Scope and Contents note Dick Thornburgh grew up in Rosslyn Farms, Pennsylvania, an upper middle-class suburb of Pittsburgh. He attended Rosslyn Farms Elementary School (1937-1945), a four-room schoolhouse for kindergarten through eighth grade and where eight to ten students to a class was the norm. In 1945, Thornburgh graduated from elementary school and subsequently enjoyed only one year at Carnegie High School. Thornburgh's parents recognized that he was not being challenged academically, thus he continued his high school education at Mercersburg Academy ('50).
Thornburgh subsequently attended Yale University ('54), majoring in engineering, although admittedly not suited to the math and science required. However, he did develop a love for writing, politics and law, and went on to earn a law degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law ('57). Academically Thornburgh lived up to his potential there and was soon second in his class. He earned a place on the law review, and was selected for the moot court team (Evidence, p. 11).
These earliest files in the Thornburgh archive are remarkable in several respects. Firstly they are surprising. How many of us have saved a diary from age thirteen, "Sportorials" for the school paper, or college term papers and examinations, or class notes from graduate school? These items can be found here. Secondly, the class notes and annotated texts from law school set the stage for what became a brilliant law career, ultimately as the seventy sixth Attorney General of the United States.
The "Youth and Education" files are in four sections: "Youth," "Mercersburg Academy," "Yale University," and "University of Pittsburgh School of Law."
Subseries 1. Youth , 1932-1946 Scope and Contents note These files are arranged chronologically and include Thornburgh's birth certificate, elementary school test scores and childhood memorabilia.
Birth Certificate, Baptism, Confirmation and Inoculation Records, Rosslyn Farms, PA , 1932-1945 Containers box 1 , folder 1 Metropolitan Achievement Test Results (1939), "Public School Diploma, Allegheny County" (May 29, 1946), graduation 8th grade , 1939, 1946 Containers box 1 , folder 2 Carnegie High School , 1945-1946 Containers box 1 , folder 3 Personal Diary, aged 13 , 1946 Containers box 1 , folder 4 Family Prayer Books , 1889, 1893, 1944, 1952 Containers box 1 , folder 5 Sports team pin collection and Airplane Packet Cards , undated Containers box 1 , folder 6 Subseries 2. Mercersburg Academy , 1946-1950 Scope and Contents note The files are arranged chronologically. Materials include composition books, memorabilia and "Sportorials." The "Sportorials" were written by Thornburgh for the Academy newspaper and are described by him as his "most fulfilling activity" while at Mercersburg (Evidence, p. 6).
Modern Language Course, Graduation Certificate and Memorabilia , 1947-1950 Containers box 1 , folder 7 "Sportorials" by Dick Thornburgh and articles about him , 1947-1950 Containers box 1 , folder 8 Handwritten "English Composition Book " with essays, including "The Story of my Life" , 1948-1949 Containers box 1 , folder 9 Subseries 3. Yale University , 1950-1954 Scope and Contents note Among the items here will be found: Thornburgh's acceptance of admission letter from Yale, class notebooks, research papers, copies of The Yale Record, sports and theatre programs, memorabilia and diary from Thornburgh's 1953 trip to Europe. Some post-graduation alumni items have also been included here.
