Created from transfer of Ackerman Inventory, needs to be verified for accuracy, did not compare against PP at the time of transfer:b61340194
This collection is unprocessed. Materials are arranged in the order received. Titles were assigned by the donor.
Donated by Doris Walker, 2006 April
[identification of item], Doris Walker Correspondence with Jessica Mitford and Research on Jessica Mitford, SPEC.RARE.CMS.0175, Rare Books and Manuscripts Library, Ohio State University
Contains audiocassettes.
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This collection is unprocessed. Finding aid written by: Mackenzie Sommers, 2018 October
Doris Brin Walker (1919-2009) was an American lawyer and communist who had a close friendship with Jessica Mitford, an American author, journalist, and civil rights advocate.
Doris Walker (neé Brin) was born in Dallas, Texas. She received a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and joined the Communist party. She applied and enrolled as the only woman student at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. She graduated from there in 1942. After graduation, she took a job at Cutter Laboratories in San Francisco, but was fired after being found to be a Communist. The National Labor Relations Board and a California State court directed that she be reinstated, but this decision was later overturned by the California State Supreme Court. The case went to the United States Supreme Court where the California Supreme Court’s decision was upheld. Walker resumed her work as a lawyer and began representing people charged for the crime of being members of the Communist Party. In 1961, Walker founded the firm of Treuhaft, Walker, and Burnstein with Robert Treuhaft and Malcom Burnstein, and was a partner until 1977. She was elected the first woman president of the National Lawyers Guild in 1970. In 1971, civil rights activist and author Angela Davis was charged with murder, kidnapping, and conspiracy after a gun she purchased was used in the Marin County courthouse incident where a man took a judge and two convicts hostage. Walker became one of the team of lawyers who helped get Davis cleared of all charges. Doris Walker passed away at the age of 90 in 2009.
Jessica Mitford (1917-1996) was the second youngest of the seven Mitford sisters. Born to Sydney Mitford and David Freeman-Mitford, she grew up with her sisters in country houses across England. She and Esmond Romilly, her second cousin, eloped to Spain where Romilly reported for the News Chronicle during the Spanish Civil War. In 1939, the couple immigrated to America, but quickly moved to Canada so that Romilly could volunteer to serve in the Royal Canadian Air Force. Romilly was killed when he was shot down during a bombing raid over Germany, and shortly after, Mitford gave birth to their daughter. Mitford took a job working for the United States government in one of the war-time positions available to women and through this job, she met American Civil Rights lawyer Robert Treuhaft and married him. It was through Treuhaft and his law practice that Mitford became close friends with Doris Walker and the two women corresponded with each other using pet names -- Doris called Jessica "Decca" and Jessica called Doris "Dobby." Walker extended Mitford and her husband an invitation to join the Communist Party, which they accepted. After joining the Communist Party, Mitford became an investigative journalist and civil rights activist, covering the Freedom Riders and the funeral industry. She published several books from 1960 to 1977 and taught at San Jose University. She also took up singing and produced several records. She died of lung cancer in 1996.
Doris Walker Correspondence with Jessica Mitford and Research on Jessica Mitford contains correspondence between Doris Walker and Jessica Mitford as well as correspondence with other friends and colleagues. The collection also contains articles about Jessica Mitford, a thesis written by a San Jose State University student about Mitford, speeches by Walker and Mitford, and audiocassettes of Mitford's music. Materials range in date from 1951-1997.
In these letters, Jessica Mitford goes by the name "Decca" and Doris Walker goes by "Dobby."
Audiotapes content includes two prepackaged tapes called "There is a Moral To It All: Musical Duets by Maya Angelou and Jessica Mitford" and "Decca and the Dectones featuring Jessica Mitford." The third audiotape contains recordings of the National Lawyers Guild Testimonial Dinner Honoring Bob and Decca Treumaft with Maya Angelou as Master of Ceremonies.
Audiocassettes; approximate runtime: unknown.