GERALD KOPEL PAPERS

The papers range from 1950 to 2011, the bulk covering the years in which Kopel was a reporter, editor, legislator and unpaid assistant to legislators. Bills, correspondence, newspaper clippings, and memos regarding legislative issues comprise the bulk of the collection. Kopel's working papers, notes, speech transcripts and newspaper columns also constitute a part of the collection. Papers from Kopel's many neighborhood organizations are also included in the collection as well as papers having to do with Jewish issues.

A few personal papers, mostly those having to do with organizations and his family, comprise a small portion of the collection.

Correspondence and newspaper clippings comprise this series reflecting Kopel's career as a reporter for Walsenburg, Colorado Springs and Denver newspapers as well as a stringer for United Press International.

Legal papers, correspondence, speech transcripts, articles and certificates constitute this series detailing Kopel's private practice as an attorney.

Arranged by legislative year, then alphabetically by topic, the legislative papers consist of: campaign literature for elections, drafts and final copies of bills, correspondence about legislative issues and newspaper clippings both about legislative issues and columns written by Kopel.

Of interest in this series are the papers from the 1978 election. Having lost in 1976 to Paul Swalm, Kopel mounted a comprehensive campaign to be elected in 1978. The correspondence, campaign literature, speech transcripts and volunteer forms reflect the breadth of this successful effort.

Again arranged by year, scrapbooks created by Kopel with key correspondence and bills constitute the last part of the series. The scrapbook pages were arranged by Kopel loosely following the progress of the legislative sessions.

Arranged alphabetically by the name of the organization, then chronologically, meeting minutes, correspondence and newspaper clippings comprise this series. Newsletters containing articles written by Kopel or about Kopel are included. Pages from scrapbooks created by Kopel constitute the last part of the series.

Papers documenting awards, legal articles and Kopel's retirement comprise this series.

Papers documenting awards a Denver Public Library display celebrating Kopel's role in freeing the "Refuseniks" comprise this series.

Audiotapes and one videotape form this series. The audiotapes consist of testimony by Paul Swalm, Kopel's 1976 and 1978 Republican opponent, speeches by Kopel about various legislative issues and radio broadcasts by Kopel.

This series contains newspaper articles written by Kopel and political campaign posters. The 1950 to 1951 articles were published in the Silver and Gold (the University of Colorado newspaper for which Kopel was news editor), The World-Independent and the Huerfano County News (local Walsenburg, Colorado newspapers). After retiring from the House of Representatives in 1992, Kopel wrote frequent articles about legislative issues for The Colorado Statesman. These articles comprise a portion of the series. The library retains copies of The Colorado Statesman, which contain other Kopel columns.

The bulk of the photographs portray Democratic activists, governors, mayors, members of the Colorado House of Representatives along with a few family photographs in print format, usually in color. A number of these photographs appear in Kopel campaign brochures. Also included are photographs of Kopel in his role as a journalist.

The series contains research files belonging to Jerry Kopel, donated by the Kopel family in 2015. Contents include mostly newspaper clippings and articles covering gambling and the Colorado Lottery, files (organized alphabetically) on various issues related to Colorado political and legal concerns, and clippings about Colorado and national elections from 1992-2010.