Memorabilia including Yale acceptance letter and transcript of all four years , 1950-1954 Containers box 1 , folder 10 Playbills and Programs , 1950-1954 Containers box 1 , folder 11 Drama productions , 1950-1951 Containers box 1 , folder 12 "Promenades" , 1952, 1954 Containers box 1 , folder 13 Football programs , 1950-1951, 1953, 1959 Containers box 1 , folder 14-15 Basketball and swimming programs , 1950-1952 Containers box 1 , folder 16 " '54 ": a Yale Banner Publication , 1950-1951 Containers box 1 , folder 17 "The Yale Record" , September, 1950-October, 1952 Containers box 1 , folder 18-19 Papers and research: Flood Control, Pittsburgh and History of Pennsylvania Turnpike , 1954 Containers box 1 , folder 20 "Flood Control-Pittsburgh, PA" , 1954 "The Pennsylvania Turnpike--Harrisburg to Pittsburgh: America's First 'Dream Highway'" , 1954 Paper: "Surgoinsville Hydro-Electric Project, Holston River, TN" , 1954 Containers box 1 , folder 21 Baccalaureate and Commencement Programs , June 6-7, 1954 Containers box 1 , folder 22 Papers and exams: Structural Engineering , 1954 Containers box 2 , folder 1 The Robert A. Taft Memorial Lecture Series, Watertown, CT , February 24, 1954 Containers box 2 , folder 2 Notebook: Yale Engineering Camp, East Lyme, CT , 1952 Containers box 2 , folder 3 Class Notebooks , 1952-1954 Containers box 2 , folder 4-6 Class Notes and Textbook: "History of Art" , 1954 Containers box 2 , folder 7 Class Notebook: Civil Engineering "Water Supply" , January, 1954-June, 1954 Containers box 2 , folder 8 Quizzes , 1953-1954 Containers box 2 , folder 9 "The Yankanuck Song Book" , ca. 1954 Containers box 2 , folder 10 Trip to Europe Memorabilia , 1953 Containers box 2 , folder 11 Trip to Europe Memorabilia and trip diary , 1953 Containers box 2 , folder 12 Post Graduation; 25th Reunion 1979, articles , 1979 Containers box 2 , folder 13 Subseries 4. University of Pittsburgh School of Law , 1954-1957 Scope and Contents note The papers are arranged chronologically and consist of four sections: 1) notes, reports and memorabilia; 2) Law Reviews and anniversary publication; 3) handwritten class notebooks; and 4) Thornburgh's annotated textbooks. Publications in the second section consist of The University of Pittsburgh Law Review (1954-1957) as well as Pitt Magazine's coverage of the seventy fifth anniversary of the Law School (1970). The Class notebooks section rather remarkably consists of twenty-two handwritten notebooks from each law school class, every semester. Of particular interest, too, are textbooks with his annotations, and one with a fetching pin-up picture inside the cover.
Notes, Reports and Memorabilia Memorabilia especially including "Recollections About Ginny" (2004 bio of Thornburgh's first wife, Virginia Hooton Thornburgh) , 1954-1957, 2004 Containers box 3 , folder 1 School transcript , 1954-1957 Containers box 3 , folder 2 Moot Law Court: notes and research , Fall, 1954 Containers box 3 , folder 3 Common Pleas case: Ralph Wilson vs. Pennsylvania Railroad Co., Thornburgh et al attorneys , 1956 Containers box 3 , folder 5 Supreme Court Case: Leopard Oil Co. Inc. vs. Superoil Corp. , 1955 Containers box 3 , folder 4 Federal Case: DeEugenio vs. Allis Chalmers, pre-trial notes , 1956 Containers box 3 , folder 6 Federal Case: DeEugenio vs. Allis Chalmers, Thornburgh et al attorneys , 1956 Containers box 3 , folder 7 Non Law Review Award , 1957 Containers box 3 , folder 8 Class of 1957 parody photographs , 1957 Containers box 3 , folder 9 Secretary, Class of 1957: Alumni Funds , 1962 Containers box 3 , folder 10 1967 "Who's Who" Class of 1957 and notes , October, 1967 Containers box 3 , folder 11 1972 and 1997 "Who's Who" Class of 1957 , October 21, 1972, September 12-14, 1997 Containers box 3 , folder 12 Lawyer's Register, no. 151 first edition , July, 1962 Containers box 3 , folder 13 Exams , 1954-1957 Containers box 3 , folder 14 Correspondence regarding Board of Law Examiners and 1957 passage of bar exam , 1955-1958 Containers box 3 , folder 15 Selective Service Form and Letter to the Draft Board , April 29, 1957, October 4, 1957 Containers box 3 , folder 16 School of Law Publications University of Pittsburgh Law Review, v. 16 nos. 1-4 , 1954-1955 Containers box 3 , folder 17 University of Pittsburgh Law Review, v. 17 nos. 1, 2, and 3 , 1955-1956 Containers box 3 , folder 18 University of Pittsburgh Law Review, v. 18 nos. 2 and 4 , 1957 Containers box 3 , folder 19 Pitt Magazine: The School of Law's 75th Anniversary, v. 26, no. 2 , Summer, 1970 Containers box 3 , folder 20 Class Notebooks Torts , Fall, 1954 Containers box 4 , folder 1 Property , Fall, 1954 Containers box 4 , folder 2 Contracts , Fall, 1954 Containers box 4 , folder 3 Legislative Process , Fall, 1954 Containers box 4 , folder 4 Criminal Law , Spring, 1955 Containers box 4 , folder 5 Constitutional Law , Fall, 1955 Containers box 4 , folder 6 Equity , Fall, 1955 Containers box 4 , folder 7 Property II , Fall, 1955 Containers box 4 , folder 8 Evidence , Fall, 1955 Containers box 4 , folder 9 Negotiable Instruments , Fall, 1955 Containers box 4 , folder 10 Corporations , Fall, 1955 Containers box 4 , folder 11 Suretyship , Spring, 1956 Containers box 4 , folder 12 Descendant's Estates , Spring, 1956 Containers box 4 , folder 13 Property II , Spring, 1956 Containers box 4 , folder 14 Trusts , Fall, 1956 Containers box 4 , folder 15 Taxation , Fall, 1956 Containers box 4 , folder 16 Future Interests , Fall, 1956 Containers box 4 , folder 17 Common Pleas , Fall, 1956 Containers box 4 , folder 18 Conflicts , Spring, 1957 Containers box 4 , folder 19 Taxation II , Spring, 1957 Containers box 4 , folder 20 Labor , Spring, 1957 Containers box 4 , folder 21 Sales , Spring, 1957 Containers box 4 , folder 22 Thornburgh's Annotated Textbooks Fraser's Cases and Readings on Property: Introduction (pinup picture) , 1954-1957 Containers box 4 , folder 23 Cases and Materials on Criminal Law and Procedure , 1954-1957 Containers box 4 , folder 24 Cases and Materials on Real Property and Conveyancing , 1954-1957 Containers box 5 , folder 1 Cases and Materials on the Law of Sales and Sales Financing , 1954-1957 Containers box 5 , folder 2 Fraser's Case and Readings on Personal Property , 1954-1957 Containers box 5 , folder 3 Cases on Labor Law , 1954-1957 Containers box 5 , folder 4 Case Materials on Future Interests , 1954-1957 Containers box 5 , folder 5 Cases on Equity , 1954-1957 Containers box 5 , folder 6 Cases on Wills and Administration , 1954-1957 Containers box 5 , folder 7 A Selection of Cases on the Law of Contracts , 1954-1957 Containers box 6 , folder 1 Cases and Materials on Legislation , 1954-1957 Containers box 6 , folder 2 Purdon's Pennsylvania Statutes Annotated, Permanent Edition: Title 12A Uniform Commercial Code 1-101 to 3-806 , 1954-1957 Containers box 6 , folder 3 Purdon's Pennsylvania Statutes Annotated, Permanent Edition: Title 12A Uniform Commercial Code 4-101 to End , 1954-1957 Containers box 6 , folder 4 Cases on the Law of Bills and Notes , 1954-1957 Containers box 6 , folder 5 Cases and Materials on the Law of Corporations , 1954-1957 Containers box 6 , folder 6 Cases and Materials on the Law of Credit Transactions , 1954-1957 Containers box 6 , folder 7 Cases and Other Materials on the Law of Taxation , 1954-1957 Containers box 6 , folder 8 Notes found inside Cases on Agency , 1954-1957 Containers box 6 , folder 9 Cases on Agency , 1954-1957 Containers box 6 , folder 10 A Preliminary Survey of the Law of Real Property , 1954-1957 Containers box 6 , folder 11 Cases and Materials on Constitutional Law , 1954-1957 Containers box 7 , folder 1 Cases on Torts , 1954-1957 Containers box 7 , folder 2 Inserts and notes found in Cases and Other Materials on Civil Procedure , 1954-1957 Containers box 7 , folder 3 Cases and Other Materials on Civil Procedure , 1954-1957 Containers box 7 , folder 4 Pennsylvania Common Pleas Practice: Statutes, Rules, Forms and Cases , 1954-1957 Containers box 7 , folder 5 Cases and Materials on the Law of Evidence , 1954-1957 Containers box 7 , folder 6 Report of the Joint State Government Commission of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Relating to the Following: Descendants' Estates Laws Fiduciaries Act of 1949 Fiduciaries Investment Act of 1949 , 1954-1957 Containers box 7 , folder 7 Report of the Joint State Government Commission of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Relating to the Following: Descendants' Estates Laws Interstate Act of 1947, Wills Act of 1947, Principal and Income Act of 1947, dated 1951 , 1954-1957 Containers box 7 , folder 8 Select Cases and Other Authorities on the Law of Trusts , 1954-1957 Containers box 7 , folder 9 Conflict of Laws: Cases and Materials , 1954-1957 Containers box 7 , folder 10 Statutory Supplement to Cases on Labor Law , 1954-1957 Containers box 7 , folder 11