Hi. I'm researching someone who knew your grandfather. Do you know if there's an archive of his papers? I was hoping to find correspondence between them. Thanks, Rebecca
I have a few of my great grandfather,James H. Ryckman's, belongings, such as short letters from Upton Sinclair, notes on a eulogy he wrote for Theodore Debs, and old copies of the So. Cal. ACLU Open Forum. Who is the person you are researching? My family had a letter from Clarence Darrow at one time that unfortunately was stolen.
Hi! That is very cool that you have those things. I am researching Sakharam Ganesh Pandit also known as S.G. Pandit. He and Ryckman tried many cases together around 1918-1922.
Wow, fascinating. I haven't come across any letters from him, but I'll keep an eye out. I know Job Harriman was JH Ryckman's law partner for a while, but I don't remember hearing about S.G. Pandit specifically. The name does seem familiar from my L.A. Times Historical index searches (I think). My husband is a big LA history nut. If you end up writing a book or article, we'd love to read it!
JH had four children, Harvey, Fred, Rose, and Alice. Alice was my grandmother and I have a lot of her stuff. JH's papers may have been scattered to the wind or maybe distributed among the kids, so I don't know if much survives out there. I wasn't aware of the papers in Kansas. More later.
I sent you a FB message with my email address, but I just realized it might show up in your "message requests" folder on FB which is easy to overlook. --Mun Mun
Hi - I'm doing research on James H. Ryckman, the lawyer and socialist born in 1854. Do you know his middle name? What year he died? I searched online for an obituary, but couldn't find one.
Hi, there, yes, his middle name was Harvey. I have been wanting to write a Wikipedia entry on him, but you're not supposed to if you are a relative. I'll find that date of death in a moment.
Here's one reference to him: https://books.google.com/books?id=P9R4vZS_QZQC&pg=PA166&lpg=PA166&dq=james+harvey+ryckman&source=bl&ots=zHj0IlCd7k&sig=ACfU3U2AXe2eqiSU1JKNeGDo0dtiG3jMtA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjH6t3Dq4_qAhULVc0KHWHmAdYQ6AEwAXoECAYQAQ#v=onepage&q=james%20harvey%20ryckman&f=false Radical L.A.: From Coxey's Army to the Watts Riots, 1894–1965 p.166 Errol Wayne Stevens
Here is a little biography I wrote up a few years ago:
James Harvey Ryckman was a labor and civil rights attorney who lived from October 6, 1858 to September 16, 1927. He was Job Harriman’s law partner in Los Angeles along with Edward W. Tuttle. Later he co-founded the Southern California American Civil Liberties Union along with Upton Sinclair and others. He ran for Superior Court judge as a member of the Socialist party in 1912 and 1914 and ran for City Attorney in Los Angeles in 1915 but lost all races. Despite losing, friends and associates gave him the nickname “Judge” Ryckman.
He worked on a team that defended L.A. Times bombers, brothers John J. McNamara and James B. McNamara, along with attorneys Job Harriman and Clarence Darrow in 1911. In 1915, Harriman and Ryckman also defended Matthew A. Schmidt who was implicated in helping James McNamara purchase the dynamite used in the Los Angeles Times bombing.
Around the same time as the McNamara trial, Ryckman and Harriman defended Bert Connors, F. Ira Bender, and A.B. Maple accused of attempting to blow up the Los Angeles County Hall of Records with dynamite.(Oakland Tribune June 3, 1911, second section, evening edition) The indictment was thrown out due to lack of evidence (Dynamite Conspiracy by Arelo Sederberg, 2001)
Ryckman contributed writing to the Southern California ACLU’s newsletter Open Forum and labor publication Tomorrow published in Los Angeles and Labor Age in New York. JH married Rosa Meyer and had four children Harvey, Fred, Rose and Alice.
Early Life
Ryckman’s mother had left Ireland during the Great Potato Famine and sold herself into indentured servitude to come to the United States. She married a horse dealer and J.H. Ryckman was born in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. Before coming to Los Angeles, Ryckman practiced law at Evaston, Wyoming and Salt Lake City, Utah.
American Labor’s Who’s Who page 202
Los Angeles Times, August 9, 1914 Part II, pg.1 “Who’s Who, Which, and What On Mixed Primary Ballot”
Los Angeles Times, April 7, 1915, Part II pg.1, “The Field: Candidates Up for Election”
Los Angeles Times, July 27, 1912, Part II, pg.6, “The Political Watchtower”
Los Angeles Times, January 1, 1919, Part I, page 15, “Name Job Harriman as a Co-Defendant”
I have more scanned articles and things on pdf. If you'd like anything send me your email or a link to your social media. Are you writing a book or article?
Here's one more: History of the Bench and Bar of California edited by Joseph Clement Bates 1912
Yes, I saw a few newspaper references to him as "Judge" Ryckman. I assumed it was an honorific, like "Colonel" Edward M. House, Woodrow Wilson's adviser. Again, thanks very much for the info! :)
No, I'm not writing a book or article. I work for a project called The Jane Addams Papers, and his name appears on a list. If you would like to give me your name, I'll ask my boss to credit you in helping us with his biography. Thanks again! :)
Sure, interesting project. I actually just inferred the reason JHR was nicknamed "Judge,"I don't know that running for judge was 100% the reason he got this nickname.
Some of the information I have about him, like his mother selling herself into indentured servitude was from my grandmother's account (She was one of JHR's children). I would also guess his mother's predicament probably fueled his interest in civil liberties.
15 comments:
Hi. I'm researching someone who knew your grandfather. Do you know if there's an archive of his papers? I was hoping to find correspondence between them.
Thanks,
Rebecca
I think I found something called "Ryckman Papers, 1936" in Kansas. But if you know of anything please let me know!
