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Film, Video Harry A. Blackmun oral history interview. Session 1

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Title

  • Harry A. Blackmun oral history interview. Session 1

Summary

  • Harry Blackmun and Harold Koh start this interview in Blackmun's office approximately one week after his 24th, and final, term as a Supreme Court justice. They go through the mementos, tokens and photographs on his walls and bookcases. Then, they move to the Supreme Court Courtroom when Blackmun discusses the feelings he had as a new judge being robed, controversial cases such as Roe v. Wade and Furman v. Georgia. Next, Blackmun and Koh are filmed in the Supreme Court Library where Blackmun says he frequented to write his opinions in solitude. He talks about the length of opinions and how they can be challenging to write succinctly under pressure. He addresses the criticism he has received over his career. Blackmun speaks fondly of baseball and some of his favorite opinions he wrote and shares that it's important to remember there are real people's lives at the heart of these cases. This first session ends with interior shots of the Supreme Court Library.

Names

  • Blackmun, Harry A. (Harry Andrew), 1908-1999, interviewee
  • Koh, Harold Hongju, 1954- interviewer

Created / Published

  • 1994

Headings

  • -  Blackmun, Harry A.--(Harry Andrew),--1908-1999--Interviews
  • -  Judges--United States--Interviews
  • -  United States.--Supreme Court

Genre

  • Oral histories
  • Interviews

Notes

  • -  90-minute interview recorded under the auspices of the Supreme Court Historical Society and the Federal Judicial Center, 1994 July 6, Justice Harry A. Blackmun Supreme Court chamber office, Washington, D.C.
  • -  Harry A. Blackmun oral history interview, session 1, National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, Library of Congress.
  • -  A transcript for the oral history interview is available. Contact the Moving Image Research Center, Library of Congress at https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mbrsmi/mbrsmi.contact
  • -  Gift; Harry A. Blackmun; 1998.
  • -  Harry A. Blackmun papers; available in the Library of Congress Manuscript Reading Room.
  • -  U.S. Supreme Court justice, judge, and lawyer.
  • -  In English.
  • -  Forms part of: The Justice Harry A. Blackmun oral history project.

Medium

  • 2 video files (digital) (90 min.) : sound, color

Source Collection

  • The Justice Harry A. Blackmun oral history project. Session 1
  • Blackmun (Harry A.) Collection (Library of Congress)

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2023600514

Rights Advisory

  • Restrictions may exist on copying, quoting, or publishing materials included in the collection. For additional information, contact a reference librarian in the Moving Image Research Center, Library of Congress.

Access Advisory

  • Collection is open to research. Advance notice is required; contact a reference librarian in the Moving Image Research Center, National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., 20540-4690; (202) 707-8572. https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mbrsmi/mbrsmi.contact

Online Format

  • video

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Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Blackmun, Harry A. , Interviewee, and Harold Hongju Koh. Harry A. Blackmun oral history interview. Session 1. 1994. Video. https://www.loc.gov/item/2023600514/.

APA citation style:

Blackmun, H. A. & Koh, H. H. (1994) Harry A. Blackmun oral history interview. Session 1. [Video] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2023600514/.

MLA citation style:

Blackmun, Harry A. , Interviewee, and Harold Hongju Koh. Harry A. Blackmun oral history interview. Session 1. 1994. Video. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2023600514/>.