Judge Bruce Van Sickle Papers, 1956-2007

Judge Bruce Van Sickle Papers

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Collection Overview

Title: Judge Bruce Van Sickle Papers, 1956-2007

Predominant Dates:1971-2000

ID: OGLMC1432

Primary Creator: Van Sickle, Bruce (1917-2007)

Extent: 25.5 Linear Feet

Date Acquired: 09/27/2001. More info below under Accruals.

Subjects: Legal

Languages: English

Abstract

1917-2007; United States District Court Judge for North Dakota, 1971-2002. Handed down important decisions in the Association of Retarded Citizens v. North Dakota case, as well as Coleman v. Block

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The Judge Bruce Van Sickle Papers have been divided into seven series:

Series 1: Biographical/Personal

Series 2: Bench Books

Series 3: Case Files

Series 4: Court Administrative Documents

Series 5: Subject Files

Series 6: Organizations

Series 7: Conferences, Meetings, and Workshops

Three photographs were separated and placed in the Photograph File Cabinets.

Collection Historical Note

Bruce Marion Van Sickle was born in Minot, North Dakota, on February 13, 1917. He was the son of Guy and Hilda (Rosenquist) Van Sickle. Bruce Van Sickle graduated from high school in Minot in 1935 and from the University of Minnesota in 1941 with a law degree.

During World War II, Bruce Van Sickle was a Captain in the United States Marine Corps Reserves. Following the end of the war, he served as an adjudicator in the U.S. Veteran's Administration in 1946. He practiced law on his own in Minot from 1947-1952, after which he formed the firm of McGee and Van Sickle. He also served in the North Dakota House of Representatives in 1957 and 1959.

He was named to the United States District Court by President Richard Nixon in 1971. Van Sickle's tenure on the federal bench is notable for two important rulings he handed down. First, in the Association of Retarded Citizens case, the judge ruled that North Dakota 's system for the care of the developmentally disabled violated the constitutional rights of its residents by being overcrowded, under-funded and under-staffed. Van Sickle issued a series of rulings forcing the state to institute reforms. Chief among these changes was the movement of developmentally disabled persons from large state-run institutions at Grafton and San Haven to smaller, community based group homes.

In the second case, Coleman vs. Block, Van Sickle issued an injunction that forced the Farmers Home Administration (FmHA) to change its loan-repayment and foreclosure policies. The decision effected over 250,000 farmers, and ordered the FmHA to allow delinquent borrowers to defer making loan payments due to financial hardships caused by factors beyond their control. This case was part of the inspiration for the 1984 film "Country."

Judge Van Sickle assumed Senior Status in February 1985, and continued to hear cases both in North Dakota and the rest of the United States as he was needed. He formally retired from the bench in February 2002. The Federal Building in Minot was named in his honor in August 2002.

Bruce Van Sickle married Dorothy Hermann of Olympia, Washington, on May 26, 1943. They had four children: Susan, John, Craig, and David. Bruce Van Sickle died April 21, 2007, in Bismarck.

Source: Patronage: Histories and Biographies of North Dakota's Federal Judges by Ardell Tharaldson. (found in Box 1, Folder 1 of the Judge Bruce Van Sickle Papers)

Subject/Index Terms

Legal

Administrative Information

Repository: Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections

Accruals: Additional material was donated by Bruce Van Sickle on January 22, 2002 (2002-2552).

Access Restrictions: Open for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections.

Acquisition Source: Bruce Van Sickle, Bismarck, North Dakota

Acquisition Method: Donation; 2001-2530

Preferred Citation: (Description of Item). Judge Bruce Van Sickle Papers. OGLMC 1432, Box #, Folder #. Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections, Chester Fritz Library, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks.

Finding Aid Revision History: Finding aid added to Archon in March 2015.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Biographical/Personal],
[Series 2: Bench Books],
[Series 3: Case Files],
[Series 4: Court Administrative Documents ],
[Series 5: Subject Files ],
[Series 6: Organizations ],
[Series 7: Conferences, Meetings, and Workshops ],
[Photographs :],
[All]

Series 7: Conferences, Meetings, and Workshops

The final series consists of files from many different conferences, meetings, and workshops attended by Judge Van Sickle from 1972-1991. The files have been placed in alphabetical order by the name of the event.

