Gerald Heaney
| Gerald W. Heaney | |
|---|---|
| Judge in Active Service on United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit | |
|
In office November 3, 1966 – December 31, 1988 |
|
| Nominated by | Lyndon B. Johnson |
| Succeeded by | James B. Loken |
| Senior Judge on United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit | |
|
In office 1988–2006 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
January 29, 1918 Goodhue, Minnesota |
| Died | June 22, 2010 (aged 92) Duluth, Minnesota |
| Spouse(s) | Eleanor |
Gerald William Heaney (January 29, 1918 – June 22, 2010) served for nearly forty years as a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, from his appointment by President Lyndon B. Johnson in November 1966 until his full retirement in August 2006. Heaney’s career in public service began in 1941, upon graduation from law school. He soon enlisted in the United States Army, volunteered for the U.S. Rangers, and soon became a second lieutenant in the 2nd Ranger Battalion. Heaney’s endurance as a judge was foretold by his endurance as a Ranger; of the hundreds of members of the Second Ranger Battalion who landed at Normandy on the early hours of D-Day, Heaney was one of only three still on the front lines with the Rangers on VE Day. Between the end of World War II and his appointment to the federal bench, he rewrote the Free State of Bavaria’s labor laws, and was a valued political advisor and organizer for several liberal Democratic politicians, including Hubert Humphrey, Adlai Stevenson, Orville Freeman, Eugene McCarthy, and Walter Mondale. As an appellate court judge, Heaney typically favored broad interpretations of the Bill of Rights and civil rights, labor and employment rights statutes.
Gerald Heaney was born in the farming community of Goodhue, in southeastern Minnesota, on January 29, 1918. He was one of seven children of a butcher (William J. Heaney) and his wife (Johanna (Ryan) Heaney). Heaney's involvement in political campaigns began with the 1928 presidential election, when, as a ten-year-old, he assisted in posting campaign signs for New York Governor and Democratic Nominee Al Smith. Heaney came of age during the Great Depression. He attended the College (now University) of St. Thomas, then transferred to the University of Minnesota, where he received a bachelor’s degree in 1939. Upon graduation he enrolled in the University of Minnesota Law School. Heaney received his law degree in 1941, and then worked in the securities division of the Minnesota Department of Commerce. However, his legal career was soon interrupted by the United States’ entry into World War II.
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