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Nelson A. Diaz papers
Notifications
Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]1300 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
People
- Cappy, Ralph J., 1943-2009
- Cisneros, Henry
- Cozen, Stephen A.
- Diaz, Nelson A., 1947-
- Gallas, Geoff, 1946-
- Goode, W. Wilson, 1938-
- Liacouras, Peter J.
- Mondale , Walter F., 1928-
- Rendell, Edward G. (Edward Gene), 1944-
- Sotomayor, Sonia, 1954-
- Street, John F., 1945-
Organization
- American Jewish Committee.
- Banco Popular de Puerto Rico.
- Blank, Rome, Comisky & McCauley.
- National Baptist Convention of the United States of America.
- Philadelphia Orchestra Association.
- United States. President (1977-1981 : Carter).
- United States. President (1993-2001 : Clinton).
- United States. President (2009- : Obama).
- World Intellectual Property Organization.
Subject
- Affirmative action programs--Government policy--United States--History--20th century
- American Bar Association
- American Friends Service Committee
- Arbitration (Administrative law)--United States
- Asociacion Nacional Pro Personas Mayores (U.S.)
- Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
- Blue Cross of Greater Philadelphia
- Continuing legal education
- Cuban American National Council (U.S.)
- Democratic National Committee (U.S.)
- Dispute resolution (Law)
- Enterprise Foundation
- Exelon Corporation
- Free Library of Philadelphia
- Fulbright scholarships--United States
- Girard College
- Girard Trust Company
- Girard, Stephen, 1750-1831--Estate
- Girard, Stephen, 1750-1831--Will
- Greater Philadelphia Economic Development Coalition
- Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation
- Hispanic American lawyers--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia
- Hispanic Americans--Housing--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia
- Hispanic Association of Contractors and Enterprises
- Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility
- Hispanic Bar Association
- Hispanic Leadership Conference
- Hispanic Leadership Program
- Hispanics in Philanthropy
- Hispanics in the United States
- Historical Society of Pennsylvania
- Housing rehabilitation--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia
- Housing--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia --20th century
- Inside story (Television program)
- International Municipal Lawyers Association
- Internet domain names--Law and legislation--United States
- Judicial process--Japan
- League of United Latin American Citizens
- Litigation
- Mexican American Business Alliance
- Midwest/Northeast Voter Registration Education Project
- National Conference on Soviet Jewry (U.S.)
- National Puerto Rican Coalition (U.S.)
- New York State Bar Association
- PECO Energy Company
- Pennsylvania Bar Association
- Pennsylvania--Politics and government--1951
- Pennsylvania. Supreme Court. Committee on Racial and Gender Bias
- Philadelphia (Pa.)--Ethnic relations--History--20th century
- Philadelphia (Pa.)--Ethnic relations
- Philadelphia (Pa.)--Officials and employees
- Philadelphia (Pa.)--Politics and government--20th century
- Philadelphia (Pa.)--Race relations--History--20th century
- Philadelphia (Pa.). City Solicitor
- Philadelphia (Pa.). Commission on Human Relations
- Philadelphia (Pa.). Councils. Commissioners of the Girard Estates
- Philadelphia (Pa.). Law Department
- Philadelphia (Pa.). Mayor's Task Force on Police Discipline
- Philadelphia (Pa.). Office of City Commissioners
- Philadelphia (Pa.). Police Advisory Board
- Philadelphia (Pa.). Police Corruption Task Force
- Philadelphia (Pa.). Police Department
- Philadelphia Bar Association
- Philadelphia Commission on AIDS
- Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Philadelphia Independent Charter Commission
- Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News (Firm)
- Philadelphia Museum of Art. Board of Trustees
- Philadelphia--Politics and government--elections and campaigns
- Philadelphia. Office of Housing and Community Development
- Police Athletic League (U.S.)
- Puerto Rican Week Festival (Philadelphia, Pa.)
