfeffer Papers comprise 7 series: Conference transcripts, Published material, Legal material, Notes, Writings, General files, and Miscellaneous.

Conference transcripts include documents addressing subjects such as religious instruction and holidays in the public schools, church-state separation, and the Bill of Rights. The Published material is made up of pamphlets addressing civil rights and the separation of church and state. The Legal material series mainly comprises Litigation dockets, Court transcripts, and briefs. Notes include Index cards and a Notebook kept by Pfeffer. The Writings series comprises Essays, Magazine articles, Pamphlets, Journals, and Books. The General files series, making up more than half the collection, contains mostly Correspondence, plus some News clippings. Miscellaneous items include materials from a Bill of Rights conference and designs and proofs from Pfeffer's book, Church, State, and Freedom.

An expert on the United States Constitution, Pfeffer spent his career battling to preserve the fundamental American principle of Church-State separation. As a lawyer representing the American Jewish Congress, he authored Friend of the Court briefs for trials around the country. Most of the Legal material and General files therefore concern such issues as prayer in public schools, federal aid to parochial schools, and Sunday labor laws.

Subject and Genre Headings Activism and social reformPolitics, government and public administrationReligion and philosophyPfeffer, Leo, 1910-1933. American Jewish Congress. -- Commission on Law and Social Action. Church and state -- United States. Civil rights -- United States. Federal aid to education. Freedom of religion -- United States. Hungarian Americans. Jews, American. Lawyers -- United States. Prayer in the public schools. Religion and state -- United States. Religion in the public schools. Constitutional law -- United States. Briefs (legal documents) Clippings (information artifacts) Correspondence. Dockets. Essays. Galley proofs. Legal documents. Legal instruments. Manuscripts for publication. Transcripts. Lawyers. Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Leo Pfeffer Papers, &su_name;

Inventory Conference transcripts Religious Instruction in the Public Schools 1 vol. 1946 1 Sectarianism in the Public Schools 1947 1 Religious Holiday Observance in the Public Schools 1 vol. 1949 1 Church-State Separation in the Public Schools 1956 1 Bill of Rights 3 folders 1966 1 Published material Pamphlets General 1 American Jewish Congress 1966-1968 1 Civil Rights 1 Separation of Church and State 1 Religion in Public Schools 1959-1965 1 Legal material Commission on Law and Social Action, American Jewish Congress 2 folders 1 Opinion briefs 3 folders 1 Litigation dockets 4 folders 1, 2 Court cases 2 folders 2 Friend of court briefs 9 folders 2 Congressional testimony 2 Supreme court decisions summary and analysis 4 folders 2 Court transcripts 4 folders 3 Court transcripts 2 folders, 2 vols. 4 Court transcripts 63 vols., 6 folders 5 Court transcripts 6 Notes Index cards-bibliography, unidentified 6 Notebook: Anti-Semitism in America 1950 6 Writings Essays and articles 6 Religion, Education, and the Constitution 6 Galley proofs 7, 8, 9 Typed manuscript - unidentified 3 folders 10 Church, State and Freedom -Index 10 Essays and articles 7 folders 10 Judaism Fall, 1974 10 Magazine articles 4 folders 10 New Testament Study 10 Pamphlets 1972 10 Books Church, State, and Freedom 2 vols. 11 Church and State in the United States 1 vol. 11 Creeds in Competition 2 vols. 11 The Liberties of an American 2 vols. 11 This Honorable Court 2 vols. 11 Pamphlets "Assault upon Freedom of Association" 11 "The Supreme Court and the Bill of Rights" 11 Journals Civil Rights in America 11 A Journal of Church and State (2 issues) 11 Current History 11 Michigan Law Review 11 United Synagogue Convention Proceedings 1965 11 General files 1958 12 1959 2 folders 12 1963 12 1964 12 1972 12 Adoption 2 folders 12 American Jewish Congress 1970 12 Anti-Defamation League 1966 12 Articles about Mr. Pfeffer 12 Becker Amendment: Bible Reading in School 12 Blue Laws, Sunday 12 Calendar reform 1964 12 Capital Punishment Case 2 folders 12 Chamberlain 3 folders 12 Chinese Language in Hawaiian Schools 1949 12 Church, State, and Freedom 1953 12, 13 Church-State Relations 1948-1962 2 folders 13 1955 13 1965 13 Congress Weekly 13 Correspondence American Jewish Congress 1954-1957 13 1955-1961 13 Civil Rights 1946-1950 13 Conscientious Objectors 1963 13 Dover Zoning Law 1949-1951 13 Integration 1957-1959 13 Inter-Religious Adoption – Goldman Case 1955 13 Job Oath of an Atheist – Torcaso 1959-1961 13 Miscellaneous 13 Prayer in School – Famous Professors Voice Protest 1962 13 Religious Education in Public Schools 1949 13 Rosenbluth Book 1968 13 School Aid 1966-1968 13 Speaking Engagements 1958 13 1961 13 1962 13 1962-1963 13 1969 13 Television debate

See also General files: Television debate (box 19)

