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Historical Society NewsThe present is the living sum-total of the whole past - Thomas Carlyle

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

Volume Ten 2005

Judicial Ethics and the Historical Society of the United States Courts in the Eighth Circuit

Judicial Ethics and the Historical Society of the United

States Courts in the Eighth Circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Historical Society Celebrates Its 20 Year! . . . . . . . . . . .th 2

Branch Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

History of the United States Court of Appeals for the

Eighth Circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

State and Federal Court Historical Societies Meeting . . . 4

Eighth Circuit Court Archives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Wall of Honor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

First All-Woman District Court Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Blackmun Contributions to History: Papers and Oral

History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Portrait Ceremonies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Hon. Theodore McMillian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Hon. Pasco M. Bowman II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Hon. David R. Hansen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Hon. Stephen M. Reasoner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Courtroom Dedication: Hon. G. Thomas Eisele . . . . . . 10

Ceremony of Honor: Hon. John F. Nangle . . . . . . . . . . . 11

In Memoriam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Historical Society Board of Directors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

By Richard G. Kopf,

President of the Society and

United States District Judge

September 14, 2005

On June 30, 2004, the Committee on Codes ofConduct of the Judicial Conference of the United

States issued Advisory Opinion No. 104. Thatopinion addressed court historical societies and theethical strictures that apply to federal judges andcourt employees who are involved in such entities.

The Problem

We interpreted Advisory Opinion No. 104 to meanthat our Society should not be controlled, or appearto be controlled, by the related courts, judges orstaff. This brief report will outline the steps thathave been or will be taken to insure compliance withAdvisory Opinion No. 104.

The Solution

Initially, the officers and executive committeemembers studied and debated the issues raised byAdvisory Opinion No. 104. After that, we consultedwith Chief Judge Loken and his advisor on Societymatters, Judge Morris S. Arnold. Following thatconsultation, we conferred with the chief districtjudges for each of the district courts in the EighthCircuit. Then we adopted a plan of action.

2 8 Circuit Historical Society News, Vol. 10 2005th

That plan of action is summarized below:

!Because Advisory Opinion No. 104 was issued inthe summer of 2004 and no regularly scheduledmeeting of the board of directors was scheduleduntil 2005 (due to the "every other year" schedulefor the Eighth Circuit Judicial Conference), bylawchanges were deferred until the next regular boardmeeting. Therefore, on October 20, 2005, duringthe Eighth Circuit Judicial Conference, the boardof directors of the Society will consider thefollowing bylaw changes:

* Dilute the voting power ofjudges on the board of directors suchthat judges who are board members donot have actual or effective votingcontrol. Notwithstanding the dilution ofvoting power, and to promote activejudicial support of the Society, we willcontinue to require that a judge fromevery court (branch) serve as a director.

* Except for the position ofchairman of the board, preclude judgesfrom serving as officers of the Society. The chairman's duties are ceremonial. The primary officers of the Society arethe president, vice-president, secretaryand treasurer.

* Except for the position ofsecretary, preclude court employeesfrom serving as officers of the Society. In the interim, all of the duties of thetreasurer have been transferred fromAnn Fessenden, the Circuit Librarian, tothe capable stewardship of SheilaGreenbaum, a practicing lawyer in St.Louis. We hope and expect that AnnFessenden (or her successor) willcontinue to serve as secretary.

* Preclude any court employeefrom serving as director of the Society.

* Preclude any court employeefrom serving as an officer of any branch,including, but not limited to, the officeof branch treasurer.

!While the Society will continue to use the Court ofAppeals' web site, we will add a strong disclaimeremphasizing the independence of the Society.

!We have changed the Society's mailing address toa post-office box independent of the courts; that is,P.O. Box 595, St. Louis, MO 63188.

Conclusion

Assuming that the Society's bylaws are amended ascontemplated, we are confident that the Society, andinterested judges and staff, will be in compliancewith Advisory Opinion No. 104. In short, we intendto preserve the Society, but also insure that allethical requirements pertinent to federal judges andstaff are satisfied.

