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Henry Woods Papers

Correspondence, professional and personal papers, videotapes and photographs, ca 1940s to 1990s

Manuscript Collection 1386



INFORMATION ABOUT HENRY WOODS

Henry Woods was born on March 17, 1918 in Abbeville, Mississippi.  He attended the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, where he received a bachelor's degree in 1938 and a law degree in 1940.  Shortly afterwards, he formed a partnership at Texarkana with Philip G. Alston under the name of Alston & Woods.  On
March 3, 1941, Woods became a special agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  In 1946, he returned to Texarkana and reestablished the law firm of Alston & Woods.  In 1948, Woods managed Sid McMath's successful campaign for Arkansas governor and served as McMath's executive secretary from 1949 to 1953.  Woods and McMath joined Leland F. Leatherman in forming a Little Rock law firm in 1953.  In 1970, Woods coordinated Dale Bumpers' successful campaign for the Arkansas governorship.  He was nominated U.S. District Judge, Eastern District of Arkansas, by President Jimmy Carter and sworn in March 14, 1980.

Woods has served in many professional organizations: as president of the Arkansas Bar Association, during 1972-1973; as a member of the National Board of Governors of the Association of Trial Lawyers; chairman of the Supreme Court Committee on Model Jury Instructions; chairman of the Board of Directors of the Arkansas Law Review;  chairman of the Trust Committee of the Arkansas Bar Foundation; chairman and member of the Board of the Center for Trial and Appellate Advocacy at Hastings College of the Law, University of California.  He is also a member of the International Society of Barristers.

Woods has also served in several civic capacities.  From 1974 to1978 he was a member of the executive board of the Institute of Politics and Government; chairman of the Legal Task Force of the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families; from 1953-1957 he was a leader of the Ford Foundation Great Books program in Little Rock; and member of Advisory Board of Catholic High School, Little Rock, Arkansas.

Judge Woods has received many professional awards.  Among them are the Outstanding Lawyer Award, 1975, and a Senior Member Award, 1990, by the Arkansas Bar Association; the Distinguished Alumnus Award, University of Arkansas, 1979; the 1985 Outstanding Lawyer Award, Pulaski County Bar Association; and the American Inns Of Court Foundation awards, 1988 and 1995.  At the 1990 Annual meeting of the Arkansas Bar Association, Judge Woods was selected as the Outstanding Trial Judge by the Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association.

He is the author of numerous legal articles, among them a treatise on "Comparative Fault" published in 1978.

Woods is married to former Kathleen Mary Mc Caffrey.  They have four children: Mary Sue, Thomas Henry,  Eileen Anne, and James Michael.

INFORMATION ABOUT THE COLLECTION

The papers consist of materials documenting Judge Woods' career from the 1940s to the 1990s, and are arranged in three series. Series 1 contains personal and professional correspondence and other papers and photographs. The bulk of the collection is in Series 2, pertaining to Little Rock school desegregation cases, 1950s-1990s. Series 3 contains papers and videocassettes pertaining to other court cases.
Judge Henry Woods, Little Rock, Arkansas, donated his papers to the Special Collections Division on August 7, 1998.

Processed by Vera Ekechukwu, Special Collections Division, University of Arkansas Libraries, Fayetteville, Arkansas, August 1999.

CONTENTS OF THE COLLECTION
11.2 linear feet (12 containers)

Series 1. Correspondence, personal and professional papers, and photographs. (Boxes 1-4)

Series 2. Central High Integration. (Boxes 4-25)

Series 3. Other Court Cases.  (Box 26-27)



Series 1.  Correspondence, personal and professional papers, and photographs, ca 1940s-1990s (Boxes 1-4)

This series consists of personal and professional correspondence.  Some of the notable correspondents include: Dale Bumpers, William J. and Hillary Rodham Clinton (Box 2, folder 10), Orval Faubus, Marlin Fitzwater (Box 2, folder 7), Brooks Hays (Box 3, folder 2), Hubert Humphrey (Box 3, folder 2), Edward M. Kennedy (Box 3, folder 6), David Pryor (Box 3, folder 7), Janet Reno (Box 3, folder 7), Winthrop Rockefeller (Box 3, folder 3), Adlai Stevenson (Box 3, folder 2), and Ray Thornton (Box 3, folder 7).  It also contains Judge Woods' personal papers.  These include typed and published biographical information, awards, and twenty-one photographs.  The professional papers contain letters, speeches, programs, brochures, newspaper clippings, and miscellaneous material pertaining to Judge Woods' professional career.

Box 1      Correspondence (accompanied by newspaper clippings)

 1. Personal, 1988, 1991-1992, 1995-1996.
 2. General, 1993.
 3. General, 1994.
 4. General, 1995.
 5. General, 1996.
 6. American Bar Association, 1976-1991.

Box 2

 1. Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA), 1980-1987.
 2. Bicentennial program–US Constitution, 1987.
 3. Bicentennial committee, Eastern District of Arkansas, 1986-1987.
 4. Dale Bumpers, 1971-1992.
 5. Orval Faubus, 1952.
 6. Edward W. Harris, 1946-1994.
 7. Sid McMath, ca 1947-1994.
 8. W.R. Stephens, 1983-1993.
 9. Elsijane Trimble Roy, ca 1944, 1989, 1991-1996.
 10. White House [William J. and Hillary Rodham Clinton], 1980, 1992-1998.
 11. William R. Wilson, Jr., 1987-1998.

