7.1 Linear Feet, 7 ft. 1 in. (4 record cartons, 15 in. each); (3 document cases, 5 in. each); (3 document cases, 2 1/2 in.
each); (1 flat storage box, 2 1/2 in.)
Creator
Cleckley, Franklin D., 1940-2017
Location
West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown,
WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536 / Fax: 304-293-3981 / URL: https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/
Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.
Conditions Governing Access
No special access restriction applies.
Preferred Citation
[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Franklin Cleckley Papers, A&M 4506, West Virginia and Regional History
Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.
Franklin Dorrah Cleckley was born August 1, 1940 in Newberry, South Carolina, but soon moved with his family to McDowell County,
West Virginia. Cleckley received his undergraduate degree at Anderson College in Anderson, Indiana before earning a law degree
at Indiana University School of Law at Bloomington in 1965. While serving three years with the United States Navy during the
Vietnam War as a Judge Advocate General (JAG), he earned the repuation of being the most sought after attorney in Vietnam,
according to the United States Secretary of Defense. Returning stateside, Cleckey attended Harvard University where he received
his L.L.M. in 1969. He then attended Exeter University in England for post-graduate studies.
In that same year, Cleckley joined the West Virginia University College of Law, becoming the first African-American to do
so. Cleckley also served as a visiting professor at a number of schools including Syracuse University, the University of Maryland,
the University of Mississippi, the William & Mary Law School, Louisiana State, and Mercer University. In 1990, Cleckley established
the Franklin D. Cleckley Foundation, a non-profit organization designed to provide former convicts with educational and employment
opportunities.
In 1992, the Franklin D. Cleckley Symposium was created at West Virginia University, bringing distinguished members of the
civil rights and African-American communities to the school as lecturers. He also authored the Evidence Handbook for West Virginia Lawyers and the West Virginia Criminal Procedure Handbook , as well as co-authoring the Ligitgation Handbook on West Virginia Rules of Civil Procedure, Health Care and the Law , and Introduction to the West Virginia Criminal Justice System and Its Laws . On May 3, 1994, Governor Gaston Caperton appointed Cleckley to the West Virginia Surpreme Court of Appeals, making him the
first African-American Justice in West Virginia. Justice Cleckley chose not to seek election to the Supreme Court and returned
to West Virginia University in 1996.
While serving as a Justice, Cleckley authored more than 100 majority opinions, in addition to numerous concurring and dissenting
opinions. He also received a myriad of awards, including the Civil Libertarian of the Year Awards from the West Virginia Civil
Liberties Union, the Thurgood Marshall Award from the West Virginia NAACP, the 2011 Liberty Bell Award from the West Virginia
Supreme Court, the West Virgina Common Cause Award for Public Service, the Public Citizen of the Year Award from the West
Virginia Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, the Neil S. Bucklew Award for Social Justice, and the West
Virginia Human Rights Commission Civil Rights Award. The Justice Franklin D. Cleckley Fellowship was named and created in
his honor by the West Virginia University College of Law, in conjunction with the University of Chicago Law School. The fellowship
provides a two-year position with the West Virginia Innocence Project.
On August 14, 2017, Franklin D. Cleckley died at the age of 77, in Morgantown, West Virginia.
-adapted from Hastings Funeral Home obituary and Wikipedia.org
Papers of Franklin Cleckley, lawyer, judge, and professor of law in West Virginia. Appointed to the West Virginia Supreme
Court of Appeals in 1994 by then Governor Caperton Gaston, Cleckley was the first African-American Justice in West Virginia.
Known for his prolific writing, he authored more than 100 majority opinions along with a number of concurring and dissenting
opinions. Much of the collection consists of scrapbooks of newspaper clippings relating to the career of Cleckley. To a lesser
extent the collection also includes correspondence and papers regarding legal cases Cleckley took part in, personal correspondence
in the form of greeting and sympathy cards, as well as biographical material such as family photographs, resumes, and other
material.
Record series include
Series 1. Biographical Materials
Series 2. Writings
Series 3. Correspondence
Series 4. Scrapbooks
Series 5. Printed Materials
Series 6. Audiovisual Materials
Series 7. Oversized Materials
Series contains papers detailing the personal life of Franklin D. Cleckley and his immediate family. Types of materials include
resumes, media profiles, photographs, death certificates, obituaries, and ephemera, among others.
