Charles M. Allen papers

Abstract

The Charles M. Allen papers (dated 1948-2001, bulk 1961-1998; 8.75 cubic feet; 9 boxes, one oversize photograph) primarily comprise correspondence, photographs, and state and federal court files including opinions, case files and research materials.

Descriptive Summary

Title
Charles M. Allen papers
Date
1948-2001, undated (inclusive)
1961-1998 (inclusive)
Creator
Allen, Charles Mengel, 1916-2000
Extent
8.75 Cubic Feet
Subjects
Court administration -- Kentucky.
Court administration -- United States
Courts -- United States.
Jefferson County (Ky.) -- Politics and government.
Judges -- Kentucky.
Judicial opinions
Judicial process -- United States
Railroads.
Allen, Angela
Allen, Charles Mengel, 1916-2000
Cook, Marlow W. (Marlow Webster), 1926-2016
Kentucky Railway Museum
Arrangement
Collection is arranged into five series: Jefferson County Circuit Court; Western District Court of Kentucky; General correspondence; Personal files; Railroad files. Where possible, original folder names were retained.
Finding Aid Author
Anu Kasarabada
Preferred Citation
2019ms006: [identification of item], Charles M. Allen papers, 1948-2001, bulk 1961-1998, University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections Research Center.
Repository
University of Kentucky

Collection Overview

Biography / History
Charles Mengel Allen served as a judge on the Western District Court of Kentucky from 1971 to 2000. Allen was born in Louisville, Ky. on November 22, 1916. He received his bachelor's degree from Yale University in 1941 and his law degree from the University of Louisville Law School in 1943. After graduation, Allen practiced law for one year before leaving for the Southwest, where he taught at the Arizona Desert School in Tucson, Arizona from 1945 to 1946. He returned to Louisville in 1946 and practiced law for the next fifteen years. Allen also served as an assistant United States attorney for the Western District of Kentucky from 1955 to 1959. In 1961, he won election to a seat on the Jefferson County Circuit Court, as a judge in the Fourth Chancery Division. On November 17, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon nominated Allen to serve as a judge for the Western District Court. The U.S. Senate confirmed his nomination on November 23, 1971. He served as chief judge from 1977 to 1985. On October 1, 1985, Allen assumed senior status and served in that capacity until his death on January 4, 2000.
An avid railroad enthusiast, Allen was a charter member of the Kentucky Railway Museum. At various times in the museum's history, he served as legal counsel and president of the organization. Allen also collected railroad timetables, photographs, guides, and other publications related to trains and railroads within the United States and around the world.
Scope and Content
The Charles M. Allen papers (dated 1948-2001, bulk 1961-1998; 8.75 cubic feet; 9 boxes, one oversize photograph) primarily comprise correspondence, photographs, and state and federal court files including opinions, case files and research materials. Case files include papers related to two of Allen's most notable cases: Louisville Black Police Officers Organization v. City of Louisville (1979), regarding racial discrimination in the hiring of police officers; and Tate v. Frey (1986), regarding prison overcrowding in the Jefferson Circuit County Jail.
There are also files related to the development of the Kentucky Railway Museum as well as news clippings, correspondence, brochures, and other promotional materials related to railroads around the world. A small group of papers also relate to Allen's personal life, including two notebooks consisting of law school notes, gardening plans, and other personal activities.

Restrictions on Access and Use

Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
Use Restrictions
The intellectual and physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections Research Center.

Contents of the Collection

Jefferson County Circuit Court, 1961-1971

Scope and Contents

This series primarily consists of correspondence, and opinions and orders (both draft and final). Also included are memoranda, agendas, and other administrative court files.

Correspondence, 1961-1971

Correspondence, 1961-1971

  • Box 1, folder 1-8
To top

Correspondence of Commissioner, 1964-1970

  • Box 1, folder 9
To top

Correspondence with judges, 1968-1971

  • Box 1, folder 10
To top

Court files, 1961-1972

Scope and Contents

Arranged alphabetically by folder title and then chronologically by year.