Box 3        Personal and professional papers

 1. Biographical material, photographs and other personal papers.
 2. Politics, 1950s-1970s
 3. Law Practice–personal, 1967, 1970s-1990s.
 4. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), ca 1970s-1990s.
 5. Bar activities,1970s, 1990s.
 6. Appointment and confirmation as US District Judge, 1979-1980.
 7. Judicial career, 1980s-1990s.

Box 4

 1. Honors and appearances, 1970s-1980s.
 2. Speech material and speeches.

Series 2.  Central High Integration, 1950s-1990s (Boxes 4-25)

Judge Woods  presided over the high-profile Pulaski County desegregation case from its inception in November 1982 until July 6, 1990.  In 1984, he signed an order merging the Little Rock school district with two adjoining school districts in an attempt to stop resegregation of the Little Rock schools. In 1990, Judge Woods stepped down from the Pulaski County school case and it was reassigned to U.S. District Judge Susan Webber Wright. The material in this series includes correspondence; memos; reports; minutes of the meetings; a historical file with miscellaneous material pertaining to the Central High School, Little Rock, Arkansas, crises; newspaper clippings; court transcripts; and computer-generated statistical data.

Box 4 (cont.)

 3. Interim report and recommendations of the Special Master, 1988.
 4. Aubrey V. McCutcheon [Special Master] correspondence, Jan 1988-Feb 1988
 5. Pulaski County Educational Cooperative correspondence, July 1987-Mar 1988.
 6. Pulaski County Educational Cooperative–Board minutes of the meetings, July 1987-Feb 1988.
 7. Central High Integration historical file, ca 1950s, 1970s, 1990s.

Box 5

 1. Little Rock School District memos, 1987-1988.
 2. Little Rock School District hearing, Jan 1988.
 3. Little Rock School District improvement.
 4. Other material re Little Rock School District improvement (1 of 2).
 5. Other material re Little Rock School District improvement (2 of 2).

            Newspaper clippings–Little Rock School case

 6. 1983-1984.

Box 6

 7. 1985.
 8. 1986.
 9. 1987.
 10. 1988.
 11. 1989.
 12. 1990, 1992.
 13. No date.

Box 7        Court Transcripts before Judge Henry Woods

 1. Transcript of Trial, Jan 3, 1984.
 2. Transcript of Trial, Jan 4, 1984.
 3. Transcript of Trial, Jan 5, 1984.
 4. Transcript of Trial, Jan 6, 1984.
 5. Transcript of Trial, Jan 9, 1984.

Box 8

 1. Transcript of Trial, Jan 10, 1984.
 2. Transcript of Trial, Jan 11, 1984.
 3. Transcript of Trial, Jan 12, 1984.
 4. Transcript of Trial, Jan 13, 1984.
 5. Transcript of Trial, April 30, 1984.

Box 9

 1. Transcript of Trial, May 1, 1984.
 2. Transcript of Trial, May 2, 1984.
 3. Transcript of Trial, May 3, 1984.
 4. Transcript of Trial, May 4, 1984.

Box 10

 1. Transcript of Trial, May 5, 1984.
 2. Transcript of Trial, May 15, 1984.
 3. Transcript of Trial, July 30, 1984.
 4. Transcript of Trial, July 31, 1984.
 5. Transcript of Trial, Aug 1, 1984.

Box 11

 1. Transcript of Trial, Aug 2, 1984.
 2. Proffers of Proof and Response, Aug 3, 1984.
 3. Transcript of Conference between Honorable Henry Woods and Counsel, Dec 9, 1986.
 4. Transcript of Hearing, June 19, 1986.
 5. Transcript of Hearing, Mar 27, 1987.
 6. Transcript of Hearing, Aug 5, 1987.

Box 12

 1. Transcript of Hearing on Magnet Schools, Jan 29, 1987.
 2. Transcript of Hearing on Magnet Schools, Jan 30, 1987.
 3. Transcript of Hearing on Magnet Schools, Feb 17, 1987.
 4. Transcript of Hearing on Magnet Schools, May 21, 1987.
 5. Transcript of Hearing on Magnet Schools, May 22, 1987.

Box 13

 1. Transcript of Conference on Magnet Schools, Feb 16, 1987.
 2. Transcript of Hearing on Student Assignments, Feb 18, 1987.
 3. Transcript of Hearing on Student Assignments, Feb 19, 1987.
 4. Transcript of Hearing on Student Assignments, Mar 18, 1987.
 5. Transcript of Hearing on Order to Show Cause, Apr 29, 1987.
 6. Transcript of Hearing on Pretrial of Magnet Schools, May 19, 1987.
 7. Transcript of Hearing on Pretrial of Magnet Schools, May 20, 1987.

Box 14

 1. Transcript of Hearing on Racially Identifiable Schools and Magnet Schools, Sep 10, 1987.
 2. Transcript of Hearing on Racially Identifiable Schools and Magnet Schools, Sep 11 and 17, 1987.

