Archives and Special Collections
92 Snell Library
360 Huntington Ave.
Boston, MA 02115
(617) 373-2351
archives@neu.edu

Archives and Special Collections Finding Aids

Printable Finding Aid. Back to Browsing Version.

Collection Overview
Title:The Justice George Lewis Ruffin Society records
Dates:n.d., 1848-1853, 1885-1893, 1963-2005 (bulk 1984-2005)
Location: 58/3, FF4/D8, FF6/D10
Call Number:M124
Volume:7.50 cubic ft. (9 boxes)
Scope and Content Abstract:The records of the George Lewis Ruffin Society document the Society's work to build a better relationship between minorities and the criminal justice system. The collection includes course materials from workshops and courses sponsored by the society; correspondence; Board of Director's meeting minutes; Convocation materials; materials pertaining to "The Long Road to Justice" exhibit such as funding and content proposals, correspondence, letters of support; and exhibit materials such as photographs and other visual aids.
Historical Abstract:The George Lewis Ruffin Society was founded in 1984 in response to dwindling numbers of minority police officers in the Boston Police Department. Its goals are to create greater understanding and communication between minority communities and the criminal justice system through annual convocations, events, courses, workshops and "The Long Road to Justice" traveling exhibit which documents the history of African Americans in Massachusetts.
Arrangement:Organized into four series: 1. Governance and Administration; 2. Events and Programs; 3. "The Long Road to Justice" Exhibit; and 4. Audio-Visual Materials
Subjects and Contributors:
  • Ruffin, George L. (George Lewis), 1834-1886
  • Houston, Julian T.
  • Rosenblatt, Norman
  • Croatti, Robert

  • Northeastern University (Boston, Mass.)—College of Criminal Justice
  • Northeastern University (Boston, Mass.)—College of Criminal Justice

  • Discrimination in Criminal Justice System—Massachusetts
  • Police—Massachusetts—Boston
  • Crime—Massachusetts—Boston
  • Boston (Mass.)—Race Relations
  • African Americans—History—Massachusetts

Restrictions:Records containing student information from the Justice George Lewis Ruffin Society Fellowship Program are restricted until 2082. Please contact the University Archivist for more information.
Related Materials:

http://www.howard.edu/library/moorland-spingarn/collm-r.htm#ruffin

Processor:Finding aid prepared by Dominique Tremblay and Hanna Clutterbuck; updated by Hanna Clutterbuck, October 2007, June 2007

Scope and Content Note

The records of the George Lewis Ruffin Society document the complicated racial tensions that existed in the criminal justice field and resulted in a racial imbalance in the Boston Police Department. Working closely with the College of Criminal Justice at Northeastern University, the Society has worked to raise the number of minorities in the upper ranks of the Boston Police Department by sponsoring promotional examination prep courses, fellowship programs, and annual Convocations. Correspondence, notes, reports, programs and class materials from each of these major areas of work make up the bulk of the collection.

The Ruffin Society's commitment to ensuring a racial balance within the criminal justice profession resulted in programs, workshops, and events such as the Stop and Frisk Workshop, the Neighborhood Peace Corps, Criminal Justice Day, Mayor's Youth Leadership Corps, Roxbury Youthworks Curriculum, College Day, Pioneer Valley Project, the Use of Deadly Force Seminar, and the Professional Training and Development Program. This collection also documents the creation of the "Long Road to Justice" exhibit, sponsored by the Ruffin Society, which documents the African American struggle for equality in Massachusetts.

This collection also contains meeting minutes and notes relating to the annual Board of Directors' meeting, financial documents, membership lists, and correspondence

Historical Note

The George Lewis Ruffin Society, named after the first African American in Massachusetts to earn a law degree and serve as a judge, was started in 1984 in response to dwindling numbers of minority officers within the Boston Police Department. In 1984 the Boston Police Department employed only one minority superior police officer. The founding members of the Society joined forces with Northeastern University's College of Criminal Justice in hopes of "creating a greater understanding between the minority community and criminal justice profession, as well as to promote and encourage the advancement of minorities in the field of criminal justice" (Online Exhibit, "Long Road to Justice," Massachusetts Historical Society, c. 2000). The membership of the Society was mainly comprised of middle and senior criminal justice managers seeking to create more opportunities for advancement and professional development in the lower ranks of the profession.