4 folders 1961 13, 14 Zeller vs. Huff 1948 14 1942 14 1945 2 folders 14 1945-1946 14 1945-1949 14 1945-1955 14 1946 3 folders 14 1946-1949 2 folders 14 1946-1953 14 1947 14 1948 14 1948-1970 14 1949 14 1949-1950 14 1949-1955 14 1950 14 1950 15 1950-1953 15 1950-1955 15 1951 15 1951-1959 15 1952 2 folders 15 1953 15 1953-1954 15 2 folders 1954 15 1954-1956 15 1954-1957 15 2 folders 1955 15 1955-1957 15 1956 15 1956-1957 15 1957 3 folders 15 1957-1958 15 1958 15 1958 2 folders 16 1958-1961 16 1959 16 1960 16 1960-1965 16 1961 16 1961-1962 16 1961-1967 16 1962 2 folders 16 1962-1965 16 1962-1968 16 1963 16 1964 16 1965 2 folders 16 1966 2 folders 16 1967 16 1967 2 folders 17 1967-1970 17 1968 2 folders 17 1969 17 1969-1970 17 1970 17 1970-1972 17 1974 17 Creeds in Competition 1958 17 Dade County Schools, Florida 17 Di Censo 17 Florida Presbyterian College 1960 17 Hokkaido Law Review Reprint – Church and State 1966 17 Housing Discrimination, Jones Case – St. Louis 1967 17 Humane Slaughtering Bill 1956 2 folders 17 1957 17 1958 17 1958-1959 17 1958-1967 17 1959 18 1959-1961 18 1961 18 1961-1965 18 1965-1967 18 Japanese Language in Schools 1949 18 Lecture bookings 1966-1967 18 News clippings 1950 18 1951 18 1951-1955 18 1955-1959 18 1962-1964 18 1975 18 Bible-Reading in School – Doremus Case 1952 18 Distributing Bibles in School 1953 18 Funding Religious Schools 1968 18 Job Oath of Atheist – Torcaso Case 1961 18 Krieger Tribunal – Nazi Concentration Camp

See also General files: Krieger vs. Mittelman (box 21) and Miscellaneous: Krieger-Mittelman Tribunal (box 25)

1950 18 New York State Textbooks 1968 18 Miscellaneous 18 Opposing Tuition Grants 1968 18 Parochial School Aid 1951 18 Prayer in Public Schools 1962 18 Released Time 1948 18 Reviews Church, State, and Freedom 1953 18 "Religion, Education, and the Constitution" 1948 18 Sabbath vs. Unemployment Compensation 1948 18 1951 18 School Aid 1950-1951 18 1961 18 1966-1968 18 Work on Sabbath 1949-1951 18 Parochial School Busing 1946 19 Political Science Teaching Appointment, Long Island University 1964 19 Released time 1945 19 1952 19 "Religion in a Free Society" 1958 19 Religion in Government 19 "Religion and Public Education" 1947 19 Reviews of Mr. Pfeffer's Books 19 Senate Judiciary Subcommittee, Hennings 1955 19 Sioux City Cemetary Restrictions 1954 19 Speaking invitations 1951-1969 19 1955-1969 19 Speeches 1958-1961 19 Sunday Laws 3 folders 19 Television debate – Parochial Schools

See also General files: Correspondence: Television debate (boxes 13 and 14)

1961 19 Unemployment benefits and Sabbath 1948 19 1954 19 Yarmulka – in School, Court 19 Zoning 2 folders 19 1960 20 Becker Amendment: Prayer in School 20 Bible in Public School, New Jersey 1952 20 Bible Reading in School – Doremus Case 1952 20 Brighton, New York – Zoning Laws Prohibiting Churches 1954 20 Censorship of Film, "The Miracle" 1953-1957 20 Correspondence 1948-1950 20 1949 20 1950 20 1951 20 1952-1954 20 1957 20 1962-1963 20 1966 20 Creeds in Competition Press Release 20 Darwin in Arkansas School 1968 20 Di Censo 3 folders 20 Flast vs. Gardner 20 Flast vs. Gardner 21 Fountain Street Church 1969 21 Humane Slaughtering Bill 3 folders 21 Immigration 5 folders 21 Krieger vs. Mittelman

See also General files: Krieger Tribunal (box 18) and Miscellaneous: Krieger-Mittelman Tribunal (box 25)

1950 21 Lemon vs. Sloan 1971 21 Lincoln Square Project 1956 22 Lynch Child's Religion Case 22 Miscellaneous General 22 1947-1968 22 1953-1960 22 Missouri Civil Rights 1948 22 Mitchel Field Give-Away 1962 22 News Clippings Adoption and Religion 1955 22 Pfeffer 22 Prayer in Schools 1962 3 folders 22 Miami 2 folders 1962 22 School Aid 1968 22 Tilton 1969 22 Oregon Textbook Suit 1957-1961 22 Prayer in School 22 General 23 1961 3 folders 23 Schempp vs. Abington, Pa. 2 folders 23 Released Time 24 Religion in Schools 1951 24 Separation of Church and State 24 Sunday Labor Suit – Kuperschmid 1962 24 Sunday Work Laws 1949 24 Supreme Court – Aid to Public Schools 24 Ten Commandments 24 This Honorable Court Reviews 24 Tilton 1969 24 Correspondence 24 Documents 2 folders 24 Unbound pages 24 Unemployment benefits and Sabbath 1952 24 Voting in Churches 1969 24 Zoning – St. Louis vs. Temple Israel 24 Miscellaneous Bill of Rights Conference, Long Island University 1966 Guest register 1 vol. 25 Pamphlets 25 Krieger-Mittelman Tribunal – Nazi Concentration Camp 1950 25 Life Magazine Article, "You Are the Man Who Killed My Brother."

See also General files: Krieger Tribunal (box 18) and Krieger vs. Mittelman (box 21)

25 Church, State, and Freedom Cover design 25 Computer-printed proofs 25