C Finch, James A., Jr. (1907- ), Papers, linear feet

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1 C Finch, James A., Jr. (1907- ), Papers, linear feet This collection is available at The State Historical Society of Missouri. If you would like more information, please contact us at INTRODUCTION Papers of assistant attorney general of Missouri, 1932; acting prosecuting attorney of Cape Girardeau County, ; member and president of the Board of Curators of the University of Missouri, ; and judge, , and chief justice, , of the Missouri Supreme Court. Material consists of correspondence from Finch s term on the Board of Curators and his speeches at various judicial conferences and other functions. DONOR INFORMATION The papers were donated to the University of Missouri by James A. Finch, Jr. in April 1981 (Accession No. 4335). BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH James A. Finch, Jr. was born on November 13, 1907 in St. Louis, Missouri. He attended public schools in Fornfelt and New Madrid, Missouri. Upon graduation from high school, he entered Southeast Missouri State College and, later, the University of Missouri, where he received an A.B. degree in 1930, an LL.B. degree in 1932, and an LL.D. degree in Finch was admitted to the Missouri Bar in 1931 and began practicing law in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. He served as assistant attorney general of Missouri, July-December 1932, and as acting prosecuting attorney of Cape Girardeau County, Finch married Helen Carroll of Greenville, Illinois, on August 28, They settled in Cape Girardeau and had three children: Mrs. Robert (Gail) K. Bush, James A. Finch, III, and John David Finch. Finch took time off from his flourishing law practice to serve as a major in the Army Airways Communication System of the Army Air Corps during World War II. Finch was a member ( ) and president ( ) of the Board of Directors of the National Center for State Courts; secretary of the Appellate Judges Conference Executive Committee ( ); member ( ) and president ( ) of the trustees of the University of Missouri Law School Foundation; member ( ) and president ( ) of the Board of Curators of the University of Missouri; chairman ( ) of the Advisory Council to the Missouri Commission on Higher Education; chairman ( ) of the Governor s Council on Higher Education; and member ( ) of the Governor s Commission on Education Beyond the High School. In 1965 he was appointed a judge of the Missouri Supreme Court by Governor John M. Dalton. During his term in office he served as Chief Justice from 1971 through Finch retired from the Supreme Court in 1978.

2 C769 Finch, James A., Jr. (1907- ), Papers, Page 2 SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE The papers have been arranged into the following three series: Correspondence, Speeches, and Miscellaneous. Each series has been arranged chronologically. The papers do not present a comprehensive view of Finch s service on the Board of Curators. Letters relating to important issues and decisions are mostly copies from other individuals papers. The miscellaneous items are enclosures pulled from the correspondence. More complete series descriptions can be found in the folder list. FOLDER LIST Correspondence Series f During these years Finch was appointed to the Board of Curators. Some of the more important matters that he dealt with were the proposal for a four year medical school; the construction of new dormitories; the establishment of the Drury College honors program from the Drury estate; the donation of a herd of dairy cattle from J.C. Penney; and the problems caused by a pantry raid made by University of Missouri students at Christian College. f The highlights of these years included a controversy over the R.O.T.C. program, a debate over whether to admit indigent patients to the teaching hospital, problems in Franklin County with the extension agent, a loan from Northwest Mutual Life Insurance Company for the construction of a heating and power plant, a condemnation suit against the School of Mines and Metallurgy at Rolla, and the decision to name Elmer Ellis as acting president of the university. The controversy surrounding the establishment of a four year medical school continued into these years. Finch became president of the board in f Few new matters were brought before the Board of Curators during these years. Discussion of the Rolla condemnation suit, construction of new dormitories and a power plant, problems with the agricultural extension program, and the medical school controversy all continued. An agreement was signed with Burns & Roe of New York for an engineering project. Discussions were held on a university insurance plan, College of Agriculture land sales, and the Daniel C. Jackling Trust. And, after a lengthy search, Elmer Ellis was chosen as president of the university. f Discussion of the Rolla condemnation suit and Jackling Trust continued, while the construction of the teaching hospital and dormitories was well under way. The board was confronted with the decision whether or not to construct an atomic reactor at the School of Mines and Metallrugy and whether or not to establish a retirement plan for university employees. Finch was also reappointed as president of the board. f These years were marked by few major controversies. The four year medical school controversy still raged, even while construction

