William Henry Leary (June 5, 1881 – April 8, 1957) was the Dean of the

University of Utah The University of Utah (U of U, UofU, or simply The U) is a public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the flagship institution of the Utah System of Higher Education. The university was established in 1850 as the University of De ...

College of Law, now known as the S.J. Quinney College of Law, from 1915 to 1950. Leary was born in

Hatfield, Massachusetts Hatfield is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,352 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The census-designated place of Hatfield consists of t ...

in 1881. He received a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...

from Amherst College in 1903, and a Juris Doctor from the

University of Chicago Law School The University of Chicago Law School is the law school of the University of Chicago, a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. It is consistently ranked among the best and most prestigious law schools in the world, and has many dis ...

in 1908. A student favorite, Leary was known to use

Jack Dempsey William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey (June 24, 1895 – May 31, 1983), nicknamed Kid Blackie and The Manassa Mauler, was an American professional boxer who competed from 1914 to 1927, and reigned as the world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926 ...

anecdotes to illustrate principles of both assault and battery. He once wrote, "I'd like to see a freer discussion of philosophical questions, a broader more tolerant attitude, a deeper respect for others and a truly intellectual atmosphere." The College of Law continues to honor Mr. Leary with the Leary Lecture, an annual lecture since 1965.

References

University of Utah faculty Amherst College alumni University of Chicago alumni 1881 births 1957 deaths 20th-century American academics {{US-academic-administrator-1880s-stub