Washington DC - With the stroke of a pen, the name of Duluth's federal building was changed today to honor one of the city's leading public servants, Judge Gerald Heaney. Congressman Jim Oberstar and Senator Amy Klobuchar sponsored the legislation to rename the building for the retired federal judge, and today, President George W. Bush signed the Heaney bill into law The name change is effective immediately.

"Gerry Heaney has dedicated his life to public service," said Oberstar. "It's my hope that people will look at his name on this building and reflect on the ideals that he has championed."

Heaney began his career of public service in the U.S. Army in World War II. On June 6, 1944, Heaney led troops into battle at Omaha Beach in the Normandy invasion. He served with his unit until the end of the war when U.S. forces met with allied Russian troops in Germany.

Heaney has had a long and distinguished career on the federal bench, working out of his office in the Duluth Federal Building throughout his service. As a federal judge on the 8th Circuit Court, Heaney was involved in a landmark case that desegregated the public schools in St. Louis, Missouri.

"Giving his name to the building where he worked so tirelessly is only a small token of appreciation," said Oberstar. "Eventually all buildings crumble and are replaced, but the freedoms he secured for this country on the beaches of Normandy and on the bench of the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals will endure as long as our republic."

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