This series provides an overview of Constance Baker Motley's career and public life. Magazine and newspaper articles, dated from 1956 to 1986, document Motley's many achievements. Also included are a brief chronology of her career and tributes to Motley from New York City Mayor Robert F. Wagner and Chief Justice Earl Warren. The file pertaining to honorary degrees and awards received by Motley include letters from Thomas Mendenhall, President of Smith College, and from Jack Greenberg concerning her honorary degree from Columbia Law School. Other material in this series includes photographs, an article written by Motley honoring Thurgood Marshall, her application for admission to the New York State Bar in 1948, and a "miscellaneous" file with printed material and notes. There is also a scrapbook of clippings, dated 1965-66, relating to Motley's Borough Presidency, numerous public appearances, and her appointment as Federal Judge in January 1966 [see OVERSIZE MATERIALS].

An 801-page transcript of an interview with Motley, conducted by Mrs. Walter Gellhorn of the Oral History Research Office at Columbia University Law Library, completes this series. In this interview Judge Motley recalls her childhood and family; her education; her work with the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund; and her political and judicial careers. The interview was conducted in 1976 and the transcript was completed in 1978. The original tapes are housed at the Columbia Law Library.

This series is organized into four subseries: Family, General, Individuals, and "Hate mail." The Family subseries consists of one folder of correspondence. Letters from friends and colleagues are scattered throughout the General correspondence.

The bulk of this series consists of the General correspondence which is arranged chronologically from 1964 to 1987, mostly dated between 1964 and 1967. There is no correspondence prior to1964 (the period of Motley's NAACP activities) in these papers. Constituent and public response letters form the largest part of this subseries, from Motley's election to the State Senate in 1964 through the early 1980s. Where there is a significant amount of correspondence pertaining to a particular issue, bill, or court case, it can be found in SERIES III. PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES--Subjects. Many of the issues Motley dealt with as State Senator for the 21st Congressional District in Manhattan (February 1964 to February 1965), including bills she introduced to the legislature, are reflected in her constituents' letters. Topics include civil rights legislation, labor reform, and urban renewal. Motley also served on state senate committees for the Affairs of Cities, Internal Affairs, and Penal Institutions. Corresp

Correspondence Motley received as Borough of Manhattan President from February 1965 to August 1966 relates to a variety of issues, including racial discrimination in public education, employment, organizations, and housing; Harlem revitalization; and the controversy surrounding construction of the Lower Manhattan Expressway, which Motley opposed (see letter dated 8 September 1965 in the General subseries).

At each new appointment or election, Motley received floods of letters and telegrams of congratulations from friends and colleagues as well as from supportive constituents and citizens from around the country. These generally fall within the months of February to September of 1964; February to November of 1965; and January to August of 1966. There is also a steady stream of invitations seeking Motley's presence as a guest or a speaker at a wide variety of events. In most cases, her replies are attached.

The Individuals subseries consists of letters to or from several notable individuals, including Bella Abzug, Brooke Astor, Derrick Bell, Wiley Branton, Shirley Chisholm, Sammy Davis, Jr., Thomas Hoving, Jack Greenberg, Hubert Humphrey, Lyndon B. Johnson, Dorothy Kenyon, Martin Luther King, Jr., John Lindsay, George McGovern, Floyd B. McKissick; James Meredith; Pauli Murray, A. Philip Randolph, Nelson Rockefeller, Richard Rodgers, Roy Wilkins, and Whitney Young. In most cases, there are only one or two letters from or to each of the individuals in this subseries. There is pro forma correspondence from and to New York City Mayor Robert F. Wagner scattered throughout the General correspondence, from Motley's terms as State Senator and Manhattan Borough President. Cross-references in the folder list and the Name Index refer researchers to material on individuals found in series other than Correspondence.

The Hate mail subseries consists of one file of letters from the public with particularly hostile, often racist content. These illustrate the intense controversy which surrounded so much of Motley's career, as well as the path-breaking nature of some of her decisions. There are similar letters in SERIES III. PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES-Federal District Court-Subjects, under Ludtke v. Kuhn, (the case in which Motley's decision allowed a woman reporter admittance to the Yankees' locker room), and Belknap et al. v. Leary (regarding police protection of Vietnam war demonstrators).