- Puerto Ricans--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--Ethnic identity
- Puerto Ricans--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--Politics and government
- Puerto Ricans--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--Social conditions--20th century
- Temple University. Board of Trustees
- Temple University. Hospital
- Temple University. School of Law
- United States Hispanic Leadership Institute
- United States. Department of Housing and Urban Development
- United States. Small Business Administration
- White House Fellows Foundation
- William Penn Foundation
- World Affairs Council of Philadelphia
- Young Life (Organization)
Place
- Publisher
- Historical Society of Pennsylvania
- Finding Aid Author
- Finding aid prepared by Cary Majewicz, Matthew Lyons, Heather Newlin, and Willhem Echevarria.
- Finding Aid Date
- 2007
- Sponsor
- Processing made possible by generous donations from the Phoebe H. Haas Charitable Trust and the Albert M. Greenfield Foundation.
Collection Inventory
Asociación de Puertorriqueños en Marcha, Inc.: Series 5, subseries b, group 5.
American Bar Association: Series 4, subseries b; Series 5, subseries b, group 4.
Barrister’s Association of Philadelphia: Series 5, subseries a.
Correspondence between Diaz and various government branches of the City of Philadelphia: Series 4, 5, 6, 7.
Hispanic Heritage: Series 5, subseries b, group 3; Series 7, subseries a, group 3.
Japan Society: Series 5, subseries b, group 2; Series 6, subseries b, group 2.
Labor Council for Latin American Advancement: Series 6, subseries a, group 2.
National Conference on Soviet Jewry: Series 6, subseries b, group 2.
Pennsylvania Bar Association: Series 5, subseries b, group 4.
Philadelphia Bar Association: Series 5, subseries a.; Series 5, subseries b, group 4.
Taller Puertorriqueños, Inc.: Series 5, subseries b, group 3; Series 6, subseries c.
In this subseries are papers Diaz produced, gathered, and received as part of his daily work routine. This subseries is divided into two groups: departmental and committee papers, and personnel files. The latter group, which contains items like employee applications, résumés, and appointments/terminations/transfers reports, is closed to researchers. Departmental and committee papers includes memos on court procedures, financial data, schedules, reports, and correspondence relating to Diaz’s various committee assignments. There is a significant amount of meeting materials (agendas, references, and minutes) from Diaz’s work with the Criminal Procedural Rules Committee, as well as a group of correspondence, memos, and schedules related to his successful Judge “Pro-Tem” Program, which gave attorneys the chance to experience the legal system from the judge’s perspective.
This subseries contains official papers, such as opinions, orders, decisions, and findings and conclusions produced during trials of the Court of Common Pleas or higher Pennsylvania courts. There are over forty folders of Diaz’s opinions and orders from 1982 to 1993. Additionally, there are several folders of documents related to various city-wide asbestos cases presented to the court in the 1980s. This subseries also contains a few restricted folders.
The subseries, which is broken down into two groups, judicial and general, is comprised of Diaz’s correspondence with his co-workers and outside people and organizations. The first group is arranged by correspondent, and each folder contains incoming and outgoing letters. The vast majority of these letters originated during Diaz’s term as administrative judge, Trial Division. The second group contains letters from various organizations as well as Diaz’s personal and miscellaneous correspondence, invitations, and notes. The personal correspondence falls into two categories: loose letters, notes, and cards that were filed according to occasion (birthday, condolence, thank you, miscellaneous, etc.) and correspondence that had been separated into incoming or outgoing groups. Notably, in this group there is a folder of letters and pamphlets from “Enjoying Marriage,” a couple’s retreat, which provides a rare glimpse into Diaz’s personal life. There is one folder of restricted material in this subseries.
This subseries richly documents Diaz’s extracurricular activities that directly or indirectly relate to his work with the Court of Common Pleas. For instance, there are a few folders of materials pertaining to Diaz’s interest in expanding Hispanic-controlled media, and a group of news clippings and articles underscoring Diaz’s accomplishments and those of his colleagues. This subseries also contains a guide Diaz created to his court rulings, and sizable groups of correspondence and meeting materials from the Pennsylvania Conference of Trial Judges and the Philadelphia Bar Association. In addition, there are letters, forms, and financial data from Diaz’s 1981 run for Court of Common Pleas judge, as well as election petitions from his bid for Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.
