Albert R. Musick, Jr. papers
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of the papers of Albert R. Musick, Jr., who was a judge in Washington County, Oregon. The bulk of these papers reflect both his legal and judicial career and his military service. Legal and judicial papers include materials relating to his education and bar exam in Illinois; his swearing in as a judge in 1964; correspondence; records of appealed cases; instructions for juries and case types; and photographs. Military papers include materials relating to training that Musick undertook at Camp Grant, Illinois, and at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; letters from Perry Devere and Robert W. Rainey; service records; published materials; and ephemera.
The collection also includes some personal and family papers. Among these are correspondence, including letters from Musick's wife, Eleanor Hoyt Musick; materials relating to the Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District, whose creation Musick was involved in; a guestbook; account books and a notebook; photographs; a scrapbook; and ephemera. Many of the materials in the scrapbook are placed loose between the pages.
Dates
- Creation: circa 1890-2007
Creator
- Musick, Albert R., Jr., 1911-2007 (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.
Biographical Note
Albert R. Musick, Jr. was born in 1911 in Knox City, Missouri. He studied at the University of Illinois, where he earned a degree in accounting, and then a law degree in 1936. He enlisted in the U.S. Army prior to World War II. During the war, he served as an infantry instructor and a member of the Counter-Intelligence Corps, and graduated from the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth in 1943. He subsequently spent two years at the Pentagon before transferring to the U.S. Army Reserve, from which he retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1971.
Musick came to Oregon in 1947 and was admitted to the Oregon State Bar that same year. After working for several years in Portland for the firm Black and Kendall, he founded the law firm Castles & Musick with partner James B. Castles in Beaverton, Oregon, in 1952. It was the first law firm established in Beaverton. Musick worked as the attorney in the formation of the Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District.
Musick was appointed to the Circuit Court of Washington County, Oregon, by Governor Mark Hatfield in late 1963 and sworn in on January 2, 1964. There, he was the presiding judge for 12 years of his tenure. He was the first Oregon judge to initiate pretrial procedures for civil law cases, and from 1969 to 1981 was the principal pretrial judge for the court. He retired in 1981 and took senior judge status in 1982.
Musick married Eleanor Virginia Hoyt (1914-2007) in 1941; the couple had a daughter, Felicity. Musick died in May 2007.
Sources: Obituary on Fruiten Rose & Hoyt Funeral Home and Crematory website (accessed July 25, 2025), https://www.fuitenrosehoyt.com/obituaries/Judge-Albert-R-Musick-Jr?obId=2255364; collection materials; vital records via Ancestry.com.
Extent
3.3 Cubic Feet (2 record cartons; 1 flat box (11x14); 1 flat box (16x20); 1 oversize folder (22x28))
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Papers of Albert R. Musick, Jr. (1911-2007), a judge in Washington County, Oregon. In addition to papers relating to his judicial career, the collection includes materials relating to his prior career as a lawyer and to his military career, as well as some personal and family papers. Musick was born in Missouri, served as an infantry instructor and member of the U.S. Army Counter-Intelligence Corps during World War II, and after the war served in the U.S. Army Reserve until 1971. He came to Oregon in 1947, and was appointed to the Circuit Court of Washington County in 1964. He was the court's principal pretrial judge from 1969 to 1981.
Arrangement
Collection is arranged in three series:
- Series 1: Legal and judicial papers
- Series 2: Military papers
- Series 3: Personal and family papers
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Glenn Mason and Judith Mason, August 2024 (RL2024-055).
Separated Materials
Artifacts were separated to Museum Collections at the Oregon Historical Society.
Processing Information
During processing, some original file folders were retained.
Subject
- Musick, Albert R., Jr., 1911-2007 -- Correspondence (Person)
- Musick, Albert R., Jr., 1911-2007 -- Photographs (Person)
- Oregon. Circuit Court (Washington County) -- Records and correspondence (Organization)
- United States. Army -- Officers (Organization)
- Title
- Guide to the Albert R. Musick, Jr. papers
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Jeffrey A. Hayes
- Date
- 2025
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid is written in English.
Repository Details
Part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library Repository
1200 SW Park Ave.
Portland OR 97205 United States
5033065204
5033065240
libreference@ohs.org