Rockwell Kent's Historic Passport Case

Read Gernander's paper by clicking here: Historic Passport Case.

Rockwell Kent was many things—painter, illustrator, builder, writer, dairy farmer. For much of his life he was also a restless, adventurous, inquisitive traveler. His sojourns in Winona, Maine, Newfoundland, Alaska, Vermont, Tierra del Fuego, Ireland and Greenland produced art, memoirs and a thirst for further exploration.

Kent’s sympathies for progressive causes and his associations with radical organizations led the U.S. State Department to refuse him a passport for travel abroad during the 1950s. His legal challenge to the denial resulted in a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, affirming that the right to travel is a constitutional right—a part of the liberty of which a citizen cannot be deprived without due process of law.

This presentation will discuss the paths that brought Rockwell Kent and John Foster Dulles into conflict, the political and social context in which the conflict arose, and the Court’s ruling and its significance. Two opportunities to attend the presentation will be offered. See details below:

Rockwell Kent's Historic Passport Case
Speaker: Kent Gernander
Duration: 60 minute talk
Museum Presentation
Date/Time: Saturday | February 2, 2013 | 2:00 – 3:00pm*
Location: Minnesota Marine Art Museum | 800 Riverview Drive
Festival Week Presentation
Date/Time: Saturday | February 9, 2013 | 9:00 – 10:00am
Location: WSU Alumni House | 227 West Wabasha Street

* Rescheduled from earlier date.

Kent Gernander Kent Gernander is a lawyer with interests in Supreme Court jurisprudence and the life and art of Rockwell Kent. Gernander was educated at Harvard College and the University of Minnesota Law School. After service as a U.S. Navy JAG Corps officer and employment with law firms in New York and St. Paul, he has spent his legal career in general practice in Winona, Minnesota. He has been active in professional and community service activities, and has written and lectured on a variety of legal subjects.