Historical Society Celebrates Its 20 Year!th

The Historical Society of theUnited States Courts in the

Eighth Circuit was incorporatedin 1985, under the leadership ofthen Chief Circuit Judge DonaldP. Lay, as a not-for-profit entitywhose mission is to preserve and

celebrate the rich history of the federal courts of theseven states that make up the Eighth Circuit. TheSociety has a parent organization and 11 subordinatebranches, one for the court of appeals and eachdistrict in the Eighth Circuit. This structure allows each branch to act as a local historical society but report to the parent organization.

Over the 20 years of the Historical Society’sexistence, the branches have engaged in a widevariety of activities to further the Society’s mission,and those efforts continue today. The many


wonderful projects over the years have includeddeveloping oral and written histories, creatingexhibits, preparing publications, sponsoring essaycontests, reenacting famous trials, and designinglearning centers. Here are the exciting projects thatthe branches are working on now:

Branch Activities 2003-2005

Court of AppealsThe Appeals branch is nearing completion of itsproject to publish a written history of the EighthCircuit. (See article on page 4 of this newsletter.) In2004, the branch completed transfer of the DillonEssay Competition at the University of Iowa Collegeof Law to the John F. Dillon Inn of Court inDavenport, Iowa. The Dillon Inn will now be thesponsor of this project.

Arkansas Eastern and WesternThe Eastern and Western Districts continue work onthe biographical essay project, with 16 of the 17essays turned in. When all of the essays arecompleted, the essays will be edited in preparationfor publication.

Iowa SouthernThe video oral history interviews of MagistrateJudge Richard Peterson and Bankruptcy JudgesRussell Hill and Richard Stageman have beencompleted. Branch President Richard Lyford hasworked with Judge Hill to get his portrait completed.

President Lyford andMarc Harding areassisting the Friends of theIowa Judiciary in the oralhistory interviews offormer Chief Justices W.Ward Reynoldson andArthur A. McGiverin, andJustices K. David Harrisand Louis W. Schultz.

The branch commissionedan artist to design a poster,Where Justice Resides,

depicting each of the current federal courthouses inthe Eighth Circuit. The very attractive 20 X 28poster is available for $25, including shipping, fromthe Historical Society’s Southern District of Iowa.

Missouri EasternThe branch has been very active with severalsubcommittees working on various projects.The video interviews group has prepared aquestionnaire for submission to each senior andretired judge. After appropriate research has beencompleted, a professional quality video will beproduced for each qualified judge. The publicationsubcommittee has been contacting potential authorsto write a book on the history of the district. Thenotable cases subcommittee is researching toidentify 20 of the most significant cases generated inthe Eastern District. The education centersubcommittee is working on plans for the learningcenter in the Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse inSt. Louis. The architecture of courthouses and thefamous personalities subcommittees will compileinformation for use by both the publication andeducation center subcommittees.

Missouri WesternThe branch's main goal is development of aninteractive and part-traditional museum on thesecond public floor of the Kansas City courthouse.Several proposed architectural renderings have beencompleted, and the Society has formed twofund-raising committees to begin raising the$350,000 - $400,000 it will take to fund andmaintain such a project.

NebraskaThe Nebraska Branch annually presents the Van PeltHistory Prize for the best paper on a matter of legalsignificance submitted by an undergraduate or lawstudent at any of Nebraska's colleges, universities, orlaw schools. In 2003, the reach of the Van PeltHistory Prize was expanded to include high schoolstudents participating in the state finals of "NebraskaHistory Day," which is the state competition in theNational History Day contest. The winner of the VanPelt Prize in 2004 was Chavonn Davis, representingLoup County High School at Taylor, Nebraska. Ms.


Davis made a dramatic presentation about FrancesFarmer, a movie star incarcerated against her will ina mental hospital in the State of Washington duringthe 1930's. The presentation included full stagemake-up. Efforts by reformers ultimately led to thepassage of the federal Mental Health Act of 1983which makes it unlawful to restrict the liberty of thementally ill without due process. Work on thewritten Nebraska history continues. The author, Dr.John Wunder, will now be assisted by a formerlawyer who has recently completed his Ph.D.

South DakotaThe branch is investigating conducting oral historyinterviews with Judges Andrew Bogue, John Jones,and Richard Battey in conjunction with theUniversity of South Dakota. Their oral history spansa 35-year period of the history of our court. Inaddition, the branch continues to sell paperweightreplicas of the historic Sioux Falls courthouse.