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 1
Franklin D. Cleckley sports career material (yearbook photos, team schedules, newspaper articles, etc.)
1958-1959 and undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 2
Franklin D. Cleckley U.S. Navy papers and documents (Selective Service papers, correspondence, commendation papers, change
of duty papers, etc.)
ca. 1960s
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 3
West Virginia University College of Law Faculty Guide
1990
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 4
West Virginia University Alumni magazine (Cleckley article p. 14)
1995
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 5
"The West Virginia Lawyer" profile of Franklin D. Cleckley
2012
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 6
Cleckley family death certificates
1962 and 1972
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 7
Cleckley family photographs
2002-2017
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 8
Cleckley family and personal photographs
ca. 1960s-2010s
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 9
Portfolio profile of Franklin D. Cleckley
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 10
Cleckley caller ID and phone records
2000
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 11
Luke Wallace, West Virginia University football biography (son of Franklin D. Cleckley, bio on p. 136)
2001
Mixed Materials Box: 2 Folder: 1
I.D. and business cards (1 of 2)
ca. 1970s-2000s
Mixed Materials Box: 2 Folder: 2
I.D. and business cards (2 of 2)
ca. 1970s-2000s
Mixed Materials Box: 2 Folder: 3
West Virginia House of Delegates Legislative Citation for Franklin D. Cleckley
2013 April 4
Mixed Materials Box: 2 Folder: 4
Newspaper clippings regarding Franklin D. Cleckley
ca. 1990s-2000s
Mixed Materials Box: 2 Folder: 5
Obituary for Franklin D. Cleckley, The Dominion Post
Series contains writings by Franklin D. Cleckley and others. Types of writings include legal reviews, a report on civil rights
in West Virginia, and brief publications regarding various legal issues.
Mixed Materials Box: 3 Folder: 1
Writings by Franklin D. Cleckley, "Bail Reform Act of 1984"
ca. 1980s
Mixed Materials Box: 3 Folder: 2
Writings by Franklin D. Cleckley, "Bangs & Whimpers"
1978 September 30
Mixed Materials Box: 3 Folder: 3
Writings by Franklin D. Cleckley, "Achieving Change: A report on the 1978 West Virginia Statewide Leadership Conference on
Civil Rights," closing address by Cleckley (p. 25)
1981 January
Mixed Materials Box: 3 Folder: 4
Writings by others, "Judicial Abrogation of Felony-Murder Doctrine" by W.E. Shipley, J.D.
1997
Mixed Materials Box: 3 Folder: 5
Miscellaneous Writings/Notes by Franklin D. Cleckley
Series includes correspondence that is largely made up of greeting and sympathy cards addressed to Franklin D. Cleckley and
arranged in alphabetical order. To a lesser extent the series contains personal/business correspondence addressed to Cleckley
arranged by year.
Mixed Materials Box: 4 Folder: 1
Greeting Cards from Family and Friends (1 of 4)
ca. 2000s-2010s
Mixed Materials Box: 4 Folder: 2
Greeting Cards from Family and Friends (2 of 4)
ca. 2000s-2010s
Mixed Materials Box: 4 Folder: 3
Greeting Cards from Family and Friends (3 of 4)
ca. 2000s-2010s
Mixed Materials Box: 4 Folder: 4
Greeting Cards from Family and Friends (4 of 4)
ca. 2000s-2010s
Mixed Materials Box: 4 Folder: 5
Cards and letters sent to Franklin D. Cleckley, alphabetical order, A-B
ca. 1990s-2010s
Mixed Materials Box: 4 Folder: 6
Cards and letters sent to Franklin D. Cleckley, alphabetical order, B-C
ca. 1990s-2010s
Mixed Materials Box: 4 Folder: 7
Cards and letters sent to Franklin D. Cleckley, alphabetical order, C-D
ca. 1990s-2010s
Mixed Materials Box: 4 Folder: 8
Cards and letters sent to Franklin D. Cleckley, alphabetical order, D-G
ca. 1990s-2010s
Mixed Materials Box: 4 Folder: 9
