Interview with Edwin M. Zimmerman, March 19, 1981

Interview Summary

Edwin Zimmerman, who clerked for Justice Reed from 1950 to 1951, begins his interview by describing the duties required of Reed's law clerks. Like the other clerks, he wrote briefs and reviewed and made notes on petitions of certiorari. Zimmerman shares his opinions of Chief Justice Fred Vinson and Justice William Douglas, and tells some anecdotes about the relationship between Justice Reed and Justice Felix Frankfurter. Next, he mentions several court cases: McGrath v. Kristensen, Joint Anti-Fascist Refugee Committee v. McGrath (which centered on whether or not a communist could hold a government job), the Alger Hiss case (which involved a former associate of Reed's), and Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. Zimmerman concludes with a discussion of Reed's rice diet, Reed's political philosophy, the annual law clerk dinners, and Mrs. Reed.

Interview Keyword

Felix Frankfurter Fred M. Vinson Hugo Black Adam Yarmolinsky Alger Hiss Columbia Law School Communist Party Earl Warren Helen Gaylord Justice Stanley Reed Kristensen v. McGrath Law clerks Law schools Leaders Liberal New York Noel Dowling Post-war classes Simeon H. Rifkind Sherman Minton Thomas C. Clark World War ll

Interview LC Subject

Judges--United States United States--Politics and government United States. Supreme Court Zimmerman, Edwin M. Zimmerman, Edwin M.--Interviews Republican Party (Ky.) Law and legislation Republican Party (U.S. : 1854- ) Democratic Party (U.S.) Democratic Party (Ky.) Reed, Stanley Forman, 1884-1980. United States. Supreme Court--Cases

Interview Rights

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Interview Usage

Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.