Scope and Contents
The collection contains a defense committee records, clippings, printed matter, and newsletters from the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom.
The collection contains a notebook of materials collected by committee secretary Arthur C. Spencer, III. Materials include historical and biographical note on the James family, the event that led to Cheryl James' arrest, news releases, letters to the editor, correspondence, and newspaper clippings regarding the case.
Also included in the collection are newsletters of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (1967-1975), and the case is discussed in the newsletters post 1971. There is also a folder of flyers and other documents of the League.
Dates
- 1967-1975
Creator
- James, Cheryl D. (Person)
- Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (Organization)
- Cheryl James Defense Committee (Organization)
- Spencer, Arthur C., III (Arthur Champlin), 1938- (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open to the public. Collection must be used in Special Collections and University Archives Reading Room. Collection or parts of collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives in advance of your visit to allow for transportation time.
Conditions Governing Use
Property rights reside with Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries. Copyright resides with the creators of the documents or their heirs. All requests for permission to publish collection materials must be submitted to Special Collections and University Archives. The reader must also obtain permission of the copyright holder.
Biographical / Historical
Cheryl Dawn James was an eighteen-year-old African American woman from Portland, Oregon. James graduated from Jefferson High School. In 1971, she was convicted of assaulting an FBI agent who came to the James' residence on January 4, 1971, to arrest her brother, Charles T. James, Jr., who was absent without leave from the Navy.
A defense committee was formed by interested people and groups in Portland who agitated for an appeal, and who argued that racism within the court and the FBI had factored into the case. Arthur C. Spencer, III was the secretary of the defense committee.
Extent
0.075 linear feet (3 folders)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Cheryl Dawn James was an eighteen-year-old African American woman from Portland, Oregon, who was convicted of assaulting an FBI agent; a group of interested parties formed a defense committee on her behalf and argued that racism within the court and the FBI had factored into the case. The collection (1967-1975) contains defense committee records, clippings, printed matter, and also newsletters from the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom.
Physical Description
3 folders.
- African American women -- Oregon -- Portland Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- African Americans Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- African Americans -- Civil rights -- Oregon -- Portland -- History -- 20th century Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- African Americans -- Oregon -- Portland Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Cheryl James Defense Committee
- Clippings Subject Source: TGM II, Genre and physical characteristic terms
- Correspondence Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Discrimination in criminal justice administration -- Oregon -- Portland Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- James family
- James, Cheryl D.
- Newsletters Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Oregon Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Portland (Or.) -- Race relations Subject Source: Lcnaf
- Portland (Or.) -- Social conditions -- 20th century Subject Source: Lcnaf
- United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Women prisoners -- Oregon Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Title
- Guide to the Cheryl D. James Defense Committee Records
- Status
- Complete Description
- Author
- Tanya Parlet.
- Date
- 2013
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
- Sponsor
- Funding for production of this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC)
Repository Details
Part of the University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives Repository