Cards and letters sent to Franklin D. Cleckley, alphabetical order, H-J
ca. 1990s-2010s
Mixed Materials Box: 4 Folder: 10
Cards and letters sent to Franklin D. Cleckley, alphabetical order, K-L
ca. 1990s-2010s
Mixed Materials Box: 4 Folder: 11
Cards and letters sent to Franklin D. Cleckley, alphabetical order, L-M
ca. 1990s-2010s
Mixed Materials Box: 4 Folder: 12
Cards and letters sent to Franklin D. Cleckley, alphabetical order, M
ca. 1990s-2010s
Mixed Materials Box: 4 Folder: 13
Cards and letters sent to Franklin D. Cleckley, alphabetical order, M-R
ca. 1990s-2010s
Mixed Materials Box: 4 Folder: 14
Cards and letters sent to Franklin D. Cleckley, alphabetical order, S
ca. 1990s-2010s
Mixed Materials Box: 4 Folder: 15
Cards and letters sent to Franklin D. Cleckley, alphabetical order, T-W
ca. 1990s-2010s
Mixed Materials Box: 4 Folder: 16
Cards and letters sent to Franklin D. Cleckley, alphabetical order, W
ca. 1990s-2010s
Mixed Materials Box: 5 Folder: 1
Personal/Business correspondence to and from Franklin D. Cleckley, by year
1981-1999
Mixed Materials Box: 5 Folder: 2
Personal/Business correspondence to and from Franklin D. Cleckley, by year
1999
Mixed Materials Box: 5 Folder: 3
Personal/Business correspondence to and from Franklin D. Cleckley, by year
Series contains collections of newspaper clippings, event programs, photographs of televison appearances, and other printed
materials regarding the professional career and personal life of Franklin D. Cleckley.
Series includes one cassette tape from a home video recorder, one floppy disk, and a number of VHS tapes. The VHS tapes cover
a variety of topics including home movies, taped court cases featuring Franklin D. Cleckley, an episode of 60 Minutes covering civil rights, and various tapes regarding the West Virginia Supreme Court, among others.
Mixed Materials Box: 9 Folder: 1
Camcorder videocassette tape, "RCB Graduation"
2000 June 3
Mixed Materials Box: 9 Folder: 2
Floppy Disk, "Franks PB Startup Disk"
2001 February 9
Mixed Materials Box: 9 Folder: 3
VHS, "Civil Rights - 60 Minutes"
1989 May-June
Mixed Materials Box: 9 Folder: 4
VHS, "Franklin D. Cleckley Trial"
1989 May 24
Mixed Materials Box: 9 Folder: 5
VHS, "Black Culture Center Opening"
1990 February 1
Mixed Materials Box: 9 Folder: 6
VHS, "Franklin D. Cleckley"
1992 December 30
Mixed Materials Box: 9 Folder: 7
VHS, "Franklin D. Cleckley Symposium" (features Anita Hill as guest speaker, among others)
1992 February 25
Mixed Materials Box: 9 Folder: 8
VHS, "Franklin D. Cleckley Commentary West Virginia Supreme Court at West Virginia University Law School" (1 of 2)
1993 March 9
Mixed Materials Box: 9 Folder: 9
VHS, "Franklin D. Cleckley Commentary West Virginia Supreme Court at West Virginia University Law School" (2 of 2)
1993 March 9
Mixed Materials Box: 9 Folder: 10
VHS, "West Virginia Supreme Court - Franklin D. Cleckley at Law School"
1994 March 8
Mixed Materials Box: 9 Folder: 11
VHS, "War on Poverty"
1994 December 2
Mixed Materials Box: 9 Folder: 12
VHS, "Franklin D. Cleckley - Law in Your Life"
1995 February 24
Mixed Materials Box: 9 Folder: 13
VHS, "Franklin D. Cleckley - Law in Your Life/Supreme Court at West Virginia University"
1995 February 28
Mixed Materials Box: 9 Folder: 14
VHS, "Welcome Baptist Church Pastor Appreciation"
1995 June 11
Mixed Materials Box: 10 Folder: 1
VHS, "Indiana University School of Law"
1995 September 8
Mixed Materials Box: 10 Folder: 2
VHS, "Supreme Court"
1996 February 27
Mixed Materials Box: 10 Folder: 3
VHS, "West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, Tape Two"
This series contains oversized newspaper articles relating to Franklin D. Cleckley as well as one poster for Cleckley's campaign
for Attorney General of West Virginia.
Mixed Materials Box: 11 Folder: 1
Laminated Newspaper articles featuring Franklin D. Cleckley
2005-2015
Mixed Materials Box: 11 Folder: 2
Attorney General Election Campaign poster for Franklin D. Cleckley