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Paul Morantz papers

 Collection
Identifier: 0346

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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

Additional Description

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.

Other Collections

Church of Scientology: Collection of Material Related to the Church of Scientology (Collection 1133). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library. Peoples Temple: Peoples Temple Records, MA 3800, California Historical Society. Synanon Foundation records, ca. 1956-1987 (Collection 0342). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library.

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.

Related Names

Subjects

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

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

Repository Details

Part of the USC Libraries Special Collections Repository

http://libraries.usc.edu/locations/special-collections
Contact:
Doheny Memorial Library 206
3550 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles California 90089-0189 United States

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Finding aid description and metadata are licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.