History of the United StatesCourt of Appeals for the

Eighth CircuitThomas H. Boyd, Esq.

Winthrop & Weinstine, P.A.

At long last, the full-length written history

of the United States Courtof Appeals for the EighthCircuit has been completedand is undergoing thepublication process.

This written history is a project that has beendeveloped through the Court of Appeals Branch ofthe Historical Society of the United States Courts inthe Eighth Circuit. The Historical Society is aMissouri not-for-profit corporation qualified for501(c)(3) status.

Several years ago, the Court of Appeals Branchengaged Professor Jeffrey B. Morris of the TouroLaw School to write a full-length history of the

Eighth Circuit. Professor Morris is a highlyaccomplished legal historian who has published 15books, including Calmly to Poise the Scales ofJustice; A History of the Courts of the District ofColumbia Circuit, and Federal Justice in the SecondCircuit.

Professor Morris’ history of the Eighth Circuit willbe published by the University of Minnesota Press. The Court of Appeals Branch expects thepublication process to be completed and the bookwill be available sometime next year.

The book is tentatively entitled, Establishing Justicein Middle America, and is made up of seven chaptersthat cover various eras of the Court. The HonorableWilliam H. Webster has been kind enough to writethe forward to the book.

In order to complete this project, the Court ofAppeals Branch is still in the process of raisingadditional funds. Toward this end, it has beenseeking support from law firms located in thevarious states throughout the Circuit.

For further information regarding Professor Morris’history of the Eighth Circuit, feel free to contactTom Boyd at 612-604-6505 [email protected].

State and Federal CourtHistorical Societies Meeting

The Eighth Circuit HistoricalSociety hosted the 2004

annual meeting of the State andFederal Court HistoricalSocieties, a nationalorganization which seeks topromote court historicalactivities. The meeting was

held in St. Louis from September 30 to October 2,2004. This group meets annually in conjunction withthe American Association for State and LocalHistory (AASLH). Events, all held in the Thomas F.

mailto:[email protected].


Eagleton U.S. Courthouse, included an openingreception, a day of programs, and a tour. SeniorJudge Edward L. Filippine, Eastern District ofMissouri, led the tour and served as keynote speakerfor the State and Federal Court Historical Societies'AASLH luncheon. Ann Fessenden, CircuitLibrarian, and Joan Voelker, Archives Librarian,served on the planning group for local arrangementsand program and spoke on a panel discussing therole of librarians in court historical programs.Appeals Branch President Tom Boyd secured adonation from the St. Louis law firm of HistoricalSociety board member Ann Buckley, ArmstrongTeasdale LLP, for the reception.

Eighth Circuit CourtArchives

The U.S. Courts Library Eighth Circuit serves asthe repository of the Court Archives. As such,

the library collects, organizes, and preservesmaterial documenting the history of all the federalcourts and judges in the Eighth Circuit. Typicalmaterials relate to judicial biography and ceremonies(investitures, portrait ceremonies, memorials), courthistory, and courthouses.1

The archives collectionis located in theheadquarters library’sarchives and rare booksroom on the 22nd floorof the Thomas F.Eagleton U.S.Courthouse in St.Louis, Missouri. The

archives room has a temperature, humidity, and lightcontrolled environment, and materials are stored inacid-free housing in order to preserve the life of thecollection. Materials are cataloged, so they may besearched in the library’s online catalog, WebCat.

The library is the official repository of archivalmaterials for the Court of Appeals and therecommended repository for all the other federalcourts in the Eighth Circuit. While courts and branchlibraries may wish to collect historic materials forlocal access, the recommended practice is to make acopy for local collections, when feasible, and sendthe original material to the St. Louis library for

preservation in theCourt Archives.

Because the EighthCircuit is one ofthe few circuits tohave an archivesprogram with anorganizedcollection,

environmentally controlled room, and archiveslibrarian, the Court Archives will be the subject of aFJTN Court to Court program scheduled forJanuary, 2006.

