Blog #8 - Summary of the Tom C. Clark Collection Project

Tom C. Clark was the first and, to date, the only Texan to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1977, his wife donated his papers and personal items to the Tarlton Law Library at the University of Texas at Austin. The personal artifacts include his chair, his robe, scrapbooks kept by his assistant, and various awards and honors including two Native American headdresses presented to Justice Clark by the Kiowa and Blackfeet tribes. These items not only bring a unique source of information to researchers but also provide an opportunity for outreach to current and potential law students through exhibits.

Unfortunately, the Tarlton Law Library has not had the resources or space to give these items the kind of storage and care they deserve. The scrapbooks are suffering from age and deterioration caused by the materials used to make them. Other artifacts are showing damage from not having proper storage structures--many of his awards are showing scratches from being packed with little cushioning. The academic hoods from his honorary degrees are crushed inside boxes; the headdresses are left out and vulnerable to damage from dust and dirt. All of this not only prevents users' access to the information found in these items but also raises the question of whether these items will survive for future research. Although the rare books and archives librarian has the will to fix the problems with this collection, the time and funding required makes such a project overwhelming.

To begin the process of aiding this collection, two students from the School of Information at the University of Texas conducted an item-level survey to assess the exact condition of the objects and scrapbook elements from the personal artifacts of the Tom C. Clark collection and created recommendations for the collection based on this data. From their findings, it is recommended that the scrapbooks be digitally imaged in order to allow access for researchers. This will be the most costly part of the effort to save this collection as it will most likely have to be outsourced. It is also recommended that storage structures be specially made for the medals, pins, awards, headdresses, and other ephemera and that the academic hoods be stored on padded hangers. The robe should be stored flat, not folded as it is now.

Fortunately, the Tarlton Law Library is located at the University of Texas at Austin along with the School of Information and the Kilgarlin Center for the Preservation of the Cultural Record which has one of the top programs in preservation and conservation. Taking advantage of this asset will allow the library to use students to perform most of the work involved in designing and constructing the storage structures for the objects and textiles with the only expense being the materials and equipment needed. As stated above, the scrapbook imaging will have to be outsourced and will represent the greatest cost. Even though this will involve sending the scrapbooks to an outside company, Justice Clark's Alma Mater would be sure to choose such a company with care and give the Tom C. Clark collection the careful attention it would need during this process.