In 1985, under the leadership of its new president, Superintendent of the Boston Police Department Joseph C. Carter, the Society held a public exhibit at the Social Law Library in Boston of personal papers and documents belonging to Justice George Lewis Ruffin. Under Carter's leadership, the Ruffin Society also sponsored the first preparation course for minority officers taking the promotion exam given by the Boston Police Department. In 1986, 15 minority sergeants were sworn in as superior officers, and all but one of this group had taken the Ruffin Society's preparation course. Included within this group were the first Asian, Hispanic, and African American female sergeants in the history of the Boston Police Department. The Ruffin Society also sponsored a conference in 1986 for African American leaders in the Roxbury and Dorchester communities to address the new "Stop and Frisk" laws. The "Stop and Frisk" laws gave patrolling policemen the legal power to stop and frisk any passerby the officer thought suspicious. Many in Roxbury and Dorchester in particular felt that these laws were used unfairly to harass young men from their communities and the Ruffin-sponsored conference was held to help local law enforcement and civilians understand the implications of the "Stop and Frisk" laws. The Society, through a 1987 grant from the Hyams Foundation and the Boston Foundation, established the Ruffin Fellows Programs which offered tuition-free admission to the Master of Science in Criminal Justice Program at Northeastern University, room and board, and a stipend to exceptional college students hoping to pursue careers in the criminal justice field. In 1992, the Society held its first convocation to discuss how minority communities can deal more effectively with crime. The convocation would go on to become an annual event, examining topics such as the emerging role of genetics in the criminal justice field, controlling crime, the O.J. Simpson trial, domestic violence, the African experience in the Massachusetts courts, the Massachusetts Civil Rights Act (2000), and sexual abuse among children in minority communities.

In 1999, the Society began developing the "Long Road to Justice" exhibit, with the help of Museum Design Associates. The "Long Road to Justice" was designed to be a traveling exhibit detailing the history of African Americans in the Massachusetts court system. The exhibit was completed in 2000 and opened at the Edward W. Brooke Courthouse in Boston. The Society continues to sponsor annual Convocations and Promotional Exam Prep Courses in addition to maintaining the "Long Road to Justice" exhibit.
Chronology
1984George Lewis Ruffin Society is founded.
1984 Founding members of the Ruffin Society meet with Northeastern University's Dean Norman Rosenblatt and Associate Dean Robert Croatti to establish an alliance between the University and the Ruffin Society.
1985Ruffin Society is incorporated as a non-profit organization; Joseph C. Carter, Superintendent of the Boston Police Department is elected to be the first president; Ruffin Society sponsors first preparation course for the Boston Police Department's promotional examination.
1987Ruffin Society establishes the Ruffin Fellows Program for minority students looking to pursue advanced degrees in criminal justice.
1992Ruffin Society sponsors first statewide Convocation of minority criminal justice professionals. Over 600 people attend the event at Northeastern University to discuss how minority communities can better deal with crime. Convocations become an annual event.
2000Ruffin Society sponsors the "Long Road to Justice," a traveling exhibit on the African American struggle for equality in Massachusetts, which opens on September 28 at the Edward W. Brooke Courthouse in Boston.
Bibliography

"The Justice George Lewis Ruffin Society, 2004," M124, Box 1, Folder 78

"The Justice George Lewis Ruffin Society: An Oral History, n.d." M124, Box 1, Folder 79

"Mission Statements, 2001," M124, Box 1, Folder 60

Online Exhibit, "Long Road to Justice," Massachusetts Historical Society, c. 2000
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Series:
1. Governance and Administration, 1985-2005
Volume:1.0 cubic ft.
Arrangement:

Alphabetical
Summary:

