The J. Willard Hurst Collection
The J. Willard Hurst Collection details the career of the man commonly identified as the father of modern American legal history. The collection primarily spans the years 1932 through Hurst’s death in 1997. The bulk of the material dates between 1946 and 1980 when Hurst was a professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School, where he developed the field of American legal economic history through his scholarship and teaching. The collection provides insight into the evolution of Hurst’s view of legal history and his role in developing a community for legal historians.
The collection includes Hurst’s personal outlines and notes; course texts; publications; publication reviews; research notes; correspondence (incoming and carbon copies of outgoing letters); personnel records; photographs; audio recordings; and artifacts. Correspondence, topical outlines and notes, and audio recordings compose the bulk of the collection. Note that these papers are primary source material and reflect the time period in which they were created.
Access:
Researchers may browse the digital collection using the menu above or use the search feature. See also the complete finding aid available in PDF.
The complete collection, including some materials which have not been digitized, is available at the University of Wisconsin Law Library. Consult library staff for assistance.
Researcher Responsibilities and Citation Guidelines:
It is the responsibility of the researcher to ensure that they have all necessary permissions for their intended use of these materials. This includes permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, and other rights. If permissions are required, researchers are responsible for obtaining them from the appropriate rights holders.
The UW Law Library does not charge fees for the use of its collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain the library's permission for such use. However, we do ask that users properly cite the collection and credit any images used.
Consult your preferred citation manual for appropriate citation formats. Basic citation example for unpublished, primary source material: [Author name], [Document title], [Date], J. Willard Hurst Collection, University of Wisconsin Law Library, Madison, WI.
Additional Materials:
If you are aware of any additional materials by or about J. Willard Hurst that are not included in this collection, please contact us. We are committed to making this archive as comprehensive as possible and appreciate any information that could help expand or complete the collection.
Summary Information:
Repository: University of Wisconsin Law Library
Creator: Hurst, J. Willard
Quantity: 38 archives boxes, 15 books, 6 binders, and 2 artifacts
Processing Information:
Prepared by Bonnie Shucha, Stephanie Rytilahti, and Steven Weber, January 2003 – June 2007.
Contact Information:
For questions about usage, reproduction, access to physical materials, or to provide information about additional materials, please contact the UW Law School Digital Repository administrators.