Box 17

Folder 12: Williams County Bar Association: 1972
Folder 13: American Bar Association Annual Meetings: 1973-1977
Folder 14: Bill of Rights, Bicentennial Conference: October 20-24, 1991
Folder 15: Eighth Circuit Judicial Conference, Omaha : August 1972
Folder 16: Judicial Conference: 1973
Folder 17: Eighth Circuit Judicial Conference: 1974
Folder 18: Eighth Circuit Judicial Conference: June 1975
Folder 19: Eighth Circuit Judicial Conference, Colorado Springs : July 6-9, 1980
Folder 20: Eighth Circuit Judicial Conference, Colorado Springs : July 9-12, 1991
Folder 21: Eighth Circuit Conference, Little Rock : July 24-26, 1985
Folder 22: George Mason University School of Law
Folder 23: Intensive Trial Advocacy Program, Benjamin Carzado School of Law: 1989, 1991
Item 24: Joint Sentencing Institute, Denver : October 1-4. 1978
Folder 25: Judicial Conference, Washington D.C. : December 9-12, 1974
Folder 26: Judicial Conference, Hot Springs , Arkansas : 1976
Folder 27: Judicial Conference, Kansas City : 1977
Folder 28: Judicial Conference, Brainerd , Minnesota : August 20-23, 1978
Folder 29: Judicial Conference, Rapid City : 1979
Folder 30: Judicial Conference, Kansas City , Missouri : July 7-10, 1981

Box 18

Folder 1: Judicial Conference, Minneapolis : July 25-28, 1982
Folder 2: Judicial Conference, Colorado Springs , Colorado : July 7-10, 1983
Folder 3: Judicial Conference, Kansas City , Missouri : July 22-25, 1984
Folder 4: Judicial Institute, UND Law School : July 21-25, 1991
Folder 5: Seminar for Newly Appointed US District Judges: April 1972
Folder 6: Sentencing Institute, Springfield , Missouri : April 25-28, 1982
Folder 7: Sentencing Institute for the Eighth and Tenth Circuits, Long Beach , California : February 1985
Folder 8: Sentencing Institute, FCI Long Beach , California : February 4-6, 1985
Folder 9: Workshop for District Judges of the Eighth Circuit: December 1975
Folder 10: Workshop for District Judges of the Eighth Circuit: March 24-25, 1977
Folder 11: Workshop for District Judges of the Fifth Circuit: January 1976
Folder 12: Workshop for District Judges of the Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Circuits, Chicago: August 1977
Folder 13: Workshop for Judges of the Eighth and Tenth Circuits: May 1979
Folder 14: Workshop for Judges in the Eighth and Tenth Circuits: January 31 st , 1980
Folder 15: Workshop for Judges in the Eighth and Tenth Circuits, Phoenix , Arizona : December 4-6, 1980
Folder 16: Workshop for Judges of the Eighth and Tenth Circuits, Phoenix , Arizona : January 20-22, 1982
Folder 17: Workshop for Judges of the Eighth and Tenth Circuits: January 26-29, 1983
Folder 18: Workshop for Judges of the Eighth and Tenth Circuits, Phoenix , Arizona : January 1984
Folder 19: Workshop for Judges of the Eighth and Tenth Circuits, Scottsdale , Arizona : December 3-5, 1984
Folder 20: Workshop for Judges the Eighth and Tenth Circuits, Scottsdale , Arizona : November 18-20, 1985
Folder 21: Workshop for Judges of the Eighth and Tenth Circuits, Scottsdale , Arizona : December 3-5, 1986

Box 20

Folder 37: Conference, Emory University , November 28 December 11, 1982
Folder 38: Conference, Emory University , March 25-30, 1984
Folder 39: Conference, George Mason University , March 5-11, 1988
Folder 40: Conference, George Mason University , August 7-16, 1989
Folder 41: Conference, University of Chicago Law School , June 18-22, 1990
Folder 42: Conference, Lewis & Clark Law School , September 9-12, 1992
Folder 43: Conference, Sixth and Eight Circuits, January 6-8, 1994
Folder 44: Conference , U.S. Eight Circuit, July 26-28, 1995

Department of Special Collections
Digital Finding Aids