Vol. 25, No. 10
April 20, 2004 |
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University Honors Brown Lawyers During 137th Charter Day Convocation
Howard University observed its 137th Charter Day on March 5. It was a moving ceremony as the University bestowed doctor of law degrees honoris causa on lawyers who worked to dismantle desegregation in this country, specifically those who worked on the Brown v. Board of Education. Alumnus Ossie Davis, who received a Citation of Achievement, followed with a powerful keynote address in which he brought the Law School’s role in 1954 into perspective. He called for “eternal vigilance.”
Davis said Howard University School of Law stepped up during a critical time in history. “The Supreme Court spoke with a forked tongue with Plessy v. Ferguson,” he said. “Howard University School of Law stepped up to become the people’s eye.”
While touting those who were instrumental in the desegregation movement, he cautioned that there is still much work to be done. “Democracy is a delicate operation and attention must always be paid. Who is better qualified than Howard University.” |
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Honoree Oliver Hill with Trustee Chair Frank Savage, and Dr. John E. Jacob, Trustee chairman emeritus. |
This year’s honorees were: Julian R. Dugas, Esq., the youngest member of the Bolling legal team and a member of the Law faculty since 1964; Charles T. Duncan, Esq., who worked on the second brief presented to the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Brown v. Board of Education; the Honorable Frankie M. Freeman, who argued and won the case challenging racial segregation in public housing in St. Louis in 1954; Jack Greenberg, Esq., who argued the Brown case; Oliver W. Hill Sr., Esq., one of the Brown litigators; and Charles Hamilton Houston Sr., Esq. (posthumously), who led the legal strategy that resulted in the successful Brown decision.
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