This series contains materials relating to the administration and development of the George Lewis Ruffin Society. Records include meeting minutes, correspondence, budget and financial materials, calendars, awards, and reports.
BoxTitleDate
1Affirmative Action Study1988
1Agendasn.d., 1987-1988
1Annual Meeting (2 folders)1996-2004
1Annual Report1997
1Articles of Organization1985
1Awards1999
1Charles Beard: Legal Services1994-2000
Biography
1Julian T. Houstonn.d.
1George Lewis Ruffinn.d.
1Board of Directors (15 folders)1986-2005
1Boston University School of Law Alumni Banquet: Julian T. Houston2000
1Budgets1984, 1999-2004
1By-laws1996-2002
1Calendar of Events1989
Committees
1General1989
1On Judicial Ethics: Opinion #95-41995
Correspondencen.d.
1General (2 folders)1984-1999
1Executive Director1988-1989
1Julian T. Houston1984-1999
1IRS1988
1Maude Jenkins2003
1Legal1985-1989
1Descriptive Information1989-2004
1Fact Sheetsn.d.
1Founding of Ruffin Society1984
Fundraising
1General1986
1Bank of Boston1988
1The Boston Foundation1985-1987
1Foley, Hoag and Eliot Foundationn.d.
1Grants Management Associates1988
1Hyams Foundation1985-1986
1Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities1997
1Requests1985
1Government Filings1992-2005
1Job Description1986
1Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanitiesn.d.
1Massachusetts Minority Criminal Justice Groupsn.d.
1Membership (3 folders)n.d., 1994-1998
1Memoranda1984-1993
1Minority Criminal Justice Statistics1990
1Mission Statements2001
Newsletters1994-1997
1General
1"Justice George Lewis Ruffin Society Newsletter"n.d.
1"Ruffin Report"1994
1"Social Law @ Large"1999
1Northeastern University Center for Applied Social Research1988
1Notesn.d.
1Offer of Employment1988
1Organizational History1984-1996
Outside Organizations
1The Bar Association of Norfolk County1999
1Boston Police Department1985
1Minority Bar Associations Coalition1988
1Roxbury Community College Foundation1990
1Supreme Judicial Court Historical Society1998
Papers and Reports
1"The Idealistic Justice: A Portrait of Judge Julian Houston"n.d.
1"Intensive Rehabilitation Supervision"1994
1"Interpretations of the Civil Rights Movement"1998
1"The Justice George Lewis Ruffin Society"2004
1"The Justice George Lewis Ruffin Society: An Oral History"n.d.
1"Professional Development in the Criminal Justice System"n.d.
1"Professional Training and Development Program"1984
1"Proposal for Action on Conditions in Massachusetts Prisons"n.d.
1Six Month Report1988
1Pamphlets1992-2004
1Publications and Clippingsn.d., 1991-1993
1Ruffin Justice Center2004
1Special Meeting1992
1Statement of Purpose1995
1"Survey of Minority Hiring": Proposaln.d.
1Sworn Personnel Minority Listings1984
1Tenth Anniversary History1994
1Tree Dedication Fund2004
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Series:
2. Events and Programs, 1963, 1984-2005
Volume:2.5 cubic ft.
Arrangement:

Alphabetical
Summary:

This series documents the programs and events sponsored by the George Lewis Ruffin Society. These programs represent the original vision of the Society, which was to improve the relationship between minority communities and criminal justice professionals. This series documents the development of the Promotional Exam Prep Course sponsored by the Society. This series includes extensive documentation of the Society's convocations from 1992 through 2005 which were designed to reflect current issues facing the criminal justice profession such as DNA testing, domestic violence, and other crime related issues; included are announcements, correspondence, and programs. Other programs in this series, such as Roxbury Youthworks, Mayor's Youth Leadership Corps, and the Stop and Frisk Workshop reflect the Society's commitment to increasing neighborhood involvement by criminal justice professionals on a local level. Records include correspondence, programs, invitations, financial materials, newspaper clippings, and calendars.
BoxTitleDate
2Boston Herald Forum1991
2Joe Carter Reception1998-1999
2Commissioner Roache Luncheon1988
Convocation
2General (17 folders)1992-2005
2Albert Einstein Institute Proposal1995
2Announcements (2 folders)1994-1995
2Brochures and Programs1992-1999
2Committeesn.d.
2Correspondence (3 folders)1991-1996
2Department of Energy1994-1998
2Funding and Budget 1993-1996
2Grants and Gifts1994
2Keynote Speech1992
2"The Long Road to Justice"1999
2Packet (3 folders)1993-1999
2Planning (2 folders)1994-1999
8Posters1984, 1996
3Proposals1990s
3Report (3 folders)1994-1995
3State Justice Institute Grant1994
3Speakersn.d.
3Workshops1993
3"George Lewis Ruffin: An Exhibition of His Papers and Personal Documents" Program1985
3Gourdin Book Awards Program1997-1998
3Holiday Dinnern.d.
3Honorable Edward O. Gourdin Portrait (9 folders)n.d., 1995-1999
Justice George Lewis Ruffin Society (JGLRS)
3Endowed Professorship2000-2001
3Fellowship Program (13 folders) (4 restricted)n.d., 1988-2002
3Mentors' Program1997
3Ruffin Portrait Unveiling1982
3Justice Ruffin Day1989
3The Massachusetts Black Judges Conference2000
3Michael Maynes Reception1984-1986
Mayor's Youth Leadership Corps (MYLC)
3Boston History Day (2 folders)1991-1992
3College Day1992
3Criminal Justice Day (2 folders)1991-1994
3Program Materials (3 folders)1991-1993
3Neighborhood Peace Corps (4 folders)1992-1993
3Pioneer Valley Project1998
3Professional Training and Development Program1963-1985
3-4Promotional Exam Prep Course (14 folders)n.d., 1985-2005
4Research Materials: Boston Busingn.d.
4Roxbury Community Project1989
Roxbury Youth Works
410th Annual Law Day: Curriculum1989
4Board of Directors1984
4Correspondence1993
4Executive Director Searchn.d.
4Law Day (4 folders)1988-1991
4SAT Preparation Course1992
4Social Law Library Reception1985
4Stop and Frisk Workshop1967, 1989-1990
4"Straight Talk About Crime and Criminal Justice"1984
4"Tribute to George L. Ruffin"1990
4Use of Deadly Force Seminar1991
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Series:
3. Long Road to Justice Exhibit, n.d., 1848-1853, 1885-1893, 1960, 1980-2005 (bulk 1990-2005)
Volume:3.00 cubic ft.
Arrangement:

