A new historical plaque will soon mark the boyhood home of former U. S. Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis and it is all thanks to Andrew Segal. As a senior at DuPont Manual High School, Segal received legislative approval for the new marker.
The plaque will be unveiled on Sunday, December 2, at 4 p.m. at the home, 310 E. Broadway in downtown Louisville. The one-hour program will include presentations by Segal; his mentor, Allan Steinberg; former dean of the University School of Law, Laura Rothstein; Rabbi Joe Rooks Rapport of The Temple; and a representative of the Kentucky Historical Society.
In addition, there will be a theatrical portrayal of Louis D. Brandeis by Chris Hartman, and light refreshments.
Brandeis was born in Louisville in 1856 and lived here until he turned 16. In 1916, at the age of 60, he became an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. He served in that capacity until 1939 and died in 1941.
Although he never returned to live in Louisville, he remained close to his family in the city and chose the University of Louisville Law School as his final resting place. The Law School was renamed the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law in 1997.
Segal took it upon himself to raise the money required to buy the plaque. He is currently a freshman at the University of Louisville and a Harlan Scholar, which means he is guaranteed admission to the Brandeis School of Law after completing U of L’s academic and service requirements.