The Papers of Judge James Hoge Ricks, 1916 - 1956

Collection Summary

Creator:
Title:	The Papers of Judge James Hoge Ricks, 1916 - 1956
Accession:	MSS 85-14
Description:	13 boxes; 4 linear feet
Location:	SC - Basement
Photograph Collection:	View 1 digitized photographs
Digitized Content:	1 objects
Addenda	Addendum to Judge Ricks Papers [a]
Use Restrictions:	There are no restrictions.

Collection Description & Arrangement

The Ricks Papers, 1916-1956, consist of 4 shelf feet of selected correspondence and records of the first judge of the Richmond Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. These accessions represent correspondence files and materials selected from the much larger main files of the court by graduate student George B. Curtis. In accordance with state law requiring confidentiality of case records, all case materials have been separated and returned to the court.

The collection is arranged in two concurrent series of topical fields: court files (#9909) and correspondence (#9909-a). There appears to have been no clear distinction between the two. In most instances, folder headings reflect the original title. The significant exceptions are the "miscellaneous" folders, which incorporate several minor file of only one or two items each. The original filing order has been altered to allow alphabetization and the grouping of materials relating to Juvenile Courts and Juvenile Court associations in boxes 3 and 4.

Biographical & Historical Information

A native of Caroline County and a life-long Quaker, James Hoge Ricks (1886-1958) studied at Guilford College in North Carolina (A.B, 1905) and T. C. Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond (LL.B., 1908). He was admitted to the Bar in 1909 and became clerk and parole officer of the Juvenile Division of Police Court in 1912.

In 1916, James Hoge Ricks became a judge of the new court at age twenty-nine and held the position until his retirement in 1956. The juvenile court movement was an outgrowth of the Progressive era, and throughout his life, Judge Ricks remained active in various social movements spawned by "humanitarian progressives" and the National Conference of Social Work (prior to 1917, the National Conference of Charities and Corrections).

Ricks was a founder and vice-president of the National Conference of Juvenile Court Judges, an organizer and officer of the Richmond Community Fund, and twice president of the National Probation Association. Detailed biographical notes compiled by graduate student George Curtis are filed at the head of Box 1.

Among the more useful files are those pertaining to the City Charter Commission (valuable detail on the structure of the court and proposed changes), the Social Service Bureau (interesting statistical information on the early 1940's), and the 1925-1926 survey of the court (outlines of court and community services and recommendations).

Scholars may wish to consult the following unpublished dissertation which draws upon the materials in these and other files: George B. Curtis, "The Juvenile Court Movement in Virginia: The Child Savers, 1880-1973," University of Virginia, 1973.

Acquisition Information

Date Received	1985
Donor Information	The library received the collection on October 29, 1973, from William T. Eads, Clerk of Court, Richmond Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, 2000 Mecklenburg Street, Richmond, Virginia. It was transferred to the Law Library from Alderman on September 9, 1985.

Content List

Box 1:

1974, n.d.; [Biographical and Legal Notes]
1924-1940, n.d.; Addresses
ca. 1930-1945; Addresses and Historical Material
ca. 1928; Articles by Ricks
1925-1938; American Birth Control League
1927-1929; American Crime Study Commission
1938-1946; Bootblacks
1929-1935; Cadet Corps
1921-1935; Capital Punishment
1936-1944; Charles T. Booth (Charity Fund)
1925-1933; Boys Club
1925-1937; Child Welfare League of America
n.d.; Child Welfare Conference
1938-1942; Children's Memorial Clinic
1947; City Charter Commission of Richmond
1926, 1934; Civil Justice Court
1927, 1941-1946; Clippings

1925-1946; Colored Playgrounds Recreation Association

Box 2:

1925-[1934?]; Committee on Militarism in Education
1940-1948; Community Council of Richmond
1943-1946; Community Fund of Richmond
1934-1935; Community Recreation Association
1944; Confidentiality of Records
1944-1945; Court – Miscellaneous
1936-1940; Crimes - Causes and Effects
1932-1936; F. Lawton Crutchfield
1930; Judge John A. Crutchfield
1946- 1947; Department of Justice - John W. Andrews
1927-1938; Detention Home
1934; Disarmament - Vinson Bill
1939-1940; FBI - J. Edgar Hoover
1944-1948; Friends Association of Colored Children
1938-1943; Girl Scouts of Richmond
1927-1935; Governor's Conference on Child Labor
1923; Greek American Association
1929-1939; Interracial Commission

