This collection consists of Judge Irving Hill's personal and professional papers.

Irving Hill (Feb. 6, 1915 - Mar 18, 1998) was a United States federal judge based in Los Angeles, California. Hill was born on February 6, 1915 in Lincoln, Nebraska, eight years after his parents had immigrated to the U.S. from Russia in 1907. After his graduation from Lincoln High School in 1932, Hill spent the next four years (1932-36) at the University of Nebraska. In his senior year Hill was named the state’s sole nominee for the Rhodes Scholarship. In 1936 Hill entered Harvard Law School and graduated cum laude in 1939. He was an editor of the Harvard Law Review and president of his graduating class. Hill married his college sweetheart Maydee Taylor in 1939. From 1939 to 1944, Hill worked for the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., including assignments in the Anti-Trust (1939-40) and the Criminal (1942-44) division. From 1940-1942, Hill was on the legal staff of the Bonneville Power Administration, U.S. Department of the Interior, at Portland, Oregon. In 1944, Hill volunteered for combat service as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy. He was assigned to sea duty in the Armed Guard Branch of the Navy which placed Navy personnel aboard merchant chips to operate their guns and communication equipments. Following his U.S. Navy duties, Hill returned in 1946 to the Justice Department in the Office of the Assistant Solicitor General. He retired from the Justice Department in the Fall of 1946, moved to California, and became associated with the firm Pacht, Warne, Ross and Bernhard. In 1947 Hill and his partners formed their own legal firm, originally named Hill, Jones, and Attias and later renamed Hill, Greenberg and Glusker. In 1961 Hill was appointed to the California Superior Court by Governor Pat Brown. He was appointed in 1965 by California Chief Justice Roger Traynor to the Appellate Department of the Superior Court. In late 1965, Hill received from President Lyndon Johnson an appointment to be a U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of California. He was reassigned to the newly-authorized U.S. District Court, Central District of California in 1966. From 1979-1981 Hill served as Chief Judge for the Central District Court. He achieved senior status in 1980 but chose to remain on the bench. Hill passed away in his chamber on May 18, 1998. Irving and Maydee Hill had three sons: Lawrence, Steven, and Richard.

Approximately 16,617 items in 58 boxes and 1 oversize folder

In order to quote from, publish, or reproduce any of the manuscripts or visual materials, researchers must obtain formal permission from the office of the Library Director. In most instances, permission is given by the Huntington as owner of the physical property rights only, and researchers must also obtain permission from the holder of the literary rights. In some instances, the Huntington owns the literary rights, as well as the physical property rights. Researchers may contact the curator of this collection for further information.

The collection is open for qualified researchers.