DR. JANE HODGSON LEGAL DEFENSE FUND
An Inventory of the Fund's Records at the Minnesota Historical Society
Manuscripts Collection
OVERVIEW
| Creator: | Dr. Jane Hodgson Legal Defense Fund, creator. | |
| Title: | Organization records, | |
| Dates: | 1969-1973. | |
| Abstract: | Correspondence, financial files, minutes, and other materials created by a defense fund to help pay the legal costs associated with Dr. Jane Hodgson's appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court following her conviction in a 1970 abortion case. | |
| Quantity: | 0.75 cubic feet (1 box). | |
| Location: | See Detailed Description for shelf location |
SCOPE AND CONTENTS
Correspondence, financial files, committee minutes and related papers, printed materials, and legal briefs documenting the efforts of a number of individuals and organizations, led by Frank M. Rarig, to test the constitutionality of the 1873 Minnesota law (Minn. Statutes, Title III, Sec. 29) outlawing abortions. To test that law, Dr. Hodgson performed an abortion and in May, 1970 she was indicted by the Ramsey County grand jury. The resulting case produced a suspended sentence and, while the case was being heard by the Minnesota Supreme Court, the United States Supreme Court handed down the Roe vs. Wade decision (1973) which legalized abortions.
Much of the correspondence relates to locating sponsors and gifts, and the fund's relationship with the James Madison Constitutional Law Institute, which supplied much of the financial support for the court cases.
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Availability:
The collection is open for research use.
Preferred Citation:
[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]Dr. Jane Hodgson Legal Defense Fund Records. Minnesota Historical Society.
See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples
Accession Information:
Accession number: 14,557
Processing Information:
Catalog ID number: 990017138270104294
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Note to Researchers: To request materials, please note both the location and box numbers shown below.
| Box | |||||||||||
| 151.E.2.4F | 1 | Correspondence, 1970-1973. 4 folders. | |||||||||
| Incoming correspondence, 1971. | |||||||||||
| Incoming letters both supporting and opposing abortion. | |||||||||||
| Contributions and other financial files, 1970-1973. | |||||||||||
| Contributors and disbursements, 1970-1973. | |||||||||||
| Steering Committee and Sponsoring Committee: Minutes and related records, 1970-1971. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| Hodgson article in Mayo Alumni, October 1970. Includes draft and published versions. | |||||||||||
| Printed materials, 1969-1971. | |||||||||||
| Hodgson's appeal to Minnesota and U.S. Supreme Courts, 1970-1971. 3 folders. | |||||||||||
| Includes legal briefs and related records. | |||||||||||
| Roy Lucas, "Court Cases: Recent and Current," 1971. | |||||||||||
CATALOG HEADINGS
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.
- Topics:
- Abortion -- Minnesota -- Law and legislation.
- Women physicians -- Minnesota.
- Persons:
- Hodgson, Jane E.
- Rarig, Frank M., 1908-.
- Organizations:
- James Madison Constitutional Law Institute.
- Minnesota. Supreme Court.
- United States. Supreme Court.
- Occupations:
- Physicians.
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