Box 15        Court Transcripts [before Mr. Aubrey McCutcheon, Special Master]

 1. Transcript of Hearing, Nov 30, 1987.
 2. Transcript of Hearing, Dec 1, 1987.
 3. Transcript of Hearing, Dec 2, 1987.

Box 16

 1. Transcript of Hearing, Dec 3, 1987.
 2. Transcript of Hearing, Dec 14, 1987.
 3. Transcript of Hearing, Dec 15, 1987.
 4. Transcript of Hearing, Dec 16, 1987.

Box 17

 1. Transcript of Hearing, Dec 29, 1987.
 2. Transcript of Hearing, Dec 30, 1987.
 3. Transcript of Hearing, Dec 31, 1987.
 4. Hearing in Support of or in Opposition to Agreement Submitted by PCSSD [Pulaski County Special School District] and Joshua Intervenors, Volume I, June 1, 1988.
 5. Hearing in Support of or in Opposition to Agreement Submitted by PCSSD [Pulaski County Special School District] and Joshua Intervenors, Volume II, June 2, 1988.
 6. Hearing in Support of or in Opposition to Agreement Submitted by PCSSD [Pulaski County Special School District] and Joshua Intervenors, Volume III, June 14, 1988.

Box 18

 1. Hearing in Support of or in Opposition to Agreement Submitted by PCSSD [Pulaski County Special School District] and Joshua Intervenors, Volume IV, June 15, 1988.
 2. Hearing in Support of or in Opposition to Agreement Submitted by PCSSD [Pulaski County Special School District] and Joshua Intervenors, Volume V, June 16, 1988.
 3. Hearing in Support of or in Opposition to Agreement Submitted by PCSSD [Pulaski County Special School District] and Joshua Intervenors, Volume VI, June 17, 1988.
 4. School Funding Hearing, Aug 15, 1988.
 5. School Funding Hearing, Aug 16, 1988.

Box 19

 1. School Funding Hearing, Aug 17, 1988
 2. School Funding Hearing, Aug 19, 1988.
 3. Resumption of the Funding Hearing, Sep 21, 1988
 4. School Funding Hearing, Sep 22, 1988.
 5. School Funding Hearing, Sep 23, 1988.

Box 20

 1. Funding Hearing, Oct 19, 1988.
 2. Funding Hearing, Oct 20, 1988.
 3. Funding Hearing, Oct 21, 1988.
 4. Transcript of Funding Hearing, May 5, 1988.
 5. Transcript of Funding Hearing, Aug 18, 1988.
 6. Transcript of Funding Hearing, Nov 28, 1988.
 7. Transcript of Funding Hearing, Nov 29, 1988.

Box 21

 1. Transcript of Public Hearing, Jan 27, 1988.
 2. Transcript of Hearing, July 6, 1988.
 3. Transcript of Hearing, July 7, 1988.
 4. Transcript of Hearing, July 8, 1988.
 5. Transcript of Hearing, July 13, 1988.
 6. Transcript of Hearing, Volume I, July 14, 1988.

Box 22

 1. Transcript of Hearing, Volume II, July 14, 1988.
 2. Status Conference, Sep 23, 1988.
 3. Status Conference, Oct 19, 1988.
 4. Status Conference, Dec 21, 1988.

Box 23

 1. Status Conference, Dec 22, 1988.
 2. Status Conference, Jan 4, 1989.
 3. Status Conference, Jan 5, 1989.
 4. Public Hearing, Volume I, Jan 12, 1989.
 5. Public Hearing, Volume II, Jan 13, 1989.

Box 24  Statistical Data

 1. Computerized statistical data: Class Roster–Little Rock School District, 12/30/1987 [seven hundred and eighty-six pages).

Box 25

 1. Computerized statistical data: Pulaski County Special School District Pupil Distribution Report, 1988.



Series 3.  Other Court Cases and Videocassettes (Box 26-27)

This series contains newspaper clippings pertaining to cases presided over by Henry Woods as a trial judge in 1970's and as a U.S. District Judge in 1980s and 1990s.  Some of these cases are: the 1980 case of Vertac Chemical Corporation indictment for pollution; Dean Walker, serving life sentence for the 1963 slaying of a North Little Rock patrolman; Larry Lowman, State Parks and Tourism Department employee; Jim Guy Tucker, former Arkansas Governor; and others.  The series also contains eight videocassettes.

Box 26

 1. Habeas Corpus, 1980s-1990s.
 2. Jim Tucker, ca 1995-1998.
 3. James Dean Walker, ca 1981-1984.
 4. Miscellaneous, 1970s.
 5. Miscellaneous, 1980s.
 6. Miscellaneous, 1990s and n.d.

Box 27     Videocassettes

 1. New Perspectives in Advocacy: Trial and Appellate.  "Trial." [Four volumes]
 2. New Perspectives in Advocacy: Trial and Appellate.  "Appellate." [Two volumes]
 3. Unveiling of the Portrait, Little Rock, Arkansas, Mar 17, 1995.
 4. Simulation–Mismatch.


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