Hi, Rebecca,
I have a few of my great grandfather,James H. Ryckman's, belongings, such as short letters from Upton Sinclair, notes on a eulogy he wrote for Theodore Debs, and old copies of the So. Cal. ACLU Open Forum. Who is the person you are researching? My family had a letter from Clarence Darrow at one time that unfortunately was stolen.
Hi! That is very cool that you have those things. I am researching Sakharam Ganesh Pandit also known as S.G. Pandit. He and Ryckman tried many cases together around 1918-1922.
Wow, fascinating. I haven't come across any letters from him, but I'll keep an eye out. I know Job Harriman was JH Ryckman's law partner for a while, but I don't remember hearing about S.G. Pandit specifically. The name does seem familiar from my L.A. Times Historical index searches (I think). My husband is a big LA history nut. If you end up writing a book or article, we'd love to read it!
JH had four children, Harvey, Fred, Rose, and Alice. Alice was my grandmother and I have a lot of her stuff. JH's papers may have been scattered to the wind or maybe distributed among the kids, so I don't know if much survives out there. I wasn't aware of the papers in Kansas. More later.
I sent you a FB message with my email address, but I just realized it might show up in your "message requests" folder on FB which is easy to overlook. --Mun Mun
Hi - I'm doing research on James H. Ryckman, the lawyer and socialist born in 1854. Do you know his middle name? What year he died? I searched online for an obituary, but couldn't find one.
Hi, there, yes, his middle name was Harvey. I have been wanting to write a Wikipedia entry on him, but you're not supposed to if you are a relative. I'll find that date of death in a moment.
Here's one reference to him:
https://books.google.com/books?id=P9R4vZS_QZQC&pg=PA166&lpg=PA166&dq=james+harvey+ryckman&source=bl&ots=zHj0IlCd7k&sig=ACfU3U2AXe2eqiSU1JKNeGDo0dtiG3jMtA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjH6t3Dq4_qAhULVc0KHWHmAdYQ6AEwAXoECAYQAQ#v=onepage&q=james%20harvey%20ryckman&f=false
Radical L.A.: From Coxey's Army to the Watts Riots, 1894–1965 p.166
Errol Wayne Stevens
Here is a little biography I wrote up a few years ago:
James Harvey Ryckman was a labor and civil rights attorney who lived from October 6, 1858 to September 16, 1927. He was Job Harriman’s law partner in Los Angeles along with Edward W. Tuttle. Later he co-founded the Southern California American Civil Liberties Union along with Upton Sinclair and others. He ran for Superior Court judge as a member of the Socialist party in 1912 and 1914 and ran for City Attorney in Los Angeles in 1915 but lost all races. Despite losing, friends and associates gave him the nickname “Judge” Ryckman.
He worked on a team that defended L.A. Times bombers, brothers John J. McNamara and James B. McNamara, along with attorneys Job Harriman and Clarence Darrow in 1911. In 1915, Harriman and Ryckman also defended Matthew A. Schmidt who was implicated in helping James McNamara purchase the dynamite used in the Los Angeles Times bombing.
Around the same time as the McNamara trial, Ryckman and Harriman defended Bert Connors, F. Ira Bender, and A.B. Maple accused of attempting to blow up the Los Angeles County Hall of Records with dynamite.(Oakland Tribune June 3, 1911, second section, evening edition) The indictment was thrown out due to lack of evidence (Dynamite Conspiracy by Arelo Sederberg, 2001)
Ryckman contributed writing to the Southern California ACLU’s newsletter Open Forum and labor publication Tomorrow published in Los Angeles and Labor Age in New York. JH married Rosa Meyer and had four children Harvey, Fred, Rose and Alice.
Early Life
Ryckman’s mother had left Ireland during the Great Potato Famine and sold herself into indentured servitude to come to the United States. She married a horse dealer and J.H. Ryckman was born in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. Before coming to Los Angeles, Ryckman practiced law at Evaston, Wyoming and Salt Lake City, Utah.
American Labor’s Who’s Who page 202
Los Angeles Times, August 9, 1914 Part II, pg.1 “Who’s Who, Which, and What On Mixed Primary Ballot”
Los Angeles Times, April 7, 1915, Part II pg.1, “The Field: Candidates Up for Election”
Los Angeles Times, July 27, 1912, Part II, pg.6, “The Political Watchtower”
Los Angeles Times, January 1, 1919, Part I, page 15, “Name Job Harriman as a Co-Defendant”
I have more scanned articles and things on pdf. If you'd like anything send me your email or a link to your social media. Are you writing a book or article?
Here's one more: History of the Bench and Bar of California
edited by Joseph Clement Bates 1912
http://books.google.com/books?id=ax0LAQAAIAAJ&lpg=PA489&ots=4Ocob5jz2a&dq=history%20bench%20bar%20california%20ryckman&pg=PA489#v=onepage&q=history%20bench%20bar%20california%20ryckman&f=false
Thank you very much, sir! Very helpful. :)
Yes, I saw a few newspaper references to him as "Judge" Ryckman. I assumed it was an honorific, like "Colonel" Edward M. House, Woodrow Wilson's adviser. Again, thanks very much for the info! :)
No, I'm not writing a book or article. I work for a project called The Jane Addams Papers, and his name appears on a list. If you would like to give me your name, I'll ask my boss to credit you in helping us with his biography. Thanks again! :)
Sure, interesting project. I actually just inferred the reason JHR was nicknamed "Judge,"I don't know that running for judge was 100% the reason he got this nickname.
Some of the information I have about him, like his mother selling herself into indentured servitude was from my grandmother's account (She was one of JHR's children). I would also guess his mother's predicament probably fueled his interest in civil liberties.
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