This series consists of five subseries: NAACP Legal and Educational Defense Fund; New York State Advisory Council on Unemployment and Employment Insurance; New York State Senate; Borough of Manhattan; and Federal District Court.

The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. subseries includes brochures and magazine articles about the NAACP and LDEF activities; several folders of newspaper clippings related to civil rights cases in Alabama and Mississippi in which Motley was involved as counsel for the LDEF, including Lucy v. U. of Alabama, a 1956 desegregation case and the bus boycotts in Montgomery, Alabama in 1956 and 1961. Petitions Motley submitted to withdraw from her NAACP cases when she assumed the Manhattan Borough Presidency in 1965 are also included here. These documents provide an overview of the numerous civil rights cases that she and the LDEF staff were litigating at that time.

A small subseries related to Motley's term on the New York State Advisory Council on Unemployment and Employment Insurance contains printed material relating to land value taxation, an issue before the Council at that time. Her letter of resignation from the Council in 1964 is also filed here, with Governor Nelson Rockefeller's response.

The New York State Senate subseries includes campaign material for the special election and for Motley's re-election as State Senator in 1964; press releases from her office; bills introduced by Motley; and subject files. The bills are arranged alphabetically by topic and include drafts of bills, supporting documents and, in some cases, constituent correspondence. Many of the bills introduced by Senator Motley challenged discrimination and segregation in public schools and private clubs, housing, and labor and civil service organizations. Other bills pertain to amendments to legislation such as employment benefits for domestic and agricultural workers; the minimum wage law; animal experimentation laws; financing housing and schools; an alcoholic beverage control law; and legislation concerning police search warrants. The latter file contains letters from people opposed to Motley's position on what was popularly known as the "stop and search" bill intended to protect citizen's rights against police h

The Borough of Manhattan subseries includes campaign material, press releases, the 1965 Annual report of the Borough, and subject files. The campaign material relates to Motley's campaign for re-election as President of the Borough in November 1965. The subject files are arranged alphabetically and include material related to various projects, committees, and miscellaneous social and political issues that surfaced from February 1965 to August 1966. Topics include the revitalization of Harlem; housing discrimination and tenants' rights; and a White House conference on civil rights in which Motley participated. There is also a file containing articles and letters regarding city taxi drivers accused of discriminating against blacks, including a New York Post article by Langston Hughes. For more information on Motley's activities during her term as Borough President, see SERIES IV. SPEECHES, which focuses mainly on that time period.

The Federal District Court subseries includes subject files; clippings related to miscellaneous cases; applications for jobs received by Motley when she first assumed the judgeship; and congratulatory letters from other Southern District Judges upon her appointment to Senior status in 1986 (other congratulatory letters are filed in SERIES II. CORRESPONDENCE-General). The series includes legal documents, articles, and letters reflecting both positive and negative public reaction to Motley's controversial decision in Ludtke v. Kuhn, the 1978 case in which Judge Motley ruled that Melissa Ludtkea sports writer for Time, Inc., be admitted to the New York Yankees' locker room. Another file contains both positive and negative responses to her decision regarding police protection of Vietnam war protesters in Belknap et al v. Leary (1970).

This series contains mostly typescripts of speeches written and delivered by Motley from 1963 to 1988. They are arranged chronologically and in some cases are accompanied by fliers, posters, or other printed material. Related correspondence, (invitations and responses, travel arrangements, etc.) can be found in SERIES II. CORRESPONDENCE-General. The bulk of the speeches are from Motley's term as Manhattan Borough President in 1965. Recurring topics include civil rights; urban development (especially in Harlem) and neighborhood programs (such as the Henry Street Settlement); equality in education; women in politics and the legal profession; and leadership in the black community. In addition there are tributes to prominent individuals; commencement speeches; fundraising for community organizations; civic events; and papers given at panels, conferences and lecture series.