The 1st Congress of the United States established the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island on June 23, 1790. To commemorate the 225th anniversary of this event, the District held a special program on Tuesday, June 23, 2015, in Courtroom One of the Courthouse featuring a panel discussion on the past, present, and future role of the Court. The distinguished panel consisted of Senior Circuit Judge Bruce M. Selya, United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit; Chief Judge Patti B. Saris, United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts; and Dr. Gordon S. Wood, Professor of History Emeritus at Brown University.