February 17 is Presidents' Day - Library Hours/Display

Next Monday, February 17, is Presidents' Day, a federal and state holiday. The McKusick Law Library will be closed to the public on February 17; however, USD Law students and faculty may access the Law Library using their USD identification.

Presidents' Day began as an informal celebration of the anniversary of George Washington's birthday (February 22, 1732) and first became in legal holiday in 1879. (See a comprehensive history from the website of the National Archives.) However, many states, including South Dakota, also honor the anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birthday (February 12, 1809) on Presidents' Day.

Accordingly, the McKusick Law Library is featuring a Presidents' Day display that focuses on library resources that discuss the lives of both President Washington and President Lincoln.

Titles include:

George Washington and American Constitutionalism / by Glenn A. Phelps

An Imperfect God: George Washington, His Slaves, and the Creation of America / by Henry Wiencek

Lincoln’s American Dream: Clashing Political Perspectives / edited by Kenneth L. Deutsch and Joseph R. Fornieri

An Honest Calling: The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln / by Mark E. Steiner

The display also features selected titles on the American Presidency in general, including:

The Law of Presidential Power: Cases and Materials / by Peter M. Shane, Harold H. Bruff

The Presidency and the Political System / Michael Nelson, editor