Arthur and Lila Weinberg Papers

Collection

Identifier: Midwest-MS-Weinberg

Staff Only

Scope and Content of the Collection

Notes and secondary source materials about lawyer Clarence Darrow, drafts and notes for the seven books plus shorter works by the Weinbergs; information about Arthur and Lila Weinberg, and some photographs.

Secondary source materials include copies of newspaper clippings taken from microfilm at various libraries, most extensively at the Library of Congress. There are also compiled copies of Darrow's correspondence, duplicated from different libraries. Handwritten notes on cards and lined paper are abundant.

Dates

1950-1988

Creator

Weinberg, Arthur (Person)

Language

Materials are in English.

Conditions Governing Access

The Arthur and Lila Weinberg Papers are open for research in the Special Collections Reading Room; 1 box at a time (Priority III).

Ownership and Literary Rights

The Arthur and Lila Weinberg Papers are the physical property of the Newberry Library. Copyright may belong to the authors or their legal heirs or assigns. For permission to publish or reproduce any materials from this collection, contact the Roger and Julie Baskes Department of Special Collections.

Biographies of Arthur and Lila Weinberg

Chicago historians, authors, and editors.

Arthur Weinberg (1915-1989) was a newspaperman, author, teacher, and biographer of Clarence Darrow. Lila Shaffer Weinberg (1918-2010) worked as an editor at the University Chicago Press for many years. The Weinbergs married in 1953 and had three children. Graduating in 1941 from Northwestern University with a degree in Journalism, Arthur worked for Fairchild Publications, which published national business newspapers such as the Home Furnishings Daily. A lifelong fan and promoter of Clarence Darrow, Weinberg conceived of the idea of the Clarence Darrow Centennial in 1957, as well as hosting annual commemorations of Darrow's death by throwing a wreath over the Clarence Darrow Memorial Bridge in Jackson Park, Chicago. The Weinbergs wrote three books devoted to Darrow and his legacy: Attorney for the Damned, Verdicts out of Court, and Clarence Darrow: A Sentimental Rebel. They collaborated on books of other topics as well: on journalists who uncovered political corruption (The Muckrakers); on pacifist writers and philosophers (Instead of Violence); on histories of thought concerning ideal communities (Passport to Utopia); and early rebellious thinkers (Some Dissenting Voices). Arthur and Lila Weinberg lectured extensively on Darrow and other topics, at DePaul University and all over the country. Both were members of the Society of Midland Authors and active in the Clarence Darrow Community Center. They were close friends with lawyer and author Elmer Gertz.

Extent

16.3 Linear Feet (36 boxes, 1 oversize box, and 4 oversize folders)

Additional Description

Abstract

Works, Research files, and secondary source materials created and compiled by Arthur and Lila Weinberg for their works on Clarence Darrow and other topics.

Organization

Papers are organized in the following series

Series 1: Darrow Research Files, approximately 1956-1985: Boxes 1-4
Series 2: Weinberg Information Files, 1956-1988: Boxes 5-6
Series 3: Works, approximately 1950-1988: Boxes 7-36
Series 4: Photographs, approximately 1960s-1970s: Box 36

Collection Stack Location

1 35 1, 1 36 1, 1 43 5

Catalog Record

https://i-share-nby.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01CARLI_NBY/i5mcb2/alma997776988805867

Provenance

Gift, Arthur and Lila Weinberg, 1985, with subsequent donations.

Processed by

Marvin Berz, 1988; Alison Hinderliter, 2005.

Acknowledgements

This inventory was created with the generous support of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this inventory do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.