The Historical Society of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma is dedicated to the discovery, preservation, and public presentation of the Court’s remarkable history and culture. Through our Federal Judicial Learning Center and Museum, we serve the community by offering a variety of educational public programs, events and interactive exhibits; acting as creator and custodian of relevant oral histories; and acquiring significant artifacts and documents reflecting the Court’s history. Through this work, we seek to advance the public’s understanding of the Rule of Law and its importance in our democracy.

What We Do

To achieve its goals, the Historical Society:

Collects Oral Histories

One of the Historical Society’s main goals is to collect and preserve the oral history of the Western District of Oklahoma through video-transcribed interviews of the Court family, which includes:

  • Judges (District, Magistrate, Bankruptcy, Circuit)

  • U.S. Marshals

  • U.S. Attorneys

  • Federal Public Defenders

  • Court Security Officers

  • Bankruptcy Trustees

  • General Services Administration

  • Court Staff

  • Trial Lawyers

  • U.S. Court Clerks

  • U.S. Probation Officers

Collects Historical Materials

  • Locate and collect artifacts, personal papers, photographs, memorabilia, and books.

  • Preserve priceless collections for exhibition and as a source for scholarly research.

  • Through a working agreement with the Oklahoma Historical Society (”OHS”), preserve a priceless Historical Society collection.

  • Maintain an online listing of the Historical Society Collection at OHS to inform the public of the availability of oral histories and materials deposited with the OHS.

Educates the Public through the Federal Judicial Learning Center & Museum

  • Offers interactive, educational, and informative exhibits and public programs, especially for students devoted to the federal judicial process.

  • Explores the differences between state, tribal and federal courts, the importance of the judicial branch, rule of the law in American society and careers in federal court.

  • Allows visitors to participate in a trial reenactment and serve as “judge” “jury” or “attorney.”

Commissions the Writing of the Court’s History

  • Encourages scholarly research and the writing of articles and books pertaining to the history of the Court.

 

The Historical Society of the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma (“Historical Society”), established in 2010, is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, Oklahoma non-profit corporation dedicated to the recovery, preservation and presentation of the judicial history of the Western District Court.

The Historical Society preserves the history of the Court and fosters understanding of the Court’s role and historical significance to the development of the rule of law.