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The Heyburn Initiative is a non-partisan endeavor devoted to the preservation and study of federal judicial history. Using archival materials and oral histories, this site highlights Kentuckians in the Federal Judiciary, contextualizing their work as part of the broader sweep of American, particularly Kentuckian, history. These materials provide rich research opportunities, for students to increase critical thinking skills and for scholars to contribute original research that helps the public understand how law and culture have historically shaped each other. The Initiative is part of the University of Kentucky Libraries’ mission to sustain the Commonwealth’s memory and to serve as the essential bridge between past, present and future.