Opinions, 1961-1971

  • Box 1, folder 11-22
To top

Opinions - Judge Revell, 1972

  • Box 1, folder 23
To top

Opinions and orders, 1961-1971

  • Box 2, folder 1-10
To top

Pre-trial orders, 1968, 1971

  • Box 2, folder 11-13
To top

Subject files, 1959-1971

Scope and Contents

Arranged alphabetically by folder title and then chronologically by year.

Bail in juvenile court, 1971

  • Box 2, folder 14
To top

Constitution, memo on differences, undated

  • Box 2, folder 15
To top

Constitution revisited, 1966 October 24

  • Box 2, folder 16
To top

Federal judgeship, 1971-1972

  • Box 2, folder 17
  • Box 9, folder 31
To top

General Term, 1963-1971

  • Box 2, folder 18
To top

Information for junior judges, 1959-1961

  • Box 2, folder 19
To top

Interlocutory decree, 1966 July 25

  • Box 2, folder 20
To top

Jefferson Circuit Court, 1962-1970

  • Box 2, folder 21
To top

Judicial Conference, 1971 April 20

  • Box 2, folder 22
To top

Legal Aid Society, 1967-1969

  • Box 3, folder 1-3
To top

Legal memorandum, 1968-1970

  • Box 3, folder 4
To top

Legal memorandum of authorities, 1961-1970

  • Box 3, folder 5
To top

Judge Shackelford Miller, Jr. memorial, 1965-1970

  • Box 3, folder 6
To top

Minutes, 1964

  • Box 3, folder 7
To top

Motion hour change, 1971 April

  • Box 3, folder 8
To top

National Court Assistance Act, 1967

  • Box 3, folder 9
To top

Rules of Criminal Procedure, 1962

  • Box 3, folder 10
To top

Speeches, undated

  • Box 3, folder 11
To top

Western District Court of Kentucky, 1971-2001

Scope and Contents

This series consists of correspondence, subject files, case files, research materials, and court administrative files.

Correspondence, 1975-1996

Scope and Contents

Arranged n chronologically by year.

Judges correspondence, 1971, 1975-1985

  • Box 3, folder 12-13
To top

Judges correspondence, 1986

  • Box 3, folder 14
To top

Judges correspondence, 1987

  • Box 3, folder 15-16
To top

Judges correspondence, 1988

  • Box 3, folder 17-18
To top

Judges correspondence, 1989

  • Box 3, folder 19-20
To top

Judges correspondence, 1990

  • Box 3, folder 21-23
To top

Judges correspondence, 1991

  • Box 3, folder 24-25
To top

Judges correspondence, 1992

  • Box 4, folder 1-2
To top

Judges correspondence, 1993

  • Box 4, folder 3-7
To top

Judges correspondence, 1994

  • Box 4, folder 8-11
To top

Judges correspondence, 1995

  • Box 4, folder 12-17
To top

Judges correspondence, 1996

  • Box 4, folder 18-20
To top

Case files, 1978-1989

Scope and Contents

This subseries comprises draft opinions, law clerk memos, notes, correspondence, court filings, caselaw, news articles, and research files that document Judge Allen's decision-making process in small number of his cases. Case files include papers related to two of Allen's notable cases: Louisville Black Police Officers Organization v. City of Louisville (1979), regarding racial discrimination in the hiring of police officers; and Tate v. Frey (1986), regarding prison overcrowding in the Jefferson County Circuit Jail.

Arranged alphabetically by folder title.

Alioto v. Donio, memorandum re: appointment of guardian ad litem for a non-indigent, 1984 September 10

  • Box 5, folder 1
To top

Louisville Black Police Officers Organization v. City of Louisville, 1979-1988

  • Box 5, folder 2
To top

Shimman v. Local 18, Sixth Circuit sitting by designation, 1983

  • Box 5, folder 3
To top

Tate v. Frey, 1986

  • Box 5, folder 4
To top

United States v. Ashland Oil, 1978

  • Box 5, folder 5
To top

USA v. Cedar, Sixth Circuit no. 83-1023, 1984

  • Box 5, folder 6
To top

USA v. Zalman, CR-86-0053, 1984-1989

  • Box 5, folder 7-9
To top

Subject files, 1972-2001

Scope and Contents

Arranged alphabetically by folder title and then chronologically by date.

