Gerald L. Sbarboro papers, 1962-1989

Copyright may be retained by the creators of items, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law, unless otherwise noted.

Gift of Honorable Gerald L. Sbarboro (accession #: 1989.0470).

Some of Sbarboro's articles about the Chicago school board and public schools that were published in the News, World, and Journal newspapers were republished as a collection entitled: Eleven in the wind : a view of the Chicago public schools in the early 1970's.

Gerald L. Sbarboro papers (Chicago History Museum) plus a detailed description, date, and box/folder number of a specific item.

Correspondence, articles, reports, research materials, photographs, and other working files of Judge Gerald L. Sbarboro relative to his service as a member of the Chicago Board of Education, 1970-1975, and his professional and civic activities as a lawyer and member of legal societies, including the Justinian Society of Italian American lawyers; as a political counselor, as a federal prosecutor and Cook County judge. Includes copies of Judge Sbarboro's published writings on law and on school board finance, 1967-1988, and 10 large newsclipping scrapbooks, 1962-1989. Topics during his school board service included finance of the schools, racial desegregation, sites and names of schools, and preventing drug use by students.

Gerald L. Sbarboro was a member of the Chicago Board of Education, 1970-1975, a Cook County Circuit Court judge, elected in 1976, and had a long career as a lawyer; federal prosecutor; and legal counsel at various times to Senator Paul Douglas, and state officials Adlai Stevenson III and Paul Simon. His wife Alma M. Sbarboro died in 1988. She had been a personal secretary to Illinois Lt. Governors Paul Simon and Neil Hartigan. The judge's name was sometimes misspelled as "Sbarbaro."

Collection processed and descriptive inventory written by Jane McCarthy, 2014.

• Names
  • Sbarboro, Gerald L.--1934-1996--Archives
  • Chicago (Ill.). Board of Education
  • Illinois Circuit Court (Cook County)
  • Democratic Party (Ill.)
  • Justininan Society of Lawyers
• Subject
  • Italian Americans--Illinois--Chicago--20th century
  • Judges--Illinois--Chicago--20th Century
  • Lawyers--Illinois--Chicago--20th Century
  • Public schools--Illinois--Chicago--20th century
  • Public schools--Illinois--Chicago--Finance--20th century
  • School board members--Illinois--Chicago--20th century
• Geographic CoverageChicago (Ill.)--Social conditions--20th century

The collection is arranged in four series.

Series 1. Correspondence, 1962-1988 (box 1-3)

This series includes primarily correspondence, biographical material, and copies of some newspaper columns written by Sbarboro.

Series 2. Legal materials, 1970-1988 (box 3-4)

This series contains newspaper and newsletter clippings documenting Sbarboro's legal career, speeches, and materials from legal societies.

Series 3. Board of Education material, 1969-1977 (box 5-20)

This series houses Chicago Board of Education reports and press releases, board nomination and resignation materials, and materials documenting court cases involving educational institutions. Some topics covered in this series include racial desegregation in schools, drug use among students, and real estate issues for the Chicago Board of Education.

Series 4. Scrapbooks, 1962-1989 (10 Volumes)

This series consists of ten scrapbooks containing newspaper and newsletter clippings documenting the career of Sbarboro.