King v. Trustees of Boston University

420 Mass. 52
CourtMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
DecidedApril 12, 1995
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 420 Mass. 52 (King v. Trustees of Boston University) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
King v. Trustees of Boston University, 420 Mass. 52 (Mass. 1995).

Opinion

Abrams, J.

A jury determined that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., made a charitable pledge to Boston University (BU) of certain papers he had deposited with BU. The plaintiff, Coretta Scott King, in her capacity as administratrix of the estate of her late husband, and in her individual capacity, appeals from that judgment. The plaintiff sued BU for conversion, alleging that the estate and not BU held title to Dr. King’s papers, which have been housed in BU’s library’s special collection since they were delivered to BU at Dr. King’s request in July, 1964.

The case was submitted to the jury on theories of contract, charitable pledge, statute of limitations, and laches.2 In response to special questions the jury determined that Dr. King made a promise to give absolute title to his papers to BU in a letter signed by him and dated July 16, 1964, and that the promise to give the papers was enforceable as a charitable pledge supported by consideration or reliance. The jury also determined that the letter promising the papers was not a contract. The jury accordingly did not reach BU’s additional statute of limitations and loches defenses. The trial judge denied the plaintiffs motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict or for a new trial. The plaintiff appealed. We granted the plaintiffs application for direct appellate review. We affirm.

I. Facts. In reviewing the judge’s denial of the plaintiffs motion for directed verdict on the affirmative defense of charitable pledge, we summarize the evidence in a light [54]*54favorable to the nonmoving party, BU. Young v. Atlantic Richfield Co., 400 Mass. 837, 841 (1987). In 1963, BU commenced plans to expand its library’s special collections. Once plans for construction of a library to house new holdings were firm, the newly appointed director of special collections, Dr. Howard Gotlieb, began his efforts to obtain Dr. King’s papers. Dr. King, an alumnus of BU’s graduate school program, was one of the first individuals BU officials sought to induce to deposit documents in the archives.

Around the same time, Dr. King was approached regarding his papers by other universities, including his undergraduate alma mater, Morehouse College. Mrs. King testified that, although her late husband thought “Boston seemed to be the only place, the best place, for safety,” he was concerned that depositing his papers with BU would evoke criticism that he was “taking them away from a black institution in the South.” However, the volatile circumstances during the 1960s in the South led Dr. King to deposit some of his papers with BU pursuant to a letter, which is the centerpiece of this litigation and is set forth herewith:

“563 Johnson Ave. NE Atlanta, Georgia July 16, 1964
“Boston University Library 725 Commonwealth Ave.
Boston 15, Massachusetts
“Dear Sirs:
“On this 16th day of July, 1964, I name the Boston University Library the Repository of my correspondence, manuscripts and other papers, along with a few of my awards and other materials which may come to be of interest in historical or other research.
“In accordance with this action I have authorized the removal of most of the above-mentioned papers and other objects to Boston University, including most correspondence through 1961, at once. It is my intention [55]*55that after the end of each calendar year, similar files of materials for an additional year should be sent to Boston University.
“All papers and other objects which thus pass into the custody of Boston University remain my legal property until otherwise indicated, according to the statements below. However, if, despite scrupulous care, any such materials are damaged or lost while in custody of Boston University, I absolve Boston University of responsibility to me for such damage or loss.
“I intend each year to indicate a portion of the materials deposited with Boston University to become the absolute property of Boston University as an outright gift from me, until all shall have been thus given to the University. In the event of my death, all such materials deposited with the University shall become from that date the absolute property of Boston University.
“Sincerely yours,
“/s/ Martin Luther King, Jr.”

At issue is whether the evidence at trial was sufficient to submit the question of charitable pledge to the jury. BU asserts that the evidence was sufficient to raise a question of fact for the jury as to whether there was a promise by Dr. King to transfer title to his papers to BU and whether any such promise was supported by consideration or reliance by BU. We agree.

II. Evidence of an enforceable charitable pledge.3 Because the jury found that BU had acquired rightful ownership of [56]*56the papers via a charitable pledge, but not a contract, we review the case on that basis. We note at the outset that there is scant Massachusetts case law in the area of charitable pledges and subscriptions.

A charitable subscription is “an oral or written promise to do certain acts or to give real or personal property to a charity or for a charitable purpose.” See generally E.L. Fisch, D.J. Freed, & E.R. Schacter, Charities and Charitable Foundations § 63, at 77 (1974). To enforce a charitable subscription or a charitable pledge in Massachusetts, a party must establish that there was a promise to give some property to a charitable institution and that the promise was supported by consideration or reliance. Congregation Kadimah Toras-Moshe v. DeLeo, 405 Mass. 365, 367 & n.3 (1989), and cases cited therein.4 See In re Morton Shoe Co., 40 B.R. [57]*57948 (Bankr. D. Mass. 1984) (discussing Massachusetts law of charitable subscriptions).

The jurors were asked two special questions regarding BU’s affirmative defense of rightful ownership by way of a charitable pledge: (1) “Does the letter, dated July 16, 1964, from Martin Luther King, Jr., to [BU], set forth a promise by Dr. King to transfer ownership of his papers to [BU]?”; and (2) “Did [BU] take action in reliance on that promise or was that promise supported by consideration?” In determining whether the case properly was submitted to the jury, we consider first, whether the evidence was sufficient to sustain a conclusion that the letter contained a promise to make a gift and second, whether the evidence was sufficient to support a determination that any promise found was supported by consideration or reliance.

III (A). Evidence of a promise to make a gift. The plaintiff argues that the terms of the letter promising “to indicate a portion of the materials deposited with [BU] to become the absolute property of [BU] as an outright gift . . . until all shall have been thus given to [BU],” could not as a matter of basic contract law constitute a promise sufficient to establish an inter vivas charitable pledge because there is no indication of a bargained for exchange which would have bound Dr. King to his promise.

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Bluebook (online)
420 Mass. 52, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/king-v-trustees-of-boston-university-mass-1995.