The Historical Society of the United States Courts in the Eighth Circuit

Honoring Judge Heaney, 1918-2010

Retired federal appeals court Judge Gerald W. Heaney died Tuesday, June 22, in his hometown of Duluth, Minnesota, and was laid to rest with full military honors in Calvary Cemetery.

The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals held a memorial session for Judge Heaney on October 19, 2010 in the St. Paul Courthouse.

A lovely display commemorating the rich life of Judge Heaney was created by the Archives Librarians of the 8th Circuit Library. See photographs of the display and read the accompanying booklet on the Historical Society's Court of Appeals Branch page for Judge Heaney.

Polly Price Presentation on Judge Richard S. Arnold

On September 21, 2009 Polly Price, author of Judge Richard S. Arnold: A Legacy of Justice on the Federal Bench, spoke on Judge Arnold's biography published in April, 2009 by Prometheus Books. Click here for more information and to listen to the audio recording of Professor Price's presentation.

Judge Bright Longest Working Judge

The Honorable Myron H. Bright has reached an important milestone in Eighth Circuit history. As of April 2009, Judge Bright had been hearing cases with the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals for 40 years and 8 months, which is longer than any other judge ever appointed to this court.* This took place on April 15 when Judge Bright sat with Judge Murphy and Judge Bye in the third division's northeast courtroom in St. Louis' Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse. Congratulations, Judge Bright!

To view Judge Bright's biographical display and brochure, click here.

*Judge Joseph W. Woodrough served on the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals for 44 years from 1933 to 1977, but he stopped hearing cases when he took senior status in 1961, working a total of "only" 28 years.

Eighth Circuit History Published December 2007

Establishing Justice in Middle America: A History of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit by Jeffrey Brandon Morris; foreword by the Honorable William H. Webster. Available for purchase from the University of Minnesota Press as well as various retail and online bookstores.

           The Historical Society's mission is to preserve and celebrate the rich history of the federal courts of the seven states that make up the Eighth Circuit. Toward this end, the Historical Society has organized separate branches for each of the United States district courts located in Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota, as well as a branch for the circuit court of appeals that encompasses all of these states.

           The Historical Society of the United States Courts in the Eighth Circuit is a not-for-profit corporation organized and operating under the laws of the State of Missouri. It is governed by a board of directors made up of representatives of each of the branches. The Historical Society and its branches are tax exempt organizations pursuant to section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and contributions to the Historical Society are tax deductible. The Historical Society is not a part of, nor is it controlled by, any of the courts, judges or employees of the courts.

           The Historical Society welcomes inquiry and participation by all interested persons. For information regarding membership, please contact Ann Fessenden, 111 S. 10th Street, Room 22.300, St. Louis, MO 63102, or the branch for your court.

Many of the files on this site are in PDF format and require Adobe Acrobat reader software for access.

Updated October 5, 2011

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