Box 3:

1941; Juvenile Court Anniversary
1929-1946; Juvenile Court Charity Fund
1948-1950; Juvenile Court Committee - Virginia Conference of Social Work
1942-1944; Juvenile Court Memoranda
n.d.; Juvenile Court - Photos, Building Plan
1923-1943; Juvenile Court Rules
1932-1945; Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court Judges
1941; Juvenile Court Survey
1919-1950, n.d.; Laws and Court Decisions [2 folders]

Box 4:

19401-1944; Mayor's Advisory Committee Survey on Juvenile Court
1936-1953; National Association of Juvenile Court Judges
1926-1946; Norfolk Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court
1946; Refresher Course - Juvenile Court Judges
1937-1948; Roanoke - Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court
ca. 1925, 1926; Survey - Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court
1945-1951; Virginia Council of Juvenile Court Judges [2 folders]
1936-1945; Miscellaneous Juvenile Courts

Box 5:

1946; Juvenile Delinquency Conference
1926; Juvenile Protective Association
1929-1938; A. S. Macfarlane
1923; Maryland Industrial Training School for Boys
ca. 1933; Re: Joseph T. Mastin Dinner
1949-1952; Mellon Foundation
1941-1942; Joe Mickens Case
1927-1936; Re: Mothers' Pension
1925-1935; National Child Labor Law
1930-1944; National Children's Bureau
1921-1942; National Committee for Mental Hygiene
1932-1947; National Conference of Social Work
1946; National Conference on Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency
1947-1950; National Council for the Prevention of War
1927-1932; National Crime Commission
1930-1948; National Probation Association

Box 6:

1933; Re: NRA Newspapers Publishers' Codes
1932-1940; Navy Recruiting
1941; Negro Crime Commission
1928-1937; Negro Welfare Survey
1924-1948; New Legislation
1925-1933; New York School of Social Work
1919-1941; Paternity Legislation
1926-1928; Police Women – Washington
1938-1942; Probation and Parole
1934-1941; Probation Bill – Federal
1929-1937; Re: Prohibition and Liquor Control Law
1930; Racial Integrity Law and Indians
1937-1948; Richmond Bar Association
1933-1948; Richmond City Attorney
1932-1948; Richmond City Council Finance Committee

Box 7:

1935-1947; Richmond City Public Schools
1933-1935; Franklin D. Roosevelt
1943; Runaways
1925-1927; Shrubbery Hill Parental School
1941-1944; Social Service Bureau
1934-1945; Trial Justices Association
1935, 1945, 1949; Virginia Advisory Council
1926-1947; Virginia Conference of Social Work
1932-1941; Virginia Governors - Price, Peery, Pollard
1942-1948; Virginia Governors - Darden and Tuck
1947; Virginia League for Planned Parenthood
1930-1945; Virginia State Bar Association
1940; Visitors
1948-1949; United Nations
1939-1941; WPA - General Correspondence
1937-1939; WPA - Probation Project
1946; Orville Lee Whetzel
1945-1948; YMCA & YWCA, Richmond, Virginia
1936-1947; Miscellany
1911-1942; Miscellaneous Pamphlets

Box 8:

1930-1947; Applications - Deputy Clerk
1943-1948; Applications - Miscellaneous Positions
1944-1946; Applications – Referee
ca. 1944-1946; Applications – Miscellaneous
1947; Applications - Chief Probation Officer
1943-1945; Applications - Intake Officer
1943-1945; Applications Chief Probation Officer; Supt. of Detention Home
1943-1945; Applications - Counselor for Negro Children
1941-1943; Applications - Colored

Box 9:

1940-1945; Applications
1934-1948; ABC Board
1927-1934; Air Rifles and Guns
1921-1933; Boarding Houses for Children
1935-1936; Bethany Home
1924-1925; Boy Scouts of America
1936-1944; Boys' Home - Covington, Virginia
1931-1954; Bank Statements
1940-1944; Children's Home
1939; Central Application Bureau
1943; Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company
1940-1944; Children's Aid Society of Richmond
1937; Church and Social Service Worker
1925-1935; Council on Social Workers
1937-1947; Crime Prevention Bureau of Richmond
1926-1937; Directories - Social Workers, Probation Officers
1934-1953 Detention Home Rules
1940-1953; Detention Home - Staff and Advisory Committee
1941-1954; Detention Home - Medical Reports