There are also materials in this subseries that highlight Diaz’s legal work abroad. In 1987, Diaz was chosen to participate in an exchange program sponsored by the U.S.-Japan Foundation. He was the first U.S. magistrate chosen for such a program. Along with other program participants, he spent “two months reviewing the Japanese legal system from both the country’s Supreme Court and from a [private] law firm.” Diaz met with local business and governmental leaders, held and attended legal and judicial lectures, witnessed Japanese legal customs and traditions, and learned about Japan’s demanding legal education system. Diaz took extensive notes and recorded his observations on micro-cassette tapes. The cassette tapes are in Series 8 while the written transcripts are in this subseries. Other materials, some written or printed in Japanese, that detail Diaz’s trip to Japan include Japanese legal references, reports from workshops and conferences, correspondence, and extensive news clippings. There are two folders of restricted materials in this subseries.
In 1990, Diaz was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship and went to Peru as a law teacher. During his nine-week stay, Diaz coordinated and led legal workshops and seminars for law students, judges, and lawyers, met with local leaders to offer advice on reforming Peru’s judicial and penal systems, and in the process learned first hand about the Peruvian legal system. The items (some in Spanish) in this subseries that document this trip include Diaz’s personal notes and writings, teaching materials, correspondence, and Fulbright applications and program guides.
This small subseries contains organizational correspondence, invitations, and speech notes that are indirectly related to Diaz’s judicial work. For instance, the folder entitled “Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship banquet” contains a faith-based inspirational speech Diaz presented to this organization about community relationships and development. There are also folders of speeches Diaz addressed to the Community College of Philadelphia, the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, and the World Conference on Soviet Jewry. In this subseries, one will also find the remarks Diaz gave at his swearing-in ceremony to the Court of Common Pleas. Interestingly, researchers will find multiple copies of similar speeches in these folders, for it seems Diaz often re-used parts of his speeches to form different presentations.
This subseries is comprised of materials relating to Diaz’s work with Temple University’s School of Law. There is a folder of correspondence from 1977 from Temple’s Law, Education, and Participation Project (LEAP). This interdisciplinary project was designed to help teach law to non-lawyers. Diaz, then executive director of the Spanish Merchant’s Association, was a LEAP regional advisory board member. From around 1982 to about 1992, Diaz taught Introduction to Trial Advocacy at Temple School of Law. In these folders are lecture notes, handouts, syllabi, and memos. Folders of student/teacher evaluations, grade lists, and student transcripts are closed to researchers. There is also a folder of miscellaneous memos and correspondence and a folder of notes, references, and forms from Temple’s 1984 Herman Stern Moot Court Competition, which Diaz helped judge.
Diaz served on the Temple University Hospital’s Board of Governors from about the early 1980s to the early 1990s. This subseries is comprised mostly of board meeting minutes, agendas, references, and memos.
In 1997, Diaz offered to represent Temple University to restructure a loan with Summit Bank. However, since Diaz had a sustained relationship with Temple a conflict of interest arose, and Diaz could not be involved with the case. The materials in this small subseries pertain to this legal venture and include memos, correspondence, budgets, conflict search papers, and various legal documents. Separated into four folders are materials sent to Diaz prior to the conflict of interest search. There is also a “Statement of Qualifications” sent from Blank Rome LLP to Temple University and the University Health System indicating that Blank Rome had maintained a working relationship with the university.
This subseries contains correspondence, financial reports, press releases, and other miscellaneous papers. Among the materials is a report prepared by Temple’s Institute for Survey Research concerning an immigrant employee pilot program, several booklets and pamphlets highlighting Temple’s various programs, and a few issues of Temple’s community newspaper, Temple Times.
This portion of the collection contains documents produced while Diaz was a member of Temple University's Board of Trustees. Materials included in this subseries include board agendas, reference, and minutes; memos and correspondence; reports and directories; and pamphlets and brochures.
