| Repository: | Western Reserve Historical Society |
| Creator: | Nolan, James D. |
| Title: | James D. Nolan Papers |
| Dates: | 1958-1968 |
| Extent: | 1.00 linear feet (1 container) |
| Abstract: | James D. Nolan was an Ohio political activist during the 1960s. He was active in the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party and was a member of the Citizens League. In 1961, Nolan filed a civil action in United States Sixth District Court to have the 1903 Hanna amendment to the Ohio Constitution voided on grounds that it violated the equal representation article of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. Nolan won his suit on appeal to the United States Supreme Court in 1964. Nolan became the champion of legislative reapportionment in Ohio, delivering more than 900 speeches over a five year period. In 1966, he ran unsuccessfully for the office of Ohio Secretary of State. The collection consists of correspondence, speeches, reports, newsletters, legal briefs, and newspaper clippings relating primarily to the issue of proportional representation in Ohio, as well as other states. Also included is a small amount of personal material, consisting of biographical and electioneering materials. |
| MS Number | MS 4534 |
| Location: | closed stacks |
| Language: | The records are in English |
James D. Nolan (1922-1985) was a political activist in Ohio during the 1960s. Nolan was born in Lorain, Ohio, and was educated at several schools, including Georgetown University and Western Reserve University. After military service during World War II, he worked in the public relations field. Nolan was active in the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party and was a member of the Citizens League. In April 1961 Nolan filed a civil action in the U.S. Sixth District Court to have the 1903 Hanna amendment to the Ohio Constitution voided on the grounds that it violated the equal representation article of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Nolan won his suit on appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1964. Implementation of the 1964 decision took more than four years and several more lawsuits that resulted in major changes in representation in the Ohio Assembly and growth in the number of representatives from urban areas. Nolan became the champion of legislative reapportionment in Ohio, delivering more than 900 speeches over a five year period. In 1966 Nolan ran unsuccessfully for the office of Ohio Secretary of State.
The James D. Nolan Papers, 1958-1968, consist of correspondence, speeches, reports, newsletters, legal briefs and newspaper clippings.
This collection provides insight into the political process of trying to affect change through litigation, and illustrates that one person, if persistent, can make a difference. The 1903 Hanna Amendment guaranteed each Ohio county a seat in the Ohio House of Representatives regardless of population. The resulting malapportionment allowed rural control of the legislative process. The material in this collection will be of value to those interested in political change effected by judicial decision rather than legislative action.
None.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 4534 James D. Nolan Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio
James D. Nolan, 1975.
Processed by Patricia J. Stahley in 1990.
Series I: Legislative Reapportionment 1958-1968 undated |
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| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Americans for Democratic Action, including opposition papers pertaining to Constitutional amendment related to legislative reapportionment 1964-1965 | |||||||||
| 1 | 2 | Baker vs. Carr, including printed copy of oral arguments, and Amicus Curiae brief of the United States of America 1961 | |||||||||
| 1 | 3 | Citizens League, including Amicus Curiae brief in Nolan vs. Rhodes and Sive vs. Ellis, and reapportionment proposal of the Citizens League 1965-1967 | |||||||||
| 1 | 4 | Committee for Government By the People 1965-1966 | |||||||||
| 1 | 5 | Correspondence, including reapportionment litigation 1960-1966 | |||||||||
| 1 | 6 | Editorials, printed copies of editorials from Cleveland television stations, for and against reapportionment plans 1963-1965 | |||||||||
| 1 | 7 | Financial records, expenses of reapportionment litigation 1961-1965 | |||||||||
| 1 | 8 | Issue 3, ballot issue to amend Ohio Constitution regarding legislative representation 1965 | |||||||||
| 1 | 9 | King vs. Rhodes et al, litigation to prohibit implementation of Apportionment Board redistricting plan 1965-1966 | |||||||||
| 1 | 10 | National Committee for Fair Representation, anti-Dirksen Constitutional amendment 1965 | |||||||||
| 1 | 11 | National Municipal League, including chronology of malapportionment, and comparative data on the composition of state legislative districts 1959-1966 | |||||||||
| 1 | 12-13 | Newspaper clippings, relating to legislative reapportionment litigation 1960-1968 undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 14 | News releases, pertaining to litigation related to legislative reapportionment 1962-1965 undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 15 | Nolan vs. DiSalle, U. S. Court of Appeals, Civil Action 6082, including background information on reapportionment legislation, and opposition brief for motion to dismiss 1961-1963 | |||||||||
| 1 | 16 | Nolan vs. DiSalle, plaintiff's trial brief and reply brief 1963 | |||||||||
| 1 | 17 | Nolan vs. Rhodes et al, including jurisdictional arguments, notice of appeal, and Supreme Court decision and remand to appeals court 1963-1964 | |||||||||
| 1 | 18 | Nolan vs. Rhodes et al, Amicus Curiae brief of William A. Nye 1965 | |||||||||
| 1 | 19 | Nolan vs. Rhodes et al, Memorandum brief on behalf of Citizens Non-Partisan Committee To Save Representational Government 1965 | |||||||||
| 1 | 20 | Nolan vs. Rhodes et al, including apportionment decision of U.S. District Court 1965 | |||||||||
| 1 | 21 | Non-Partisan Committee To Save Representative Government 1966 undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 21 | Ohio Committee for Protection of Voters Rights 1963 | |||||||||
| 1 | 22 | Ohio Fair Apportionment Committee, opposition to Issue 3, amendment to Ohio Constitution 1965 | |||||||||
| 1 | 23 | Ohioans for Jobs and Progress, "Vote Yes... All Four...May 4..." campaign, pro Issue 3 1965 | |||||||||
| 1 | 24 | Publications, miscellaneous, pertaining to malapportionment and legislative reapportionment 1958-1965 | |||||||||
| 1 | 25 | Sive, et al, vs. Ellis et al, Civil Suit 6491, parallel litigation, consolidated with Nolan vs. Rhodes on appeal in U.S. Supreme Court 1963 | |||||||||
| 1 | 26 | WMCA vs. Caroline Simon et al, parallel litigation in New York, including legal briefs 1961-1962 | |||||||||
| 1 | 27 | WMCA vs. Caroline Simon et al, station editorials and press releases pertaining to New York reapportionment 1961-1966 | |||||||||
Series II: Personal Files 1964-1968 |
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| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 28 | Correspondence, including biographical data and speech drafts for Mayor Ralph Locher 1964-1968 | |||||||||
| 1 | 29 | Nolan for Secretary of State Committee, campaign for Ohio Secretary of State, including newspaper clippings 1966 | |||||||||