Paul Morantz papers
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Scope and Contents
Collection consists of the casefiles, correspondence, ephemera, and recordings of USC alumnus and California attorney, Paul Morantz (1945-2002). Materials represent Morantz’s extensive career litigating against various cults, self-help organizations, and psychotherapists. Casefiles for Golden State Manor Convalescent Hospital, Synanon Foundation, Church of Scientology, Center for Feeling Therapy, Peoples Temple, Parkview Christian Church, and Unification Church are represented in the collection.
Dates
- Creation: circa 1970s-2014
Conditions Governing Access
Advance notice required for access.
Rights Statement for Archival Description
Finding aid description and metadata are licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.
Conditions Governing Use
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Department of Special Collections at specol@usc.edu. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
Biographical / Historical
Paul Morantz (1945-2022) was an American attorney who specialized in litigating against cults, and self-help groups raising the issue of brainwashing. He also specialized in suing psychotherapists and religious leaders for dual relationship violations and undue influence of their clients/followers. His successful prosecution of Synanon led to an attempt against his life by means of a rattlesnake placed in his mailbox.
Extent
186.63 Linear Feet (256 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Collection consists of the casefiles, correspondence, ephemera, and recordings of USC alumnus and California attorney, Paul Morantz (1945-2002). Paul Morantz (1945-2022) was an American attorney who specialized in litigating against cults, and self-help groups raising the issue of brainwashing.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Paul Morantz, 2014. Gift of Chaz Morantz, December 6, 2022.
Processing Information
Michael Hooks processed the majority of the Paul Morantz papers in 2015. In 2016, the USC Libraries deaccessioned the Paul Morantz papers and returned the entire collection to Paul Morantz. In December of 2022, following the death of Paul Morantz, Chaz Morantz (Paul's son) re-donated the collection--including materials that were not fully processed in 2015--to the USC Libraries Special Collections. Sarah Jardini and Marissa Chavez of History Associates Incorporated processed the accrual and updated the finding aid for the collection in 2023. At the time of History Associates' processing in 2023, Boxes 21, 23, 120, 121, 138, 165, 1-1.5, x, xx, and XX were missing from the collection.
Subject
- Synanon (Foundation) -- Archives (Organization)
- Dederich, Chuck -- Archives (Person)
- Church of Scientology International -- Archives (Organization)
- Peoples Temple -- Archives (Organization)
- Center for Feeling Therapy -- Archives (Organization)
- Unification Church -- Archives (Organization)
- International Society for Krishna Consciousness -- Archives (Organization)
- Moon, Sun Myung -- Archives (Person)
Genre / Form
Geographic
Topical
- Alcoholism -- Treatment -- California -- Los Angeles -- Archival resources
- Brainwashing -- Case studies -- Archival resources
- Brainwashing -- History -- 20th century -- Archival resources
- Cults -- California -- History -- 20th century -- Archival resources
- Cults -- Case studies -- Archival resources
- Cults -- Law and legislation -- Archival resources
- Cults -- Psychological aspects -- Archival resources
- Cults -- United States -- Case studies -- Archival resources
- Cults -- United States -- History -- 20th century -- Archival resources
- Cults and new religions -- Archival resources
- Hospitals -- California -- Los Angeles County -- Archival resources
- Nursing home patients -- Abuse of -- California -- Archival resources
- Nursing home patients -- Drug use -- United States -- Archival resources
- Nursing home patients -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- United States -- Archival resources
- Psychology
- Psychotherapy patients -- Abuse of -- Case studies -- Archival resources
- Social service
- Sociology
- Title
- Finding aid for the Paul Morantz papers
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Michael Hooks
- Date
- 2023 February
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Revision Statements
- 2023 June: Finding Aid updated by Marissa Chavez and Sarah Jardini for History Associates Incorporated
Repository Details
Part of the USC Libraries Special Collections Repository
Doheny Memorial Library 206
3550 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles California 90089-0189 United States
specol@usc.edu