This small series is comprised almost entirely of calendars, memos, phone logs, and travel vouchers that document Diaz’s work and whereabouts as U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) General Counsel. Diaz served as General Counsel from 1993 to 1997 and traveled extensively, as indicated by the calendars and vouchers. Notably, the HOPE VI training session material in this series stands out from everything else primarily because the date (1998) falls outside Diaz’s HUD term. While it seems Diaz did not attend this session, as general counsel he did work to rejuvenate the HOPE VI program which provides housing assistance for the elderly.
Anuario Hispánico: Series 5, subseries b, group 2.
American Bar Association: Series 1, subseries d; Series 5, subseries b, group 4.
Correspondence between Diaz and various government branches of the City of Philadelphia: Series 1, 5, 6, 7.
Pennsylvania Convention Center: Series 5, subseries b, group 3.
Pennsylvania Society: Series 5, subseries b, group 5.
Pension plans: Series 5, subseries b, groups 1 and 2.
Philadelphia Judicial Council: Series 5, subseries b, group 4.
Puerto Rican Week Festival: Series 6, subseries b, group 1.
White House Fellowship: Series 5, subseries b, group 3; Series 6, subseries a, group 2.
In this series, one will find materials from Diaz’s legal work as city solicitor. One of his duties in this position was to provide legal advice in official matters. Thus, a large amount of the materials in this subseries consists of advice he wrote for various individuals, companies, and city departments on issues ranging from tax problems to building and land development to employee rights and responsibilities. The folder of his advice of counsel is currently closed to researchers.
Also in this subseries are a number of case briefs relating to Pennsylvania Senate Bill 1100. This case (the “Convention Center Case”) questioned the constitutionality of this bill, which Philadelphia officials believed would adversely affect the City of Philadelphia if enacted. The bill involved changing the governing body of the Pennsylvania Convention Center and transferring authority over taxis to the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA), as well as granting the PPA other powers. Mayor Street and the City of Philadelphia argued that the bill would harm the city’s hospitality industry as well as their ability to bargain with unions. They claimed that this bill was stealthily introduced to the Senate and not given enough time for consideration.
This subseries contains materials relating to Diaz’s various board and organization memberships, as well as events he attended. The majority of these materials consist of correspondence and informational materials relating to the organizations and events represented. A large group in this subseries is from the 2002 conference of the International Municipal Lawyers Association which Diaz attended. Included are workshop materials and papers on topics such as employment law, land use, and water rights issues. Also included are materials relating to Diaz’s various speeches.
This subseries consists of correspondence written to or by Nelson Diaz. However, much of this correspondence is not directly related to his duties as city solicitor. Included in this series are a large number of holiday greeting cards, invitations to various events, and congratulatory or condolence letters. Also included are letters, invitations, and speeches relating to the September 2002 unveiling of a judicial portrait of Diaz commissioned for the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. The unveiling corresponded with National Hispanic Heritage Month, which was appropriate as Diaz is considered a role model for the Hispanic community. The portrait was then placed on permanent display in City Hall. In this group are also a few restricted folders.
Within this subseries one can also find several examples of correspondence to and from various other noteworthy politicians. Among the letters of congratulations are letters to and from former Vice President Walter F. Mondale and Ed Rendell, Pennsylvania governor and former mayor of Philadelphia. Also included are invitations to Rendell’s 2003 gubernatorial inauguration. In addition, among the portrait unveiling materials is a letter from U.S. Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania.
In this subseries one can find various personal materials, including some correspondence, photographs, and articles in which Diaz was featured. Diaz’s résumé and biographical sketch can also be found here, along with handwritten meeting notes and information on various awards he received. A folder of materials concerning self-assessed taxes is currently closed to researchers.
This small subseries of eighteen folders is comprised mostly of legal and court document that Diaz created or retained while at Wolf, Block, Schorr and Solis-Cohen. There are agreements Diaz worked on for various clients, lengthy memos between Diaz and his colleagues concerning different legal matters, and several folders of Diaz’s court notes and references. Of note are several folders of court documents from Duke v. Parcs Steam-Sales Division, et al. (ca. 1980), a lengthy case which involved on-the-job injuries and company neglect. Also in this subseries is correspondence, such as that from the Philadelphia Bar Associations’ Young Lawyers Association, of which Diaz was a member. This subseries also contains a few restricted folders.
