University of Pennsylvania Finding Aids

Francis Kirkham (1904-1996) was born in Utah in 1904. After earning his undergraduate and law degrees from George Washington University, Kirkham clerked for two Supreme Court Justices, including former Chief Justice Evan Hughes. During his time as a law clerk, Kirkham drafted a report suggesting revisions to the way people filed for bankruptcy, which was a pertinent issue in the wake of the Great Depression. This report, "Suggested Revisions to the General Orders and Forms of Bankruptcy," was published in 1939. The collection, circa 1935-1939, includes correspondence with Supreme Court Justices, drafts, reports, National Bankruptcy Conference drafts, and related material regarding Kirkham's activity as a Supreme Court law clerk drafting the "General Order and Rules of Bankruptcy," which was published in 1939.