Alphabetical
Summary:

The completion of the "Long Road to Justice" Exhibit in 2000 marked the end of a struggle to create and fund an exhibit that paid homage to the history of African Americans in Massachusetts. From Mum Bet's escape from slavery in 1780 to the forced busing of Boston school children in 1974, the exhibit highlights many of the major events that defined the long process of achieving racial equality. Of particular note are exhibit materials, photographs and research of famous court cases, such as the 1892 Barber Shop cases in which a colored member of the Harvard football team was denied admission into a barbershop and Crawford v. Kent (1957) in which a Boston University student was denied admission to a Fred Astaire Dance Studio because of his race. The exhibit also covers events relating to the Fugitive Slave Law, Sarah Roberts, the first person to sue for admission into public schools in 1948, and Levi Hart, a black teenager shot by a Boston police officer in 1980.

Of particular note are the administrative records for the organization of the exhibit, such as grant proposals, correspondence, budgets, consulting records, design sketches, publicity and support letters from Boston's legal community. Researchers should note that the late nineteenth century documents are facsimiles produced for the "Long Road to Justice" exhibit and are not the original documents.
BoxTitleDate
FF6/D10Architectural Plans for Exhibit Spaces (4 folders)1992-1998
4"African Americans in the Courts of the Commonwealth" Papern.d.
4Brochuresn.d.
4Edward Brooke Reception2001
4, 8Budgets (2 folders)1997-2003
4Committees (6 folders)n.d., 1997-2001
4Consultant Contracts1999-2000
Correspondence
4General (3 folders)n.d., 1997-2000
4Donations1998-2003
4Fundraising1998
4Julian T. Houston (2 folders)1998
4Support1999
4County Bar Associations2000
4"Courts, Judges and the African American Experience" Report (2 folders)1991-2003
4Design Firm Search1999
4Donations1997-2001
4Educational Materialsc. 2000
4Eventsn.d., 1999-2000
Exhibit
4Content1997-2000
4Design and Dimensions1999-2002
4Executive Summaryc. 2000
4Guestbook Quotationsn.d.
4Guiden.d.
4Insurance2000
4Itineraryn.d., 2001
Materials
5, 8General (6 folders)n.d.
5Exhibit Outline1999
FF6/D10Boston Globe Blowups1885-1893, 1974, 1995-1998
9Documentsn.d., 1848, 1851, 1972-1974
5Fugitive Slave Actn.d.
5Vickery Houstonn.d.
Images
5, 9General (2 folders)n.d.
5Samuel Sewalln.d.
FF6/D10Senator Edward Brooken.d.
5Slaveryn.d.
FF6/D10Mini-Exhibitc. 2000
9Newspaper Clippings1974
5, FF6/D10Text (3 folders)n.d., 1999-2000
Opening
5Brockton2001
5Dorchester2001
5Dudley2001
5Edward Brooke Courthouse2000
5Lawrence2002
5Lynn2002
5Moakley Federal Courthousen.d., 2001
5New Bedford2001
5Press Release2000
5Quincy2001
5Springfield2001
5Worcester2001
5Outlinen.d.
5Overview1999
5Planning Timeline1999
FF6/D10Posterc. 2000
5Production Schedulen.d.
5Progress Report1999
5Reception Book2000-2002
5Scrapbookc. 2000
5Teacher's Guide2000
5Video Script1998
5Facing History and Ourselvesc. 2000
5Fact Sheetn.d.
Foundations
5Cox Charitable Trust2001
5Globe Foundation2001
5Nellie Mae2000
Fundraising
5General2000-2001
5Packetn.d.
5Video Script1998
Grants
5General1999
5Bank Boston1998-2000
5Bank of Boston Foundation1999
5Barr Foundation2001-2004
5Bay State Gas Company2001
5Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation1998
5Boston Bar Foundation (2 folders)1997-2002
5Boston Globe Foundation2001
5Boston Foundation1998-2001
5Citizens Bank1999-2000
5Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts1998-2001
