Summary Information
Charles L. Aarons Papers 1907-1952
- Aarons, Charles L. (Charles Lehman), 1872-1952
Milwaukee Mss DK; PH 2301; PH 2302(3)
3.0 c.f. (8 archives boxes) and 16 photographs (2 folders)
UW-Milwaukee Libraries, Archives / Milwaukee Area Research Ctr. (Map)Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)
Personal and professional papers of Charles Aarons, a Milwaukee County circuit judge. The bulk of the collection is composed of copies of Judge Aaron's legal decisions, reports, and studies. Included is the “ambulance chasing” case Churchill et al. that resulted in disbarment proceedings against many Milwaukee lawyers, and reports on circuit court congestion and on comparative negligence. One box of letters and biographical material includes correspondence with Max Adler on Zionism, with Henry Ford on anti-Semitism, with Charles B. Rogers on University of Wisconsin alumni affairs, and with Wisconsin congressmen on immigration policies. Other letters pertain to Aarons' interest in the American Jewish Committee. The photographs in PH 2301, circa 1930-1952, primarily are news photos showing posed groups including Judge Aarons at public events. In PH 2302(3) are posed group photographs of the Wisconsin Board of Circuit Judges, 1941-1949.
Forms part of the Wisconsin Jewish Archives. There is a restriction on use of this material; see the Administrative/Restriction Information portion of this finding aid for details.
English
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mil000dk ↑ Bookmark this ↑
Biography/History
Charles Lehman Aarons was born in New York City on August 18, 1872. In 1873, his family moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where his father was a prosperous wholesale clothing merchant. He attended the University of Wisconsin and in 1895 received his law degree.
Aarons' first job was with the Milwaukee firm of Felker, Goldberg, and Felker, where he stayed until 1897 when he opened his own practice. In 1925 he was elected judge of the Milwaukee County Circuit Court, and was re-elected in 1931, 1937, and 1943. He declined to run in 1949 and retired on January 2, 1950.
Aarons was a member of the Milwaukee School Board, 1903-1905 and 1908-1910. He was also active in various Jewish community activities, including the B'nai B'rith Anti-Defamation League and the American Jewish Committee.
In 1905 he married Rose Sheuerman of Des Moines, Iowa. She died in 1945. Charles Aarons died in 1952.
Scope and Content Note
The papers are arranged in alphabetical files. There is both personal and legal correspondence which documents some of his Milwaukee Jewish community activities. The clippings mainly concern various campaigns and judicial opinions.
The largest part of the collection is comprised of copies of his judicial opinions arranged alphabetically by the plaintiff's last name. His most famous decision was the 1927 “ambulance chasing” case (Churchill et al.) that resulted in the disbarment proceedings against many Milwaukee lawyers.
The reports concern various legal topics that Aarons investigated with other judges, including circuit court congestion, comparative negligence, and the attempt to standardize judge's instructions to juries.
The speeches and writings, 1935-1950, include those of Aarons, other Wisconsin judges, and an incomplete set of Charles B. Rogers' newspaper column, “Reminiscences of a Country Lawyer.”
The miscellaneous papers include citations that Aarons received, campaign literature, legal certifications of his election successes in 1925, 1931, 1937, and 1843; and biographical material.
Administrative/Restriction Information
Copyright to many of the photographs is held by the Milwaukee Journal. The Wisconsin Historical Society, through contract with the Milwaukee Journal, can provide reproductions and reproduction rights.
Presented by Joseph L. Baron, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1954.
Processed by Lindsay Nauen and Eleanor McKay, July 1, 1974.