3 C769 Finch, James A., Jr. (1907- ), Papers, Page 3 crews worked to make it a reality. Two issues did temporarily command the board s attention. Marion Clark, attached to the Agricultural Extension Service, became embroiled with his superior. He gained the support of Webb Embrey and John Sam Williamson, associates of the Missouri Farm Bureau. The other issue the board had to contend with was whether or not to construct an atomic reactor at the university. Construction of the power plant and dormitories continued during these years. f marked the last year that Finch served as president of the board; he continued on as a member for another year. The last two years of his term on the board were relatively calm. The more important issues he dealt with were the agriculture experiment stations, the transfer of the University of Kansas City, and the construction of more dormitories. f During these years Finch devoted himself to the issues brought before the Missouri Supreme Court, on which he served as a justice, from 1965 to Finch found the time to attend numerous conferences, meetings, and commencements. The correspondence in these folders relates to Finch s involvement with the National Center for State Courts, the Missouri Bar, the Drury College Honors program, the Pound Conference, and the Institute of Continued Legal Education. Speeches Series f November Ceremony commemorating 150 th anniversary of Cape Girardeau County Circuit Court. f June University of Missouri commencement. f June Southeast Missouri State College commencement. f June University of Missouri, School of Law commencement. f August Panel discussion at Appellate Judges Conference held in St. Louis, Missouri. f August Eighth Circuit Judicial Conference in Rapid City, South Dakota. f January Missouri Judicial Nominating Commissioners Institute, Kansas City, Missouri. f April Southeast Missouri State College Law Day. f July Conference of Chief Justices, Charleston, South Carolina. f October Meeting of Missouri Bar in Kansas City. f October Missouri State Highway Patrol Law Enforcement Academy graduating class, Jefferson City. f November Missouri Prosecuting Attorneys Fall Seminar, Lake of the Ozarks. f February Kansas City Exchange Club. f March Columbia Downtown Rotary Club. f April Drury College Honors Convocation Dinner.

4 C769 Finch, James A., Jr. (1907- ), Papers, Page 4 f October Missouri Bar meeting, St. Louis. f October Missouri Shorthand Reporters Association, Rock Lane Lodge. f March Iowa Judicial Magistrate Appointing Commissioners Conference, Ames, Iowa. f April Jefferson City Rotary Club s annual Student Government Day program. f May Council of Judges of the National Conference on Crime and Delinquency, St. Louis. f May Dedication of new courtroom in Marble Hill, Bollinger County, Missouri. f August Seminar on Judicial Selection, Washington, D.C. f October Central Association of College and University Business Officers, Wichita, Kansas. f December Mississippi Conference on the Administration of Justice, Jackson, Mississippi. f October Speech given in Chicago on the emerging trends in courthouse planning and design. f December National Center For State Courts Board of Directors meeting, Denver, Colorado. f October Bicentennial ceremony in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. f April National Conference on the Causes of Popular Dissatisfaction with the Administration of Justice, St. Paul, Minnesota. f April Rotary Club Student Government Day program, Jefferson City, Missouri. f December American Judges Association meeting, Las Vegas, Nevada. f April Rotary Club Student Government Day program, Jefferson City, Missouri. f September Boys Town, St. James, Missouri. f December University of Missouri-Columbia, Law School commencement. f May Annual meeting of the Municipal Judges of Missouri. f June Missouri Broadcasters Association meeting, Lake of the Ozarks. f. 326 Speech, n.d., given at luncheon honoring Walter W. Parker s retirement as president of Southeast Missouri State College. f. 327 Speech, n.d., given to School of Mines and Metallurgy, Rolla. f. 328 Speech, n.d., given for parents day weekend at School of Mines and Metallurgy, Rolla. f. 329 Speech, n.d., dealing with University of Missouri enrollment. Miscellaneous Series f Statement from Special Commission on the Four Year Medical School; College of Agriculture s policies; agreement with

5 C769 Finch, James A., Jr. (1907- ), Papers, Page 5 Jamieson, Spearl, Hammond and Grolock, Architects; material on White House Conference; articles on the Senate s tour of University of Missouri campus; and discussion of House Bill 496. f Dormitory bids; medical insurance/retirement plan; the College of Agriculture extension program; the Robert E. Lee Hill Trust; board recommendations on the use of buildings; a decision on the Board of Curators powers; and an agreement with Jamieson, Spearl, Hammond and Grolock. f Middlebush Trust; managing agencies; managing agencies endowment; proposal for a junion college at Malden, Missouri; and a report from Jamieson, Spearl, Hammond and Grolock. f Pamphlet on administrative leadership at University of Missouri; three articles on an inquiry into College of Agriculture personnel; statements from R.W. Bland, John Sam Williamson, Miller Carpenter, and Webb Embrey on the inquiry; and articles on the Missouri Bar, the Drury College honors program, and the dedication of a new courtroom in Bollinger County, Missouri. f Articles on the Pound Conference and the Bollinger County courthouse. f. 335 First draft of a contract with Jamieson, Spearl, Hammond and Grolock, n.d. f. 336 Opinion on state policy concerning the use of Missouri products and firms in relation to the medical school, n.d. f. 337 Second draft of a contract with Jamieson, Spearl, Hammond and Grolock, n.d. f. 338 Resolution on the appointment of medical school faculty; a report on the method of payment to be used for contractors; and an opinion on regulations and legislation for operation and maintenance of the teaching hospital, n.d. f. 339 Statement on organized houses (fraternities); a report on the medical school by Finch; reports on KOMU-TV and television policies; a pres release on the construction of men s dormitories; copy of the Houchins will; and a contract between the University of Missouri and Kansas City General Hospital/Medical Center, n.d. f. 340 Finch v. Kansas City, n.d. f.341 Discussions of state legislation and a copy of State v. Teasdale, n.d. f. 342 Statement to the Board of Curators from Webb Embrey and associates and an amendment to the county agent substitute bill, n.d. f. 343 Reply from C. Brice Ratchford to Webb s statement, n.d. INDEX TERMS Subject Folders Andrae, Henry P. ( ) ,331,332, Becker, William H Bezoni, Ray H , ,

