Leonidas A. Guthrie papers and photographs
Scope and Contents
The collection contains notes on Guthrie's clients, cases, juries, and other legal files dating from
1917 to 1964. It also includes manuscripts written by Guthrie on judges and lawyers in Delaware
County, newspaper clippings, speeches, wills, a scrapbook, Knights of Pythias records (1942-
56), an Optimist Club program (1928), and other miscellaneous materials. See also SC 441 for
the Judge’s introduction for Eleanor Roosevelt at the Muncie Fieldhouse, October 25, 1939.
A small photo collection, PSC 72, contains seven items.
Dates
- 1917-1964
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries, Muncie, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Archives and Special Collections.
Biographical Note
Leonidas A. Guthrie was born April 18, 1875, in Liberty Township. After schooling and training
in law, he became a licensed attorney in 1896. He took a break from practicing law when he was
elected mayor of Muncie in 1906. At age 30, Guthrie remains the youngest person ever elected
to that office. He was instrumental in getting the first brick roads built in the city. He was elected
judge in the Delaware County Circuit Court for two terms beginning in 1929, and continuing
practicing law until his death at age 89 on July 4, 1964. Guthrie was a member of High Street
Methodist Church where he taught Sunday school. He was also active in the Muncie Boys Club
and served as president of the Delaware Boy Scout Council for five years. Guthrie was also
interested in preserving the history of law in Delaware County. He wrote a history of the
Delaware County Bar Association from the county’s formation in 1827 until 1960. It includes
biographical information on all 233 attorneys who practiced law in the county over this 133 year
period.
The collection was originally titled the Lawyers of Delaware County and was recovered from the
Delaware County Genealogical Society on December 19, 1975. The name was changed in 1982.
Extent
5.7 Cubic Feet (7 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
This collection is arranged into the following series:
Series 1: Leonidas A. Guthrie papers, 1917-1964
Series 2: Leonidas Guthrie photographs, undated
Series 3: Leonidas A. Guthrie family oversize photographs, undated
Series 4: Leonidas A. Guthrie scrapbook collection, 1950-1955
Custodial History
This collection was received by Archives and Special Collections as a donation. Additions were received by Mrs. Marian Brower on 2003/08/13.
Accruals
No further additions are expected.
Processing Information
Collection processing completed 1994/02/18 by M. Sears. EAD finding aid created 2013/07/30 by Leslie Nellis.
- Clippings Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Delaware County (Ind.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Documents Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Lawyers Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Mayors Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Muncie (Ind.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Photographs Subject Source: TGM II, Genre and physical characteristic terms
- Scrapbooks Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Stoeckel Archives of Local History Subject Source: Local sources
- Wills Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Title
- Leonidas A. Guthrie papers and photographs
- Status
- Completed
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the Stoeckel Archives of Local History Repository
Alexander M. Bracken Library
2000 W. University Avenue
Muncie Indiana 47306 USA
libarchives@bsu.edu
