00676 DR. JANE HODGSON LEGAL DEFENSE FUND An Inventory of the Fund's Records at the Minnesota Historical Society Minnesota Historical Society
St. Paul MN.
 Finding aid encoded by Monica Manny Ralston August 1, 2008 Finding aid written inEnglish August 2008 Converted from EAD Version 1.0 to Version 2002 by Monica Manny Ralston, Daniel Sher, and Joyce Chapman. OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION Minnesota Historical Society Dr. Jane Hodgson Legal Defense Fund. Organization records, 1969-1973. Correspondence, financial files, minutes, and other materials created by a defense fund to help pay the legal costs associated with Dr. Jane Hodgson�s appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court following her conviction in a 1970 abortion case. 0.75 cu. ft. (1 box). See Detailed Description for shelf location SCOPE AND CONTENTS OF THE RECORDS

Correspondence, financial files, committee minutes and related papers, printed materials, and legal briefs documenting the efforts of a number of individuals and organizations, led by Frank M. Rarig, to test the constitutionality of the 1873 Minnesota law (Minn. Statutes, Title III, Sec. 29) outlawing abortions. To test that law, Dr. Hodgson performed an abortion and in May, 1970 she was indicted by the Ramsey County grand jury. The resulting case produced a suspended sentence and, while the case was being heard by the Minnesota Supreme Court, the United States Supreme Court handed down the Roe vs. Wade decision (1973) which legalized abortions.

Much of the correspondence relates to locating sponsors and gifts, and the fund's relationship with the James Madison Constitutional Law Institute, which supplied much of the financial support for the court cases.

 CATALOG HEADINGS

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics: Abortion -- Minnesota -- Law and legislation. Women physicians -- Minnesota. Persons: Hodgson, Jane E. Rarig, Frank M., 1908-. Organizations: James Madison Constitutional Law Institute. Minnesota. Supreme Court. United States. Supreme Court. Occupations: Physicians. ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]Dr. Jane Hodgson Legal Defense Fund Records. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples

 Accession Information:

Accession number: 14,557

 Processing Information:

Catalog ID number: 1713827

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

Note to Researchers: To request materials, please note both the location and box numbers shown below.

151.E.2.4F 1 Correspondence, 1970-1973. 4 folders. Incoming correspondence, 1971.

Incoming letters both supporting and opposing abortion.

 Contributions and other financial files, 1970-1973. Contributors and disbursements, 1970-1973. Steering Committee and Sponsoring Committee: Minutes and related records, 1970-1971. 2 folders. Hodgson article in Mayo Alumni, October 1970. Includes draft and published versions. Printed materials, 1969-1971. Hodgson's appeal to Minnesota and U.S. Supreme Courts, 1970-1971. 3 folders.

Includes legal briefs and related records.

 Roy Lucas, "Court Cases: Recent and Current," 1971.