Collections

The Leigh Bienen Papers include the records of the New Jersey Proportionality Review Project, the Illinois Capital Punishment Reform Study Commission, and the academic research papers of legal scholar Leigh Bienen. The New Jersey records contain material from New Jersey Public Defender Homicide Study directed by Bienen in the mid-1980s. The collection also includes the records from Bienen's involvement with the New Jersey Proportionality Review Project headed by Special Master David C. Baldus. Also present is material from Leigh Bienen's tenure on the Illinois Capital Punishment Reform Study Commission which resulted in the abolition of the death penalty in that state in 2011. Finally the collection contains Leigh Bienen's scholarly research material during her career teaching at both Princeton University and Northwestern University. Her research focused on proportionality review, the death penalty's monetary costs, and the role of prosecutor discretion.

Leonard Farbstein was a U.S. Representative from New York. Farbstein was born in New York City on October 12, 1902. He graduated from High School of Commerce, attended City College of New York, attended Hebrew Union Teachers College, and graduated from New York University Law School in 1924. During the World War I, Farbstein served in the United States Coast Guard Reserve and later as vice chairman of the East River Day Camp, a philanthropic organization. Farbstein was a lawyer in private practice. Farbstein served as a member of the New York State Assembly from 1932 through 1956. He was elected as a Democrat to the 85th and the six succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1957-January 3, 1971) before being an unsuccessful candidate for renomination to the 92nd Congress in 1970. Farbstein died on November 9, 1993, in New York, NY and his interment is in Cedar Park Cemetery in Paramus, NJ.

This collection documents Leona Train Rienow's professional career as a writer. The papers contain a significant number of drafts of Leona Train Rienow's manuscripts, papers concerning her research for her books and articles, and correspondence files.

The Louis C. Jones Papers consist primarily of the circular letters sent by Jones during World War II to former students of the State Teachers College and replies to these letters from service men and women. Jones was employed by the New York State College for Teachers, first as an Instructor (1934-42) and later as an Associate Professor of English (1942-46).

The papers of Lou Ismay document the history of the Environmental Forum at the University at Albany, SUNY, (State University of New York at Albany as it was then known) from 1969-1977, as well as the Environmental Studies Program. The collection contains information on the Environmental Forum, the Protect Your Environment Club, administrative files, student writings, subject files, correspondence, and publications. The student writings are from Ismay's Environmental Forum classes from 1969-1977. This series is restricted from use, along with parts of the Environmental Forum and correspondence series. This course was held under different numbers during its existence, including A&S 201 and Env.250a and b. The strength of the collection lies not in the educational departments that are represented by the collection, but by the overall impression one can gather about the rise of environmental awareness among students at the university. Access to certain student material is restricted. Consult a staff member for details.

This collection details the social activism of Malcolm Willison in New York State's Capital Region. As an active board member of several local groups, his papers contain minutes, financial statements and budgets, programming ideas, brochures, planning notes, articles and reports, and clippings that detail the evolution of the various organizations contained in the collection. Organizational newsletters and event flyers, course and conference information planned by Willison in his capacity on executive boards, and vast amounts of correspondence about any number of events and issues are also part of the scope of the collection.

The collection contains published and draft writings of Margarete Kollisch, and correspondence with Dr. Albert Einstein and other notables.

The Maryland Citizens Against State Executions (Maryland or MD CASE) Records contain documents from over 25 groups and 1,300 individuals that united to help successfully end the death penalty in Maryland in 2013 through education, grassroots action, and public demonstration. The collection consists of correspondence, meeting minutes, legislation, lobbying materials, subject files, special event and conference materials, case files and clippings.

This collection documents Maurice Hinchey's service as a member of the New York State Assembly and then a United States Congressman from the Hudson Valley of New York.

The Max Berking Papers, 1964-1965 collection contains materials related to Max Berking's service in the New York State Senate from 1964 to 1965.