Special Collections Department Mission

The mission of the Special Collections Department is to acquire, to preserve, to provide access, and to promote the use of rare and archival materials related to law. Materials collected include the archival records of the college, rare and valuable law books, and manuscript collections relating to the school or to the legal heritage of Houston, Texas, and the United States.

These materials are too valuable, too rare, or too fragile to exist in the library's main collection; therefore, they are stored in a specially controlled, secure area. The materials do not circulate (cannot be checked out).

Jesse H. Jones Reading Room

The Jesse H. Jones Reading Room is the access point for scholars and historians wishing to use the library's Special Collections. All Special Collections materials can be viewed here.

The Jones Room is designed in the Prairie architectural style of Frank Lloyd Wright. The centerpiece of the room is the Jones desk, a massive oak rolltop used by Jesse H. Jones, for whom the room is named. Jones used the desk while he was publisher of The Houston Chronicle. Jones also served as Director of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation and as Secretary of Commerce under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, remaining an important figure in Houston business circles throughout his life. His interest in philanthropic concerns is reflected by the foundation that he established in 1937, The Houston Endowment, which graciously funded the construction of the original reading room and the archives storage space.

Other furnishings in the room include a handmade cherry table and chairs crafted by Thomas Moser of Maine. Framed documents, vaulted ceiling, indirect lighting, and a large stained glass window box complement the furnishings and add visual interest to the room.

The materials in the department are preserved in the proper environment by a round-the-clock heating, ventilation, and cooling (HVAC) system, and are protected by a state-of-the-art gas fire suppression system.

Rare Book Collection

The rare book collection includes early editions of fundamental works in English law such as those written by Blackstone, Coke, Justinian, and Selden. Early American and Texas law is the main strength of the department. The department also collects early Spanish and Mexican laws and texts, which have influenced Texas' legal heritage. All rare books are listed in STELLA, the library's online catalog.

Manuscript Collections

The Special Collections Department contains manuscript collections of individuals integral to the law school's development, including the papers of Judge Spurgeon Bell, Dean Garland Walker, Dean Edgar E. Townes, and Dean and former Judge Sam Streetman.

Another valuable collection is the papers of Charles Fairman, former Professor of Law at Stanford and Harvard Law Schools, and a noted scholar of American Constitutional history and the U.S. Supreme Court. Other collections include the Courthouses of Texas Photograph Collection, and the records of the defunct Houston law firm of Butler & Binion (1941-1999). The library also possesses the papers of Fred Parks, a prominent Houston lawyer, an alumnus of the school, and for whom The Fred Parks Law Library is named.

The department holds records of the Pennzoil v. Texaco case, which was tried in Houston in 1986, and which resulted in the largest civil award in U.S. history at the time. This collection includes court transcripts, trial exhibits, and briefs pertaining to the litigation. A related collection contains the manuscript, notes, and sources for the book, Texaco and the Ten Billion Dollar Jury by James Shannon.

Descriptions of the manuscript collections are being added to the library's online catalog. Contact the Special Collections librarian for more information.

Archives

The Special Collections Department also collects any and all materials relating to the history of South Texas College of Law. Materials collected include the permanent records of college departments, college publications, photographs, and other materials about the faculty, staff, students, and alumni of the school.

The College Vertical Files is an especially useful reference tool containing news clippings, publications, and ephemera documenting the history of the college, its faculty, the staff, and its alumni. New materials are added regularly.

Portions of the college archives are located in STELLA, the library's online catalog. Contact the Special Collections librarian for details.

For a sample of items available in the Archives, visit our "Archives Images" page.

For a history of South Texas College of Law, visit our "Chronological History" page.

These images show the buildings which have housed South Texas College of Law throughout its history. Original photos may be viewed in the Archives.

Exhibits and Outreach

The department promotes the use of its collections to students and to scholars by rotating exhibits of its collection throughout the library, and by maintaining a regular column in the library's newsletter, Footnotes (in both paper and online formats). The Special Collections librarian also promotes the department through scholarly writing, by giving lectures, and by giving tours upon request and during the college's special events.

Using the Collection

Special Collections materials must be used in the Jesse H. Jones Reading Room under staff supervision. Users must comply with the Rules for the Use of Special Collections Materials, and individuals wishing to consult manuscript collections must complete the Application to Use Special Collections Materials.

Hours of Operation

Assistance is available by appointment. For more information, contact Heather Waltman , The librarian temporarily in charge of Special Collections, at 713.646.1792 or at hwaltman@stcl.edu.