5Fidelity Foundation2001
5Fidelity Investments1998-2000
5Fletcher Foundation1998
5Foley, Hoag & Elliot1998-2001
5Gardiner Howland Shaw Foundation2000-2001
5Highland Street Connections2000
5Massachusetts Bar Foundation (2 folders)1998-2001
6Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities (4 folders)1991-2001
6Mifflin Memorial Fund1998-2000
6Millipore Foundation1999
6Pending Awards1998-2001
6William J. and Lia G. Poorvu Foundation2001
6Sample Proposal1998
6Proposal Status Report1998
6Job Descriptionn.d.
6"Mass Humanities"2000
6Massachusetts Historical Society Contract2001
6Museum Design Associates1999-2000
6Mystic Scenic Studios, Inc.2000-2002
6National Tour of Exhibitn.d.
Memoranda
6General1997-2001
6Julian T. Houston
6Newspaper Clippings1998
6Northern Lights Productions: Video Proposal (2 folders)2000
6, 8Notes (2 folders)n.d.
6PBS Movie Funding2000-2001
6Pending Grant Awards1998-2001
6Polaris Public Relations2000-2001
6Press Releasen.d.
6Primary Source1997-2000
6Prizes and Awards2000-2002
6Progress Report1999
6Promotional Materials2000
6Project Narrative1998
6Proposal for "The Long Road to Justice" Exhibit1999
6Publicity1998-2001
6Reception for Senator Edward Brooke2001-2002
6Regional Bar Associations2000
Research Materials
6General (4 folders)n.d., 1960-2000
6Macon B. Allenn.d.
6"African American Attorneys"2000
6Fred Astaire Dance Studio1960
6Background Materialsn.d.
6Alice Biggersn.d.
FF4/D8"Black Chronicle"n.d.
Cases1998
6General1998
6Cases Not Usedn.d.
6David H. Crawfordn.d.
6"The Quork Walker Cases and the Abolition of Slavery"1992
6Sarah Robertsn.d.
6Richard Henry Dana1853
6Charles G. Davisn.d.
6Elizabeth Freeman "Mum Bet"1998
6Levi Hart (2 folders)1980s, 1980-1999
6"In Black and White"1999
6William H. Lewisn.d.
6David J. Mays1996
6Robert Morrisn.d.
6, 8Newspaper Clippings (2 folders)1975-1979
8Plessy vs. Ferguson Speechn.d.
6George Lewis Ruffin Biographiesn.d.
6Ruffin Genealogy1997
6Slavery1998-1999
6Time Line1998
6Schoolsn.d.
Staff
6Directoriesn.d., 2000
6Time Line1998
6Video Proposaln.d.
6Website (2 folders)n.d., 1999-2003
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Series:
4. Audio-Visual, n.d., 1990-2005
Volume:1.00 cubic ft.
Arrangement:

Alphabetical
Summary:

This series contains photographs, negatives, contact sheets, VHS tapes, CD recordings, and a drawing that document the activities of the Ruffin Society including the convocations, Ruffin Fellows receptions, and the "Long Road to Justice" exhibit. Of particular note are copies of the video used in the "Long Road to Justice" exhibit. The series also includes digital media files on CD with photographs of Ruffin Society convocations, a tree dedication ceremony that took place on the Northeastern campus in 2004; and a recording of a "Commonwealth Journal" radio interview with Judge Julian T. Houston from 2000.
BoxTitleDate
7Audio: "Commonwealth Journal with Judge Julian T. Houston" (CD)2000
Images
Contact Sheets
7Ruffin Fellows Reception1990
Digital
7Convocation (4 CDs)2003-2005
7"Long Road to Justice" Media Files (2 CDs)1990s
7Tree Dedication (2 CDs)2004
FF6/D10Jane Flavell Collins Courtroom Scene Drawingn.d.
Negatives
7"Long Road To Justice", Generalc. 2000
Prints
7Eventsn.d.
Exhibit
7General (3 folders)n.d., 2000
7Ashley Farm / Mum Betn.d.
7Burn's Lettern.d.
7Opening2002
7Sarah Roberts Casen.d.
Video
7Convocation (18 VHS)1994-2004
"Long Road to Justice"
7Exhibit Videon.d.
7Exhibit Opening (3 VHS)n.d.
7"Now!": Exhibit Tour and Interviewn.d.
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