"A", 1974-1984

  • Box 5, folder 10
To top

Asbestos information, 1985-1991

  • Box 5, folder 11
To top

Atlanta, Eleventh Circuit sitting by designation, 1989 Mar 27-30

  • Box 5, folder 12
To top

Archives-History Committee, 1980 Sep 22

  • Box 5, folder 13
To top

Judge Ballantine, 1977-1993

  • Box 5, folder 14
To top

Book reviews, undated

  • Box 5, folder 15
To top

"C", 1974-1983

  • Box 5, folder 16
To top

Clerk of Court, 1980-1996

  • Box 5, folder 17
To top

Clippings and publications, 1974-2000

  • Box 9, folder 27-28
To top

Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit, 1976-1993

  • Box 5, folder 18
To top

Courtroom illustration, undated

  • Box OS-21, folder 1
To top

Criminal Law Committee meeting, Judicial Conference, 1986 January 20-21

  • Box 5, folder 19
To top

Criminal Law Committee meeting, Judicial Conference, 1987 July 13

  • Box 5, folder 20
To top

"D", 1980, 1984

  • Box 5, folder 21
To top

Jo Ann Dale, 1980

  • Box 5, folder 22
To top

District Judges Association, 1976-1979

  • Box 5, folder 23
To top

"E", 1979-1980

  • Box 5, folder 24
To top

Emergency staff requests, mail-in votes, 1985

  • Box 5, folder 25
To top

Employee Coordinator, 1980-1984

  • Box 5, folder 26
To top

Equal Employment Opportunity Plan (model), 1987 April 2

  • Box 5, folder 27
To top

Examiner's report, 1980, 1984

  • Box 5, folder 28
To top

Expert medical witnesses, 1982-1987

  • Box 5, folder 29
To top

"F", 1973-1981

  • Box 5, folder 30
To top

Federal Judges Association, 1983-1990

  • Box 5, folder 31-32
To top

"G", 1975-1981

  • Box 5, folder 33
To top

Judge Gordon, 1978-1990

  • Box 5, folder 34
To top

Grider, Jesse W., clerk, 1992-1995

  • Box 5, folder 35
To top

"H", 1972-1984

  • Box 5, folder 36
To top

Honors, various, 1984-1998

  • Box 9, folder 25
To top

Judge John G. Heyburn II, 1991-1993

  • Box 5, folder 37
To top

Judge Joseph M. Hood, 1990 May

  • Box 5, folder 38
To top

In memorian, 2000-2001

  • Box 5, folder 39
To top

Judge Johnstone, 1977-1993

  • Box 5, folder 40
To top

Judicial commission, 1971

  • Box 5, folder 41
To top

Judicial conference, Sixth Circuit, 1986 May 14-17

  • Box 5, folder 42
To top

Judicial conferences, 1975-1993, 2000

  • Box 6, folder 1-3
To top

Judicial evaluation, 1989-1995

  • Box 6, folder 4-9
To top

"K", 1974-1982

  • Box 6, folder 10
To top

Kentucky Bar Association (KBA) Judge of the Year Award, 1996

  • Box 6, folder 11
To top

"L", 1972-1981

  • Box 6, folder 12
To top

Lawyers Club, 1981-1992

  • Box 6, folder 13
To top

"M", 1972-1984

  • Box 6, folder 14
To top

Magistrate selection, 1990-1991

  • Box 6, folder 15
To top

Magistrates, 1978-1983

  • Box 6, folder 16
To top

Magistrate James D. Moyer, 1996

  • Box 6, folder 17
To top

"Mc", 1977, 1980

  • Box 6, folder 18
To top

Memorials, 1972-1980

  • Box 6, folder 19
To top

Ronald E. Meredith, judge, 1981-1975

  • Box 6, folder 20
To top

Owensboro Division, 1986

  • Box 6, folder 21
To top

Photographs, various, undated

  • Box 9, folder 26
To top

Letter to prisoners, samples, 1962-1977

  • Box 6, folder 22
To top

Prisoner letters, 1972-1995

  • Box 6, folder 23-27
To top

Probation, 1982-1987

  • Box 6, folder 28
To top

Rivers resignation, 1973-1974

  • Box 6, folder 29
To top

Judge Thomas B. Russell, 1994

  • Box 6, folder 30
To top

"S", 1975-1983

  • Box 6, folder 31
To top

Salmagundi, 1989-1998

  • Box 6, folder 32-33
To top

Sanctions: Rule 11, 1995

  • Box 7, folder 1-3
To top

Senior judge status, 1975-1996

  • Box 7, folder 4-6
To top

Sixth Circuit, 1992-1993

  • Box 7, folder 7-10
To top

Speedy trial, 1978-1980

  • Box 7, folder 11
To top

Statistics, 1984-1991