Box 10:

1940-1948; Detention Home Repairs
1931-1947; Detention Home - Application for Assistant Matrons, Medical Inspector
1927-1946; Driver Permits
1939-1942; Estimates
ca. 1936-1940; Extradition
1937-1938; Mrs. F. H. Fishburne (Charity Fund)
1942-1947; Family Service Society
1945-1948; Hanover Industrial School
1933-1934; Home Owners' Loan Corporation
1932-1937; J. M. Hord
1933-1941; W. T. Jones
1926-1946; Juvenile Court Insurance

Box 11:

1929, 1953; Juvenile Court – Automobiles
1927-1946; Juvenile Court Staff – Payroll
1939-1944; Magistrates
1935; Manassas Industrial School
1948-1952; Marriage Counseling Service
1934-1945; Medical Society of Virginia
1947-1948; Memorial Guidance Clinic
1937-1944; Memorial Home for Girls
1936-1937; Carroll R. Minor
1934; Norfolk Community Fund
1936-1943; National Youth Organization
1937; Organization of Social Forces
1928; Parents' Council
1930-1931; Parental School
1942-1944; Pensions
1930-1931; Prisoners Aid Association
1939-1946; Probation Officers - Application and Requests
1927-1941; Public Welfare
1943; Ration Books
n.d.; Reading Lists
1944-1946; Miscellaneous Receipts
1924, n.d.; Records and Statistics

Box 12:

1941-1943; Requisitions
1944-1945; Retirement System
1934-1945; Richmond Building Inspector
1943-1948; Richmond Chief of Police
1931-1946; Richmond City Comptroller
1944; Richmond City Home
1931-1948; Richmond City Council
1942-1944; Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney
1925; Richmond Council of Churches
1925-1946; Richmond Council of Social Agencies
1923-1944; Richmond Curfew Ordinance
1934; Richmond Employment Bureau
1953-1954; Richmond First Club
1937, 1946; Richmond Home for Boys
1942-1948; Richmond Mayors
1934-1948; Richmond Ordinances
1931-1941; Richmond Parks and Playgrounds

Box 13:

1941-1945; Richmond Public Safety
1933-1948; Richmond Public Works
1941-1944; Richmond Social Service Bureau
1925; Russell Sage Foundation
1925-1931; St. Mar's Industrial School;
1922-1923; Salaries - Court Officers
1937; Salem Baptist Orphanage
1925; Salvation Army
1944-1947; School Attendance Officer – Richmond
1926-1949; Social Service Exchange
1936; State Federation of Colored Women's Clubs
1925 -1944; Stockdon, W. I., Jr.
1935; Superintendent of Documents
1933-1943; Travelers Aid Society
1937-ca. 1940; Trial Justices - Counties and Cities
ca. 1932; Unemployment
1928-1930; U. S. Federation of Justice
1945; Venereal Disease Control
1940-1943; Virginia Conference Orphanage
1931-1947; Virginia - Attorney General
1942; Virginia – Auditor
1932-1947; Virginia - Commissioner of Labor
1939-1943; Virginia – Comptroller
1944-1948; Virginia - Department of Public Welfare
1936-1942; Virginia – Penitentiary
1937-1938; Virginia - Unemployment Compensation Commission
1935; Virginia - Western State Hospital
1935-1946; Virginia - Welfare Council
1932-1933; Visiting Teachers
1953-1954; War Memorial
1928- 1944; William Byrd Community House
1929-1946; William and Mary College - Richmond Division
1920-1949; Miscellaneous [3 folders]

Associated People

James Hoge Ricks

Use Policy

Access	There are no restrictions.
Use Restrictions	There are no restrictions.
Preferred Citation
	Unless otherwise stated, digital materials in our collections are available for use under a Creative Commons BY 4.0 License (CC-BY-4.0). For Use and Citation guidelines, see Special Collections Use Policy.