Inaugural Justice Sandstrom Lecture set for Sunday Friday, August 9, 2019

Perspectives on the Legacy of World War I: Charles F. Amidon

Sunday, August 11, 2 p.m. – 3 p.m.

North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum
612 E Boulevard Ave, Bismarck, ND 58505

Approved for 1.0 ND Ethics credit or 1.0 ND CLE credit

Matthew Berning, legal historian studying under Dr. Michael J. Lansing, Chair of the History Department of Augsburg University, will present a lecture entitled: "Making the United States Homefront Safe for Democracy: Judge Charles F. Amidon, Wartime Hysteria, and the Espionage Act of 1917 in World War I North Dakota."

Amidon was a federal judge who presided over cases of North Dakotans charged with Espionage Act violations as well as being the second president of the State Historical Society of North Dakota, serving from 1905-1923.  Berning has scoured the archives at NDSU, UND, the State Archives, and in the National Archives in Kansas City to view Amidon's court records in preparation for this lecture. 

This program is part of the State Historical Society of North Dakota's Dale V. Sandstrom Lecture Series, the Perspectives on the Legacy of World War I series, and the Sensational Sundays program.

This is the inaugural lecture of the Dale V. Sandstrom Lecture Series, a series funded by retired Judge Sandstrom’s clerks to honor him with a public forum and create a lasting legacy. Sensational Sundays are free cultural programs that include a variety of lectures, concerts, movies, and tours. Perspectives on the Legacy of World War I is a series of quarterly programs focused on events, impacts and activities related to World War I.