This subseries, broken down into six groups, records Diaz’s work with the law firm Blank Rome LLP. The vast majority of the materials are work related, emphasizing Diaz’s accomplishments, contacts, and routines as a Blank Rome LLP partner.
Asociación de Puertorriqueños en Marcha, Inc: Series 1, subseries c, group 2.
American Bar Association: Series 1, subseries d; Series 4, subseries b.
Anuario Hispánico: Series 3.
Barrister’s Association of Philadelphia: Series 1, subseries d.
Congreso de Latinos Unidos: Series 6, subseries c.
Correspondence between Diaz and various government branches of the City of Philadelphia: Series 1, 4, 6, 7.
Cuban American National Council: Series 6, subseries c.
Governor’s Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs: Series 6, subseries c.
Hispanic Heritage: Series 1, subseries d, Series 7, subseries a, group 3.
Japan Society: Series 1, subseries d; Series 6, subseries b, group 2.
National Puerto Rican Coalition: Series 6, subseries b, group 2.
Pennsylvania Bar Association: Series 1, subseries d.
Pennsylvania Convention Center: Series 4, subseries a.
Pennsylvania Society: Series 4, subseries b.
Philadelphia Bar Association: Series 1, subseries d.
Philadelphia Judicial Council: Series 4, subseries b.
Philadelphia Leadership Foundation: Series 6, subseries b, group 1.
Philadelphia School District: Series 6, subseries a, group 1.
Southern Home Services: Series 6, subseries c.
Taller Puertorriqueños, Inc.: Series 1, subseries c, group 2; Series 6, subseries c.
White House Fellowship: Series 4, subseries b; Series 6, subseries a, group 2.
William Penn Foundation: Series 6, subseries b, group 1.
This group includes papers Diaz used in his daily work routines such as contact lists, briefs and references for his cases, memos and emails, forms, notes, articles, press releases, and other information.
This group is comprised of firm brochures and contact lists, informational packets, fact sheets, memos and correspondence. There are materials that pertain directly to Diaz helping Blank Rome as well as outside materials that Diaz used to further his legal career.
This group contains items that pertain to community groups and associations in which Diaz was directly or indirectly involved. He worked with such groups as legal counsel, financial sponsor, member of selection or advisory committees, or may have been more directly involved with them in the past. There are memos and correspondence, emails, online print-outs, brochures, and reports.
This group contains materials pertaining to various bar associations of which Diaz was a member. There are memos and correspondence, applications, meeting materials, brochures, and reports from groups in Pennsylvania and other states.
This group includes materials Diaz used or received for various speeches and events he attended. There are his handwritten and typed speech notes, memos and correspondence, invitations, brochures, and pamphlets.
This group is comprised of letters and memos that Diaz produced or received as a partner of Blank Rome. There are letters, cards, and notes. A very small amount of the correspondence is somewhat personal in nature, but all of it pertains in some way to Diaz’s work or membership with Blank Rome.
This subseries, broken down into six groups, records Diaz’s work with the law firm Cozen O'Connor. The vast majority of the materials are work related, emphasizing Diaz’s accomplishments, contacts, and routines as a Cozen O'Connor partner.
This group includes papers Diaz used in his daily work routines such as contact lists, briefs and references for his cases, memos and emails, forms, notes, articles, press releases, and other information.
This group is comprised of firm brochures and contact lists, informational packets, fact sheets, memos and correspondence. There are materials that pertain directly to Diaz helping Cozen O'Connor as well as outside materials that Diaz used to further his legal career.
This group contains items that pertain to community groups and associations in which Diaz was directly or indirectly involved. He worked with such groups as legal counsel, financial sponsor, member of selection or advisory committees, or may have been more directly involved with them in the past. There are memos and correspondence, emails, online print-outs, brochures, and reports.
This group contains materials pertaining to various bar associations of which Diaz was a member. There are memos and correspondence, applications, meeting materials, brochures, and reports from groups in Pennsylvania and other states.
This group includes materials Diaz used or received for various speeches and events he attended. There are his handwritten and typed speech notes, memos and correspondence, invitations, brochures, and pamphlets.