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From Paul Borowski, nephew of Rita and Jefferson Fordham: Thinking of Uncle Jeff and Aunt Rita and their commitment to assist others in establishing the Jefferson B. and Rita E. Fordham Public Service Loan Repayment Assistance Program for third year law students who will graduate from the University of Utah, S. J. Quinney College of Law. Jefferson Barnes Fordham was a powerful defender of individual and civil rights, Jefferson Fordham was one of the 20th century's most outstanding leaders in legal education. He joined the University of Utah College of Law as a professor in 1972 after serving as dean at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He was the primary force behind the 1966 creation of a division on individual rights and responsibilities within the American Bar Association, the first such group in ABA history. He combined the highest intellectual capacity with integrity, kindness, generosity of spirit, and elegance of manner. Chief Justice Earl Warren once described him as "one of the more courageous, forward-looking, and effective forces for justice in our day." His wife, Rita, is a longtime friend of the S. J. Quinney College of Law and an active supporter of our programs. From College of Law Dean Robert Adler: Dear Law School Community, It is with great sadness that I report the passing this morning of Rita Fordham at the age of 97. Rita and her husband, Professor Jefferson Fordham, had a long and close relationship to the College of Law and its students, faculty, staff and other friends. Those of you who have attended our annual Jefferson Fordham Debate know that Jefferson was a former dean of the Louisiana State, Ohio State, and University of Pennsylvania law schools. He met Rita who was a College of Law employee when he was serving as a visiting professor of law here. They were married in 1964 and lived in Philadelphia until he joined the Utah faculty in 1970 after stepping down as the Penn dean. He then taught here for nearly a quarter century until he passed away in 1994 at age 88. Together and individually, Rita and Jefferson were beloved members of our community. They also left a tremendous lasting legacy through their generosity, providing significant endowment funding for what is now the Jefferson Fordham Debate and for the Jefferson and Rita Fordham Loan Forgiveness Fund, which provides post-graduation financial assistance for alumni who choose a public service-oriented career. Jim Holbrook and I had a wonderful visit with Rita several months ago at her home. (See attached photo.) She was delighted to hear about this year's Fordham debate, and about how the Fordham Loan Forgiveness program is helping so many of our recent alumni to forge careers in the public sector. I was also surprised and delighted to learn that she grew up in Astoria, New York, where I had family connections as a child. It seemed at the time that she enjoyed the opportunity to share a bit of her past with someone who spent some time in the same neighborhoods. Rita was a delightful person who was very dedicated to what we all try to achieve at the law school. She will be missed by the many who knew her here, and throughout the community. Rita left instructions to be cremated, with her cremains interred with those of her husband. A funeral mass at the Cathedral of the Madeleine will be held at a later date at which time the Cathedral School Choir will sing. Bob |
