A word about the subject, Judge Elmer S. Dundy, and about my goals and method in producing this thesis is probably in order. Dundy was, to say the least, one of the most interesting figures in the politics of Nebraska from the territorial days through the first thirty-odd years of her history as a state. As a jurist, he gained a wide reputation and an enviable record in dealing with matters coming before his bench. He has been treated in a less than favorable light by some historians, and he has been completely neglected by others. He was a controversial man, possessing firm convictions and the courage to express them. He was involved in many of the issues of his day, as an active participant and partisan campaigner. He deserves recognition, and it is the purpose of this thesis to focus on the man and his relationship to events that have shaped the history of the region