Contents List
Milwaukee Mss DK
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Correspondence
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Box
1
Folder
1
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1920-1944
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Box
1
Folder
2
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1945-1947
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Box
1
Folder
3
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1948-1951
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Box
1
Folder
4
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Clippings, 1907-1951
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Judicial Opinions
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Box
1
Folder
5
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A-Ar, 1926, 1929, 1931-1933, 1935, 1937-1938, 1940-1943, 1947, 1949
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Box
1
Folder
6
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At-Ba, 1926, 1931-1935, 1937, 1943-1944, 1948-1949
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Box
1
Folder
7
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Ba-Bl, 1926-1927, 1930-1941, 1944-1946, 1948-1949
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Box
2
Folder
1
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Bo-Bu, 1926-1927, 1929, 1932, 1936-1943, 1945
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Box
2
Folder
2
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Ca-Cl, 1926-1929, 1932-1933, 1937, 1939-1940,1942, 1947-1948
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Box
2
Folder
3-5
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Churchill et al. Petition (“Ambulance Chasing”), 1927
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Box
2
Folder
6
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City of Milwaukee, 1929-1930, 1933, 1937-1939, 1946, 1949
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Box
2
Folder
7
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Co-Cz, 1926-1928, 1932-1934, 1937, 1939-1940, 1942, 1946, 1949
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Box
3
Folder
1
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D, 1929-1931, 1934, 1936-1945, 1947, 1949
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Box
3
Folder
2
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E, 1926, 1928, 1932-1936, 1938, 1943-1944
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Box
3
Folder
3
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F-Fi, 1928-1929, 1932-1934, 1936-1939, 1941, 1943-1944, 1946, 1948, undated
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Box
3
Folder
4
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Fl-Go, 1926-1936, 1938-1943, 1946-1949
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Box
3
Folder
5
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Gr-H.C., 1926-1930, 1932-1934, 1935, 1937-1937, 1941-1942, 1945, 1948-1949
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Box
3
Folder
6
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He-Hu, 1927, 1929-1930, 1932-1943, 1948
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Box
4
Folder
1
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I-J, 1928-1929, 1931-1932, 1938, 1940-1943, 1948
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Box
4
Folder
2
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K, 1926, 1928-1937, 1940, 1943, 1945, 1947, 1949
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Box
4
Folder
3
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Kempsmith, 1914, undated
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Box
4
Folder
4
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L, 1926-1928, 1931-1933, 1935, 1937-1940, 1943-1949
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Box
4
Folder
5
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Ma-Me, 1926, 1928, 1931, 1933, 1935, 1937-1941, 1944-1946, 1949
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Box
4
Folder
6
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Me-Mi, 1926-1928, 1931-1932, 1934-1935, 1938, 1941-1943, 1946-1947
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Box
5
Folder
1
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Mo-O, 1926, 1929-1931, 1934-1949
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Box
5
Folder
2
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Pa-Ph, 1926, 1932-1935, 1938, 1940-1944, undated
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Box
5
Folder
3
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Pi-Pu, 1926-1929, 1931-1939, 1942, 1949
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Box
5
Folder
4
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R, 1924, 1926-1927, 1929-1942, 1945-1946
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Box
5
Folder
5
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Sa-Sc, 1926-1927, 1929-1942, 1945, 1948-1949
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Box
5
Folder
6
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Se-So, 1926, 1928, 1930-1938, 1940, 1944-1946
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Box
6
Folder
4
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Sp-Ta, 1928-1930, 1935-1940, 1943, 1948-1949
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State of Wisconsin
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Box
6
Folder
1
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A-H, 1925, 1928, 1936-1938, 1940-1941, 1944-1947
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Box
6
Folder
2
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K-T, 1927, 1929-1934, 1937-1941, 1944, 1948-1949
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Box
6
Folder
3
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W-Z, 1927, 1929-1930, 1933, 1935-1937, 1942
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Box
6
Folder
5
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Te-V, 1926-1929, 1932, 1934-1937, 1939, 1941-1942, 1946, 1948-1949
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Box
6
Folder
6
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Wa-Wh, 1927-1929, 1931-1932, 1936-1939, 1941, 1944, 1946, 1948-1949
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Box
7
Folder
1
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Wi-Ws, 1927-1930, 1932, 1934, 1939-1940, 1943, 1946, 1948
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Box
7
Folder
2
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Y-Z, 1927, 1929, 1931, 1933, 1935, 1939, 1941, 1945, 1947, undated
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Reports
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Box
7
Folder
3
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Circuit Court Congestion, 1934
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Box
7
Folder
4
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Comparative Negligence, 1932
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Box
7
Folder
5-6
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Instruction to Jury, 1943
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Speeches and Writings
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Box
7
Folder
7
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Charles L. Aarons, 1935-1941
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Box
7
Folder
8
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Charles B. Rogers' “Reminiscences of a Country Lawyer,” circa 1950
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Wisconsin Judges
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Box
8
Folder
1
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1878, 1929-1941
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Box
8
Folder
2
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1944, 1949, undated
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Box
1
Folder
1
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Miscellaneous Papers, 1925-1950
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Photographs
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PH 2301
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Primarily news photos of posed groups including Judge Aarons at public events, circa 1930-1952 11 photographs
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PH 2302(3)
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Posed group photographs of the Wisconsin Board of Circuit Judges, 1941-1949 5 photographs
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