Finding aid for the Donald Fisher Lybarger Papers, Series II

Biography of Donald Fisher Lybarger

For a complete biographical sketch of Donald Fisher Lybarger, please consult the finding aid for MS 3322 Donald Fisher Lybarger Papers.

Donald Fisher Lybarger (1896-1970) was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on December 19, 1896. He was the son of Jesse james Lybarger and Margaret Shuler Lybarger. In 1903 the family moved to Wilmington, Delaware, where Jesse Lybarger became the manager of a Singer Sewing Machine store. Donald and his sister, Mildred, attended the Friends School, a private institution in Wilmington.

Donald Lybarger entered Gettysburg College in 1915, but when the United States entered World War I, he enlisted in the Navy. At the end of the war Lybarger returned to Gettysburg College where he graduated summa cum laude in 1919. He entered Western Reserve University Law School the same year and received his L.L.B. in 1923. He was admitted to the Ohio Bar in 1923, and until 1945 he was a member of the law firm of Horn, Weisell, McLaughlin and Lybarger.

In 1924, Lybarger married Cornelia Marjorie Hartshorne. Four children were born to the couple: Marjorie, Virginia Dowler, Lee Hartshorne, and Leonard Fisher. Mrs. Lybarger died on November 4, 1953. In 1956, Lybarger married Helen Baldwin Dean.

Donald Lybarger actively participated in numerous local and national organizations. He was a member of the Early Settlers Association, the Sons of the American Revolution, the Western Reserve Historical Society, the American Philatelic Society, a Masonic Lodge, the Woodland Center Neighborhood House, Theta Kappa Nu Franternity, and of several veterans' organizations. He resigned from the Sons of the American Revolution in 1962, however, in protest against what he believed were racist tendencies in the organization. In addition, Lybarger maintained a lifelong interest in stamp collecting and genealogy. He was the compiler of family histories of Baldwin, Belden, Crum, Dowler, Fisher, Grimwood, Hartshorne, Januszewski, Lybarger, Miller, and Shuler families. He also wrote articles on a variety of topics, including religion, Ohio history, poetry, the law, and stamp collecting.

In 1932, Lybarger was elected Cuyahoga County Recorder. During his tenure, he was mentioned as a possible successor to Michael F. O'Donnell, Cleveland postmaster, and was often recommended to fill vacancies on the county bench. He was never appointed, so in 1949 he ran fora position on the county bench and won. He was reelected in 1954, 1960, and 1966. In 1967, he was elected to succeed Arthur A. Day as chief justice. He remarked at this time that he did not think chief justices should run for reelection and he set an example by retiring in April 1969. As chief justice, he was concerned about delays in pretrial procedures and attempted to reduce the number of trial delays granted once a case had been put on the active list. He also set up a series of committees to find ways of reducing the backlog of civil cases, and worked to increase the number of judgeships.

Donald Lybarger died on November 6, 1970, at the age of 73. He was survived by his wife and his four children.

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for Donald Fisher Lybarger

Scope and Content

The Donald Fisher Lybarger Papers, Series II, l908-l973, consist of correspondence, newspaper clippings, and memorabilia for Lybarger and his family as well as a biography of his first wife, Cornelia Marjorie Hartshorne.

These papers pertain primarily to Lybarger's interest in Pakistan and the student revolts of the late 1960s as well as to his legal career during those years.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Access

None.

The researcher should also consult MS 3322 Donald Fisher Lybarger Papers.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

Preferred Citation

[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 4155 Donald Fisher Lybarger Papers, Series II, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio

Acquisition Information

Gifts of Lee H. Lybarger and Mrs. D. F. Lybarger, 1979 and 1983.

Processing Information

Processed by Bari Oyler Stith in 1988.

Detailed Description of The Collection