Circuit Librarian Ann Fessenden is curator of thecollection, and Joan Voelker is the ArchivesLibrarian. For more information about the CourtArchives, contact Joan at 314-244-2671. Tocontribute to the Court Archives, send materials to:Attn: Archives, U.S. Courts Library 8 Circuit, 111th

S. 10 Street, Room 22.300, St. Louis, MO 63102.th

Wall of HonorDana McWay, Clerk of U.S. Bankruptcy Court,

Eastern District of Missouri

Many categories of people work within theJudiciary and contribute to its success. As an

institution, the Judiciary typically memorializesindividual contributions of the many judges whohave interpreted the law by placing portraits ofjudges throughout courthouses in the nation. Twogroups who are not ordinarily recognized in atangible way in a courthouse are chambers andclerk’s office staff. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court forthe Eastern District of Missouri decided to changethat practice by creating a Wall of Honor as a

Official case files are not collected; non-current1

case files are sent by the courts to the National Archives.


physical remembrance of the two groups’contributions.

Located within nonpublic space in the Thomas F.Eagleton courthouse, the Wall of Honor is acommemorative wall plaque listing individual namesof staff who have retired from or died while inservice to the Court. The Wall serves the dualpurposes of honoring former staff members while atthe same time communicating to current staff thatthey too will be remembered in the future for theiryears of service. The overriding theme throughoutthe project is that the judges and the court as a wholevalue the contribution of court staff and recognizethat these contributions are part of the foundationsupporting the court today.

Several factors were considered in physicallycreating the Wall. The approach of low cost, lowtech, and low maintenance was paramountthroughout the project. Second, it needed toincorporate the architectural elements of thecourthouse into the design. Third, the court neededto be able to add to it over time as additionalemployees retired. Finally, it needed to conveysufficient gravitas to all who view it. We at the

Eastern Districtof Missouribelieve that wehave addressedeach of thesefactors. Apicture of theWall of Honorreflects howthese factorsmaterialized intophysical form.

The Court dedicated the Wall of Honor at aceremony in April of 2005, and the ceremony is thesubject of a Court-to-Court program to be broadcaston the Federal Judicial Television Network (FJTN)in October of 2005. Information about this projectcan be obtained from Dana McWay, Clerk of Court,at (314) 244-4601 [email protected].

First All-Woman DistrictCourt Panel

On September 4,2002, then-Chief

Circuit Judge DavidHansen appointedCircuit Judge DianaMurphy, Judge JoanN. Ericksen of theDistrict of Minnesota,and Judge Karen E.Schreier of theDistrict of SouthDakota, pursuant to

28 U.S.C. 2284(b)(1), to hear the Voting RightsActs case of Quick Bear Quiver v. Hazeltin, Civ. 02-5069. This was the first all-woman district courtpanel to serve in the Eighth Circuit.

The judges were chosen by random drawing from allof the active district and circuit judges within theEighth Circuit. It is probable that this is the firstthree-judge district court panel consisting entirely ofwomen. A hearing was held before the three judgeson April 26 in Rapid City, South Dakota.

Blackmun Contributions toHistory:

Papers and OralHistory

Joan Voelker, Archives Librarian

After serving the cause ofjustice throughout his career,

Justice Blackmun served thecause of history. He left us with both an extensivechambers paper collection and oral historyinterview. In a New York Times book review forLinda Greenhouse’s Becoming Justice Blackmun,Laura Kalman writes, “IF there is a special place inheaven for those considerate of the claims of history,Justice Harry Blackmun deserves a spot. Some

Judges Karen Schreier, Diana Murphy,and Joan Ericksen.

mailto:[email protected].


justices destroy their papers....But Blackmun...kepteverything....”

PapersOn March 4, 2004, the Library of Congress openedJustice Harry A. Blackmun’s papers to researchers,journalists, and the general public. March 4 was thefifth anniversary of the Justice’s death and the datehe had selected for full and unrestricted access to hispapers.

The papers’ release was eagerlyawaited by scholars andjournalists such as Tony Mauroof the Legal Times who predicted the papers would be“an unprecedented treasuretrove of inside informationabout the Supreme Court.”

Indeed, the Blackmun papers have drawn the curtainon the mysterious Court. Known as a “pack rat,”Blackmun kept everything from hotel receipts tonotes exchanged on the bench to judicial opinions.His papers have provided insight into the innerworkings of the Court as an institution and into theinteractions of the justices as colleagues and ashumans. The papers reveal information on suchfascinating topics as the Roe v. Wade decision; thedeteriorating relationship between himself and ChiefJustice Warren Burger, his childhood friend from St.Paul; humor in the Court; deliberations overimportant issues such as school prayer; andBlackmun’s shift against the death penalty.

