The papers document activities of José Morell Romero. They illustrate his entry into the fight against Machado as one of the leaders of the Directorio Estudiantil Universitario of 1930, his service as general counsel to the University of Havana and his service in the Grau administration as president of the Retiro Azucarero. The materials also document Morell Romero's service in the Prío administration as president of the Retiro, administrator of the railroads, administrator of the bus lines and Secretary of Labor, as well as his service as a justice of the Cuban Supreme Court during the period 1950-1960. Finally, the documents depict Morell Romero's service as a leader or member of various exile groups seeking to achieve the liberation of Cuba from 1960s until his death, and his service as provisional president of Cuba in exile under the 1940 Constitution. The papers contribute to the documentation of the efforts of the Cuban exile community to regain the homeland. Of particular interest in this regard are those documents that detail efforts that took place in the early 1960s and are being made available to the public perhaps for the first time. One can discern from these documents that the exiles were closer than most may have imagined to securing a post-Bay of Pigs action against the Communist regime.
The materials include documents, photographs, correspondence, meetings minutes, anti-Castro articles, notes, essays and course outlines. From the Cuba period, the papers contain documents and newspaper clippings that were brought by José Morell Romero from Cuba. Included in this group is his "Algunos Votos Particulares," a monograph of his dissenting votes during the Batista administration, as well as, dissenting opinions and newspaper clippings from the time period right before and immediately after his resignation from the Cuban Supreme Court in November of 1960. These documents reflect the deterioration and ultimate destruction of an independent judiciary.