Law Commons^™

David Williams Ii, In Memoriam 1948-2019, Nicholas S. Zeppos

Vanderbilt Law Review

On February 15, 2019, hundreds of people gathered at the Temple Church in Nashville to celebrate the life and impact of David Williams II. As remembrances were spoken from the pulpit, and as tearful exchanges occurred between friends in the crowd, it was clear that people, communities, institutions, and lives were forever molded by this man—this fearless leader who left us unexpectedly.

In remembering my dear friend David, it is impossible not to think big. Words like “leader,” “trailblazer,” and “revolutionary” may seem diffuse on their own, but they are clear in their description of a man who always thought …

Dean John W. Wade, Gilbert S. Merritt

Vanderbilt Law Review

John Webster Wade, one of the outstanding men in the history of Nashville-an unsung hero at home, but a nationally acclaimed scholar and teacher in the world of law--died recently at age eighty- three without sufficient public notice and recognition. During his life, he had more influence on the shaping of the legal system and the law in Tennessee than any politician or judge, and he had as much influence on the national legal system as any other Tennessean of his generation.

As a young Marine Corps 2nd Lieutenant in World War II, he guided troops through the bloody battles …

William J. Harbison, Ward Dewitt, Jr.

Vanderbilt Law Review

Those close to him knew Bill Harbison for much more than the great legal scholar that he was. For almost twenty years I had the good fortune to practice law with him and was privileged to be his friend for over forty years. He was, as everyone knows, an outstanding lawyer and judge, but perhaps many do not know the non-legal side of Bill Harbison. In no particular order, Bill was a churchman, a sports enthusiast, a gardener, a historian, a fisherman, a lover of literature, and above all a devoted family man. For many years he was active at …

John W. Wade: Gentle Scholar, Pilot Lawyer, Roger J. Traynor

Vanderbilt Law Review

His contributions to the work of the American Law Institute, his career as the dean of a first-rate law school, and his essays on restitution,torts, and conflict of laws would be more than enough to place John Wade in the first rank of American lawyers. The very constructiveness of his work makes him pre-emininently a modern teacher and lawyer.