The collection spans the years of 1913 to 2001 andcontains 530,800 items occupying 1,585 containersand 630 linear feet. The bulk of the collectiondocuments his years on the Eighth Circuit Court ofAppeals and the United States Supreme Court.

The entire collection is available for viewing inperson at the Library of Congress’ ManuscriptDivision Reading Room in Washington, D.C. The257-page finding aid is available on the Library ofCongress web site athttp://www.loc.gov/rr/mss/blackmun/.

The United States Court of Appeals series, 1934-1998, highlighted in this article, covers his years onthe U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8 Circuit, 1959-th

1970. This series occupies approximately 38containers and includes:

• Correspondence, 1959-1970: largely personalinterests and activities

• Administrative File, 1959-1970: appointmentbooks, chronological file, court calendarsdocumenting Blackmun’s personal and officialschedule while a circuit judge; includes somecorrespondence regarding scheduling andadministrative matters

• Administrative Panel File, 1968-1969: documentsrelated to Blackmun’s six months of service on theadministrative panel

• Case Files, 1953-1971: includes slip opinions(when present), correspondence and memoranda,opinions, miscellaneous papers, oral argumentnotes, and clippings.... Most of the case filecorrespondence is between Blackmun and hisfellow judges, court clerks, and staff of the WestPublishing Company.

• Subject File, 1934-1998: relates to Blackmun’sadministrative and professional duties as a circuitjudge and contains material documenting hisappointment to the court, work with variousjudicial conferences, attendance at professionalmeetings, friendship with Warren E. Burger,

recruitment of Minnesotastudents for HarvardUniversity, and hiscommittee service with theUnited Methodist PublishingHouse. Also includesBlackmun’s speeches andwritings while a circuitjudge.

The Blackmun Papers contain other materials ofspecial interest to the Eighth Circuit. The Pre-Judicial File, 1913-1996, includes diaries coveringhis work as a law clerk for U.S. Court of Appeals,Eighth Circuit Judge John B. Sanborn during theyears of 1932-1933, as well as correspondence withJudge Sanborn. General correspondence in the

http://www.loc.gov/rr/mss/blackmun/


Photo by Wiley Price, St. Louis American

Supreme Court File includes letters from friends andcolleagues from his early career in Minnesota, andfigured prominently among these correspondents isU.S. Court of Appeals Judge Myron H. Bright. TheSubject File within the Supreme Court File alsoincludes materials related to Justice Blackmun’sattendance at Eighth Circuit judicial conferences,and the Addition File, 1959-2001, includes daughterSally Blackmun’s tribute given during the dedicationof the Harry A. Blackmun Rotunda in St. Louis’Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse.

Oral HistoryJustice Blackmun agreed to 38 hours of interviewswith Harold Hongju Koh, Yale law professor andformer law clerk to Justice Blackmun. Theinterviews were conducted at the U.S. SupremeCourt and the Federal Judicial Center, from July 6,1994 to December 13, 1995. The 38 videos and thecomprehensive transcript have been made availableon the Library of Congress’ public web site(http://www.loc.gov/rr/mss/blackmun/) within thelast year. A copy of thetranscript is also availablein the U.S. Courts LibraryEighth Circuit.

According to the Libraryof Congress’ web site, theoral history transcriptprovides “a personalaccount of Blackmun'slife from his youththrough his career on the United States SupremeCourt, including his years as a student at HarvardUniversity, a lawyer in private practice inMinneapolis, Minnesota, resident counsel for theMayo Clinic and Mayo Association, and judge forthe United States Court of Appeals for the EighthCircuit.”

Bench and Bar: Please remember tocontribute to history by preserving yourprivate papers and donating them to an

archival institution.

Portrait Ceremonies

Hon. Theodore McMillian

On September 10, 2003, approximately 400people gathered to honor U.S. Court of Appeals

JudgeTheodoreMcMillian forthepresentation ofhis portrait.The ceremonywas held as aspecial en bancsession of theU.S. Eighth

Circuit Court of Appeals in the Thomas F. EagletonU.S. Courthouse in St. Louis. The proceedings wereheld in the Court of Appeals en banc courtroom onthe 28th floor and were viewed via closed circuittelevision in the 27 and 3 floor courtrooms, the lstth rd

floor jury assembly room, and the 22 floornd

multipurpose room.

