Collection ID: C288
Printable View Printable View

Collection context

Summary

Creator:
Spencer, William W., 1851-1938
Abstract:
William W. Spencer was an 1877 graduate of the Indiana University Law Department and was elected to the Indiana House of Representatives in 1911. Collection consists of writings, moot court trial records, and general files.
Extent:
.1 cubic foot (3 folders)
Language:
Materials are in English
Preferred citation:

[Item], William W. Spencer papers, Collection C288, Indiana University Archives, Bloomington.

Background

Biographical / Historical:

William W. Spencer, born October 7, 1851, in Indiana, received a B.S. from Indiana University in 1875 and graduated from the Department of Law in 1877. As a student, Spencer participated in the University Circuit Moot Court. After receiving his degree, he moved to Marion County, Indiana, where he served as a precinct committeeman and ward chairman. He was active in the Marion County Democratic Central Committee from 1881-1892, serving as both the secretary and later as the chairman. In both 1904 and 1908, he was chosen as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention. He was elected member of the Indiana House of Representatives from Marion County in 1911 and served until 1914, participating as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. Following his time in the General Assembly, he served as a commissioner on the state Board of Elections from 1918-1938. He died December 9, 1938 in Indianapolis.

Source: Shepherd, Rebecca A. A Biographical Directory of the Indiana General Assembly. Indianapolis: The Select Committee on the Centennial History of the Indiana General Assembly in cooperation with the Indiana History Bureau, 1980.

Scope and Content:

This collection is organized into three files: Writings, Moot Court, and General. Writings consists of short essays on various topics, including the teaching profession and the electoral college. One piece, titled "The Temperance Bill," appears to be an address to the House of Representatives, circa 1911. It also includes a handwritten copy of the lyrics to the song The Blue and the Gray by Francis Miles Finch.

The Moot Court file contains case and trial records of the University Circuit Moot Court, a required activity for students in the Law Department at the time. The General file includes an 1872 report card, a memoranda concerning 1881 tenant and landlord rights, and a University Circuit Moot Court summons.

Acquisition information:
Accession numbers: 0837
Custodial history:

Gifted to the Archives by son Herbert M. Spencer in 1957.

Processing information:

Processed by Danielle Emerling.

Completed in 2012.

Arrangement:

Collection is organized into three files: Writings, Moot Court, and General.

Access

RESTRICTIONS:

Collection is open for research. Advance notice required.

TERMS OF ACCESS:

The donor(s) of this collection have transferred their copyrights for the materials to the Trustees of Indiana University through a Deed of Gift. For more information, please contact the Indiana University Archives staff.

The Indiana University Archives respects the intellectual property rights of others and does not claim any copyrights for non-university records, materials in the public domain, or materials for which we do not hold a Deed of Gift. Responsibility for the determination of the copyright status of these materials rests with those persons wishing to reuse the materials. Researchers are responsible for securing permission from copyright owners and any other rights holders for any reuse of these materials that extends beyond fair use or other statutory limitations.

Digital reproductions of archival materials from the Indiana University Archives are made available for noncommercial educational and research purposes only. If you are the copyright holder for any of the digitized materials and have questions about its inclusion on our site, please contact the Indiana University Archivist.

PREFERRED CITATION:

[Item], William W. Spencer papers, Collection C288, Indiana University Archives, Bloomington.

CAMPUS:
Indiana University Bloomington
LOCATION OF THIS COLLECTION:
Herman B Wells Library E460
1320 East Tenth Street
Bloomington, Indiana 47405-7000, United States
CAMPUS:
Indiana University Bloomington
CONTACT:
812-855-1127
archives@indiana.edu