  • Box 7, folder 12-14
To top

General correspondence, 1987-1996

Scope and Contents

This series consists of letters to and from Judge Allen, related to both his professional and personal activities. Correspondents include federal judges, state and federal legislators, attorneys, law professors, friends, family, and members of the public.

Arranged chronologically by year.

General correspondence, 1987

  • Box 7, folder 15-16
To top

General correspondence, 1988

  • Box 7, folder 17
To top

General correspondence, 1988-1994

  • Box 7, folder 18
  • Box 8, folder 1
To top

General correspondence, 1990

  • Box 8, folder 2-3
To top

General correspondence, 1991

  • Box 8, folder 4-5
To top

General correspondence, 1992

  • Box 8, folder 6
To top

General correspondence, 1993

  • Box 8, folder 7
To top

General correspondence, 1993-1994

  • Box 8, folder 8
To top

General correspondence, 1995-1996

  • Box 8, folder 9-11
To top

General correspondence, 1996

  • Box 8, folder 12
To top

Personal files, 1948-1999, undated

Scope and Contents

This series consists of correspondence, notebooks, news clippings, and personal and financial papers. Correspondents include senators Marlow Cook and John Sherman Cooper.

Arranged alphabetically by folder title and then chronologically by year.

Arthur and Jane Allen, biographical materials, 1927-1998

  • Box 9, folder 29
To top

Charles M. Allen, biographical materials, 1995-1999, undated

  • Box 9, folder 30
To top

Mary Bingham, 1995

  • Box 8, folder 13
To top

Notebooks, undated

  • Box 8, folder 14-15
To top

Personal and financial papers, 1960-1961

  • Box 8, folder 16
To top

Personal correspondence, 1948-1954

  • Box 8, folder 17-18
To top

Personal correspondence, 1984-1986

  • Box 8, folder 19
To top

Personal correspondence, 1986-1987

  • Box 8, folder 20
To top

Personal correspondence, 1989

  • Box 8, folder 21
To top

Personal correspondence, 1994-1995

  • Box 8, folder 22-23
To top

Personal correspondence, 1999

  • Box 8, folder 24
To top

Railway files, 1953-1987, undated

Scope and Contents

This series consists of correspondence, news clippings, photographs, legal files, newsletters, and train schedules, brochures and other promotional materials. Arranged alphabetically by folder title and then chronologically by year.

Chapter chatter, 1968

  • Box 9, folder 1
To top

J.B. Speed Art Museum v. Citizens Fidelity Bank, etc. (Railway Museum), 1971

  • Box 9, folder 2
To top

Kentucky Central Scenic Railway Company, 1961-1962

  • Box 9, folder 3
To top

Kentucky Railway Museum, 1953-1954

  • Box 9, folder 4-14
To top

National Railway Historical Society, 1954

  • Box 9, folder 15
To top

Oversize photograph of train on railway tracks by Tom Kelcec, undated

  • Box OS-20
To top

Photographs of trains from Alan Mason, 1953?

  • Box 9, folder 16
To top

Railroad information, 1979

  • Box 9, folder 17
To top

Railway articles, 1961, undated

  • Box 9, folder 18
To top

Railway correspondence, 1962-1985

  • Box 9, folder 19-20
To top

Railway papers, 1953-1988

  • Box 9, folder 21
To top

Train information, 1979-1987

  • Box 9, folder 22-24
To top

UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.

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You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.

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UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.

Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.

Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.

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You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.

If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.