In attendance were family, friends, current andformer law clerks, and judges from all levels of theEighth Circuit federal courts and the Missouri statecourts. Chief U.S. Circuit Judge James B. Lokenpresided over the portrait ceremony, and GentrySayad, a former law clerk, served as master ofceremonies.

Judge McMillian was the first African American tosit on the benches of the St. Louis City CircuitCourt, 22 Judicial District; the Missouri Court ofnd

Appeals, Eastern District; and the U.S. Court ofAppeals for the Eighth Circuit. He was the firstAfrican American appointed to the federal bench inthe seven states of the Eighth Circuit.

During his fifty years of judicial service, JudgeMcMillian has impressed his colleagues and thelegal community with his intelligence, objectivity,diligence, compassion, and dignity, as was

Justice Blackmun during his 1995interview.

http://www.loc.gov/rr/mss/blackmun/


evidenced by the speakers’ testimonies on hischaracter and career. Speakers included Ann CarterStith, Missouri Supreme Court Judge Joseph J.Simeone, career law clerk Marilyn Tanaka, formerlaw clerk Harry B. Wilson, Chief U.S. District JudgeCarol E. Jackson, Eastern District of Missouri, andformer Chief U.S. Circuit Judge Donald P. Lay.

Delores Reynolds, Judge McMillian’s sister, andCheryl Green, his daughter, unveiled the portrait,which was painted by renowned St. Louis artistGilbert Early. U.S. Circuit Judge Donald R. Ross,who administered the oath of office to JudgeMcMillian in 1978, accepted the portrait on behalfof the Court. In the painting, Judge McMillian iswearing a distinctive robe with four gold stripes oneach arm. This robe was given to him by his lawclerks in honor of his 80 birthday celebration inth

1999. A reception followed the portrait ceremony inthe 1st floor East lobby.

Hon. Pasco M. Bowman II

Aspecial session of theUnited States Court

of Appeals for the EighthCircuit, with fifteenjudges present, wasconvened on October 29,2004, for the presentationof the portrait of theHonorable Pasco M.Bowman II, who tooksenior status in 2003 aftertwenty years on the bench. Chief Judge James B.Loken presided over the

ceremonial session held in the Court of Appealscourtroom in the Charles Evans Whittaker UnitedStates Courthouse in Kansas City, Missouri. ChiefJudge Loken praised Judge Bowman "as aremarkable jurist, a warm colleague, and a verygood friend." Mr. R. Christopher Abele, JudgeBowman's first law clerk, served as master ofceremonies at the presentation. Chris led the effortof other former law clerks and the Judge's assistant,

Arla Woerth, to commission the portrait of his"tremendous mentor and friend."

Mr. J. Randall Coffey of the Kansas City law firmBioff Finucane Coffey Holland & Hosler, whoclerked for Judge Bowman from 1985 to 1986,spoke on behalf of the "older generation" of lawclerks. He recalled his clerkship interview with theJudge, which "turned into a four-hour chat." Randynoted, among other personal traits, the "casualeasiness" and "scholarly reflection" of the Judge. Ms. Shannon Kimball of the law firm SutherlandAsbill and Brennan in Atlanta clerked for the Judgefrom 2000 to 2002. She shared her belief that JudgeBowman "embodies the real meaning of success" asevidenced by "a life well lived and enjoyed, a lifewhich gains the respect and admiration of othersthrough kindness, compassion, and humor." Associate Justice Clarence Thomas of the UnitedStates Supreme Court spoke of Judge Bowman's"counsel and friendship" and congratulated theJudge "on a wonderful life, a wonderful career, bothon and off the bench."

Chris then introduced the portrait artist, JasonBouldin of Oxford, Mississippi, who spoke of hisvision for the portrait, to portray "a personality thatis characterized by fairness, kindness, and one whomay be approached." The Judge's children AnnBowman Hoover, Helen Bowman Miller, andBenjamin Bowman, together with Jason, unveiledthe portrait. Chief Judge Loken accepted the portraiton behalf of the Court, and the portrait now hangs inthe Thomas F. Eagleton United States Courthouse inSt. Louis, Missouri. After the ceremony, JudgeBowman commissioned Jason to paint a second,identical portrait, which hangs in the Court ofAppeals courtroom in Kansas City.

