The Historical Society of the United States Courts in the Eighth
Circuit
2000 Annual Report
Thomas H. Boyd, President
The primary activities of the Society's Executive Board have been to work on
development of a web site and also to encourage the branches to appoint
historians and to sponsor essay programs and lecture series. The Board of
Directors did not meet in 2000, but the following activities have been described
by the branches in their written reports:
Appeals
The Court of Appeals Branch's principal project is the preparation and publication
of an extensive written history. The author is Professor Jeffrey Morris, who has
completed five of the anticipated seven chapters of the manuscript. Arrangements
for publication are being made with the University of Missouri Press. Also, the
Appeals Branch made its first award of the renewed John F. Dillon essay competition
at the University of Iowa College of Law. The winner was Kyle T. Murray, who wrote
a paper entitled, Looking for Lochner in All the Wrong Places: The Iowa Supreme
Court and Substantive Due Process.
Arkansas Eastern and Western
The Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas are participating in a joint
project to gather biographical essays on Arkansas United States District judges.
The project will include judges who assumed the bench between 1836 and 1960.
When complete, the essays will be submitted for publication. Twelve of the sixteen
essays were substantially complete by July, 2000.
Iowa Northern
The Iowa Northern branch is exploring the possibility of jointly sponsoring "legal
milestone" projects in Iowa with the Iowa State Bar Association Legal Heritage
Committee.
Iowa Southern
The branch has continued its efforts to locate a display case for the U.S.
Courthouse in Des Moines for court memorabilia. The branch received information
from the General Services Administration that completion of restoration of a
painting entitled, "Wheelwright" was expected by the end of the year. The painting
had been on display in the Des Moines Courthouse and was to be returned there
after restoration.
Magistrate Judge Richard Peterson (Retired) was appointed Court Historian. Also,
Judge Peterson has now expanded his 1995 World War II commemoration account of his
experiences into an article entitled "Day of Destiny; D-Day, 1944." It has been
distributed to various members of the Society. Copies of this and his earlier
account, "Hilltops of Attendorn," will be permanently maintained in the archives of
the Eighth Circuit Library in St. Louis.
Missouri Eastern
The Branch has been relatively dormant, awaiting the move to the new Thomas F.
Eagleton U.S. Courthouse. The Court of Appeals occupied the new building in August
2000, and District and Bankruptcy Courts were scheduled to move in January, 2001.
A committee has been working with the Kiku Obata Company on designing and planning
an Education Center which will be located on the first floor of the new courthouse.
Missouri Western
The Western District of Missouri Historical Society expended approximately
$17,000 to fund a conceptual plan for a permanent historical display in the new
Kansas City Courthouse. The Society has named a three-person fund-raising
committee to raise between $150,000 and $175,000 to fund the project. Fund-raising
was scheduled to begin in fall, 2000.
Nebraska
The official history of the District of Nebraska from 1863 through 1971 is being
prepared by Professor John R. Wunder of the University of Nebraska, with completion
expected by March, 2001. Professor Wunder and his research assistant, John Husmann,
visited the Federal Records Center in Kansas City and reported that the extensive
collection of private papers of Judge Thomas C. Munger (1907-1941) may be one of the
most significant collections of its kind in the history of the United States Courts.
North Dakota
Interviews have been completed and videotapes made of Judges Benson, Van Sickle,
Conmy, and Webb. A committee is collecting various courtroom and chambers
artifacts, which are being organized and indexed by the Eighth Circuit Branch
Library in Fargo. Magistrate Judge Kautzmann, Chair of the North Dakota Branch,
is collecting Presidential oaths of office from the Judicial Officers in the
District, and Ardell Tharaldson, law clerk to Judge Conmy, is preparing a written
report of the District's history. Efforts are being made to increase membership
through former law clerks and possibly the state's legal secretary association.
2000-2001 Board of Directors
Officers
Thomas H. Boyd, President
Hon. Richard G. Kopf, Vice-President
Ann T. Fessenden, Secretary - Treasurer
Court of Appeals
Hon. Donald P. Lay
Thomas H. Boyd
Eastern District of Arkansas
Hon. William R. Wilson, Jr.
Frances Ross
Western District of Arkansas
Hon. Jimm L. Hendren
Katherine C. Gay
Northern District of Iowa
Hon. Mark W. Bennett
Eric W. Lam
Southern District of Iowa
Hon. Ronald E. Longstaff
Hon. Richard W. Peterson
District of Minnesota
Hon. John R. Tunheim
Duane W. Krohnke
Eastern District of Missouri
Hon. Edward L. Filippine
Ann E. Buckley
Western District of Missouri
Hon. Howard F. Sachs
F. Russell Millin
District of Nebraska
Hon. Richard G. Kopf
Mary J. Hewitt
District of North Dakota
Hon. Dwight C.H. Kautzmann
M. Daniel Vogel
District of South Dakota
Hon. Lawrence L. Piersol
Hon. Mark F. Marshall