September/October 2007 issue
Honoring Our Circuit Judges
Judge Lay Memorial
On September 26, 2007, the Court of Appeals
held a special memorial session for the late
Judge Donald P. Lay in the en banc courtroom
on the 28th floor of the Eagleton Courthouse in
St. Louis. Judges from around the circuit, former
law clerks, and court staff gathered to honor
Judge Lay, who left behind a legacy as a judge
for the people in his administration of the Eighth
Circuit during his 12 years as chief judge, the
longest tenure in the history of the circuit, and in
his opinions upholding civil rights for all.
Speakers included William H. Webster, former
judge of the Eighth Circuit and director of the
FBI and CIA.
An exhibit depicting Judge Lay’s life and career,
created by the Library, was erected at his
memorial and will be on display in the Omaha
Courthouse from October to November and in
the Fargo Courthouse from December to January.
It later will become part of an exhibit for the
opening of the St. Paul Courthouse.
Courthouse Dedications
Two federal courthouses in Arkansas and
Minnesota were recently dedicated to honor
Eighth Circuit judges. September 28, 2007,
marked the dedication of the Richard Sheppard
Arnold U.S. Courthouse Annex in Little Rock.
The new annex to the courthouse, which was
named in Judge Arnold’s honor in 2002, includes
a five-story glass and aluminum atrium which
blends a contemporary style with neoclassical
elements that match the original building. The
ceremony included tributes to Richard Sheppard
Arnold by his brother, Judge Morris S. Arnold,
and former U.S. Senator Dale L. Bumpers.
On October 6, 2007, the federal courthouse in
Duluth was formally renamed the Gerald W.
Heaney Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse &
Customhouse in recognition of his civic
contributions and judicial service. In his speech
at the ceremony, former vice president Walter
Mondale said, “Long after we’re gone, when the
next generation walks by [the courthouse], I hope
they’ll remember what he has meant to us all.”
Judge Heaney was present for the ceremony.