Judge Bowman graciously thanked everyone forattending and expressed appreciation to eachpersonally for his or her part in the ceremony. Inaddition, he offered particular thanks to his formerlaw clerks who made the portrait possible. Heinvited the attendees to continue the festivities at areception in the Bell Room of the courthouse. Thespecial session was adjourned.


Hon. David R. Hansen

The Presentation of the Portrait of the HonorableDavid R. Hansen was held during an afternoon

ceremony at the United States Courthouse in CedarRapids, Iowa, on Friday, March 4, 2005. Theceremony followed morning oral argumentspresented to three panels of the Court of Appeals. Ten active judges and three senior judges of theCourt were on the bench for the ceremony, whichwas also attended by numerous United StatesDistrict, Bankruptcy, and Magistrate Judges, alongwith many former Iowa State court colleagues ofJudge Hansen.

Twenty-five of JudgeHansen's former and futurelaw clerks were present forthe ceremony, along withmany colleagues, friends,family members, and theportrait artist, Jason Bouldin. Samuel A. Thumma, Esq., ofPhoenix, Arizona, spoke forJudge Hansen's District Courtlaw clerks, and Jennifer C.Brooks, Esq., of Washington,D.C., spoke for his Court ofAppeals clerks. Gretchen M.

Wolf, Esq., of Chicago, Illinois, a recent law clerk,acted as Mistress of Ceremonies, and Judge GeorgeG. Fagg, a longtime friend, mentor, and judicialcolleague of Judge Hansen on both the State andFederal Bench, recounted Judge Hansen's legalcareer in an entertaining and informative address.

Mr. Bouldin and Judge Hansen's three grandsonspresented and unveiled the portrait. A reception, co-hosted by the Linn County Bar Association and theDean Mason Ladd Inn of Court, was held at theCedar Rapids Art Museum following the ceremony.

Judge Hansen was appointed to the United StatesDistrict Court for the Northern District of Iowa byPresident Reagan in March of 1986. He waselevated to the Court of Appeals for the EighthCircuit by President George H.W. Bush in

November 1991. He served as Chief Judge of theEighth Circuit from February 2002 to April 2003.

Hon. Stephen M. Reasoner

On March 11, 2005 aportrait of the late Judge

Stephen Reasoner wasunveiled in U.S. Courthouse inLittle Rock. Family, friends,and the judiciary of theEastern District of Arkansaswere in attendance.

Several of Judge Reasoner’sclose friends spoke at the

ceremony. U.S. Circuit Judge Morris Arnold, a longtime friend, said, “His sense of humor was one of hisbest characteristics.” Master of ceremonies RobertJones III and the Judge’s wife, Susan Reasoner,spoke of how much Reasoner loved being a federaljudge. Others speaking at the unveiling were MariamHopkins, his first law clerk, Jennifer Horan, federalpublic defender, and Circuit Judge David Laser ofJonesboro.

Susan Reasoner and her son, Capt. Brian Reasoner ofSan Antonio, unveiled the portrait. A receptionfollowed.

Courtroom Dedication

Hon. G. Thomas Eisele

On February 6, 2004, in apublic ceremony, the Eastern

District of Arkansas dedicatedCourtroom 530 as the "G.Thomas Eisele Courtroom." Senior District Judge Eiselepresided in Courtroom 530 for 29of his 34 years on the bench. TheG. Thomas Eisele Courtroom was

recently remodeled, and a plaque designating it as the"G. Thomas Eisele Courtroom" will soon adorn oneof its walls. Currently, Judge Susan Webber Wright


presides in the G. Thomas Eisele Courtroom. JudgeEisele presently presides in Courtroom 570,formerly Judge Stephen M. Reasoner's courtroom,but will move to the Ceremonial Courtroom of thenew Courthouse complex , presently underconstruction, upon its completion. The CeremonialCourtroom is also slated to be named in JudgeEisele's honor.