6 C769 Finch, James A., Jr. (1907- ), Papers, Page 6 Subject Folders Bowling, Dale O , , Clark, Marion W. 216,217 Colleges and universities--missouri Compumatix, Incorporated, St. Louis, Missouri 199,195 Cowan, Leslie ( ) 1-60,330, Cox, Lester Edmund ( ) ,331,332, Daggs, Jack A ,331,332, Ellis, Elmer ( ) , , 335, 343 Embrey, Webb 216, 224, 225, 333, 342 Ewing, Boyd , 331, 332, Finch, James Austin, Jr. ( ) Grawe, Oliver Randolph ( ) Hammond, Fred R. 190, 230, , 335, 337 J. C. Penney, Incorporated 16, 189, 196, 220, 221, , 264 Jamieson and Spearl, Architects, St. Louis, Missouri 83, 102, 108, 113, 145, 146, 190, 230 Jamieson, Spearl, Hammond and Grolock, Architects, St. Louis, Missouri 190, 230, , 335, 337 Kitt, Randall R , 331, 332, KOMU-TV, Columbia, Missouri 76, 77, 187, 339 Longwell, John H. ( ) 10, 11, 49, 53, 54, 57, 71, 73, 75, 151, 331, McHaney, Powell B. ( ) 1-96 Middlebush, Frederick Arnold ( ) 1-68, , 330, 332, Missouri Cotton Producers Association 171, 175, 239 Missouri, Bollinger County. Courthouse, Marble Hill 311, Missouri, Supreme Court--History 299, 317 Missouri. Circuit Court, Cape Girardeau County-- History Neill, Robert (1908- ) , , Pensions 136, 149, 152, 162, 163, 165, 243, 331 Peterson, Paul M. ( ) , , Pullen, Roscoe L. ( ) 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 19-27, 29-40, 43-45, 48, 49, 51, 55-57, 60, 62, 63, 67, 78, 102, 108, 113, 1445, 146 Ratchford, C. Brice ( ) 209, 224, 225, 229, , 239, 244, , 269, 331, 333, 342, 343 Robnett, Mary ( ) , , University of Missouri, 1950s 1-183, University of Missouri, 1960s , 332, 333

7 C769 Finch, James A., Jr. (1907- ), Papers, Page 7 Subject University of Missouri, Advisory Committee of the State Crippled Children's Service University of Missouri, Agricultural Experiment Stations University of Missouri, Agricultural Extension Service University of Missouri, Agricultural Extension Service, County Agents 199, 200, 241, , 239 University of Missouri, Agriculture Building University of Missouri, Board of Curators 1-274, University of Missouri, College of Agriculture, Land 74, 227, 229, 230 University of Missouri, Cooperative Extension Service Folders 10, 11, 49, 53, 54, 57, 71, 73, 75, 151, 209, 224, 225, 229, , 239,2 44, , 269, 331, 333, 342, , 53-54, 57, 209, 214, , 333, , 11, 49, 53, 54, 57, 71, 151, 209, , 229, , 239, 244, , 269, 331, 333, 342, 343 University of Missouri, Daniel C. Jackling Trust , , 133, 137 University of Missouri, Dormitories 7, 71, 81, 82, 95, , 120, 121, 131, 135, 140, 162, 167, 121, 131, 135, 140, 162, 167, 169, 237, 240, 248, 261, 331, 339 University of Missouri, Investments 168, 169 University of Missouri, KOMU-TV 76, 77, 187, 339 University of Missouri, Leases 154, 157, 159, 160, 162, 179, 254 University of Missouri, Nuclear Reactor 211, 212 University of Missouri, Panty Raid 18 University of Missouri, Power Plant 54-57, 60, 83, 84, 168 University of Missouri, Reserve Officers Training Corps Program 25, 207 University of Missouri, Retirement Plan 136, 149, 152, 162, 163, 165, 243, 331 University of Missouri, School of Medicine, Establishment of Four-Year Program University of Missouri, School of Mines and Metallurgy, Rolla University of Missouri, School of Mines and Metallurgy, Rolla, Nuclear Reactor 5, 6, 9, 11, 19-27, 29-40, 43-45, 48, 49, 51, 55-57, 60, 62, 63, 67, 78, 102, 108, 113, 145, 146, 190, 330, , , 59, 61-65, 68-70, 81, 86, 94, 121, 124, 133, 134, 139, 140, 153, 154, 159,1 60, 162, , 154 Williamson, John Sam , 333, 343 Wilson, Curtis L. 58, 59, 61-65, 68-70, 81, 86, 94, 121, 124, 133, 134, 139, 140, 153, 154, 160, 162 Wilson, Vernon E. 190,