Executive Committee of the Judicial Conference, AdHoc Committee on Asbestos Litigation, Mass Tortsand Judicial Resources Working Groups. JudgeNangle served as Chair of the Judicial Panel onMultidistrict Litigation from 1990 to 2000. Inaddition to serving the Eastern District of Missouri,Judge Nangle sits by designation for the SouthernDistrict of Georgia.

Ceremony of Honor

Hon. John F. Nangle

Judge John F. Nangle was honored in a ceremonysponsored by the Eastern District of Missouri’s

Federal Practice Memorial Trust on June 28, 2005.The ceremony was held in the en banc courtroom ofthe Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse in St.Louis.

The Federal PracticeMemorial Trust wasestablished in 1987, at thesuggestion of Judge Nangle, to“study, improve, and facilitatethe administration of justice,including, the continuingeducation of lawyers and thejudiciary and the preservationof the history of the United

States District Court for the Eastern District ofMissouri.” The Trust has organized and sponsorededucational seminars, commissioned paintings ofthe District’s federal judges, donated those paintingsto the U.S. Courts, arranged public memorialservices for the deceased judges, and assisted in thework of the Historical Society.

Judge Nangle served as Chief Judge of the EasternDistrict of Missouri from 1983 to 1990, and hasbeen appointed to several national positions ofleadership, including the Judicial ConferenceCommittee on the Operation of the Jury System,

In Memoriam

U.S. Court of Appeals

Hon. Richard Sheppard Arnold (Sept. 23, 2004)

U.S. District Courts

Arkansas, Eastern District

Hon. Stephen M. Reasoner (Aug. 14, 2004)

Minnesota

Hon. Robert G. Renner (March 1, 2005)

Hon. J. Earl Cudd (April 20, 2005)

Hon. Harry H. MacLaughlin (May 3, 2005)

Missouri, Eastern District

Hon. Clyde S. Cahill, Jr. (Aug. 18, 2004)

Missouri, Western District

Hon. Elmo Hunter (Dec. 27, 2003)

Nebraska

Hon. William G. Cambridge (Sept. 30, 2004)

North Dakota

Hon. Paul Benson (April 22, 2004)

U.S. Bankruptcy Courts

Minnesota

Hon. Hartley A. Nordin (Oct. 4, 2004)

Missouri, Eastern District

Hon. Robert E. Brauer (June 8, 2004)

Memorial articles are in the

U.S. Courts Library Newsletter at

http://www.ca8.uscourts.gov/library/library.html

http://www.ca8.uscourts.gov/library/library.html


Historical Society of the United StatesCourts in the Eighth Circuit

Board of Directors 2003-2005

OfficersHon. Richard G. Kopf–President

Frances Ross–Vice PresidentAnn T. Fessenden–Secretary

Sheila Greenbaum - Treasurer

Court of AppealsHon. Donald P. Lay

Thomas H. Boyd

Eastern District of ArkansasHon. William R. Wilson, Jr.

Frances Ross

Western District of ArkansasHon. Jimm L. Hendren

Katherine C. Gay

Northern District of IowaHon. Mark W. Bennett

Eric W. Lam

Southern District of IowaHon. Ronald E. Longstaff

F. Richard Lyford

District of MinnesotaHon. John R. Tunheim

Randall M. Tietjen

Eastern District of MissouriHon. E. Richard Webber

Ann E. Buckley

Western District of MissouriHon. Ortrie D. Smith

F. Russell Millin

District of NebraskaHon. Richard G. Kopf

Mary Hewitt Jones

District of North DakotaM. Daniel Vogel

District of South DakotaHon. Karen E. Schreier

Mark F. Marshall

Ex-Officio Board MemberHon. Richard W. Peterson

8 Circuit Historical Society website:th

http://www.ca8.uscourts.gov/library/hist_society.html

The Historical Society News is published biennially by the U.S.

Courts Library for the Historical Society of the United States

Courts in the Eighth Circuit. To obtain a copy or inquire into

membership, contact:

U.S. Courts Library, 8th Circuit

Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse

Room 22.300

111 S. 10th Street

St. Louis, MO 63102

314/244-2665

[email protected]

http://www.ca8.uscourts.gov/library/hist_society.html

mailto:[email protected]

historical society news - united states courts of the united states court of appeals for the eighth...

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