Dedman, Robert Jr.

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A Tribute to Robert H. Dedman, Sr. (1926-2002)

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SMU Law ReviewVolume 56 | Issue 2 Article 22003A Tribute to Robert H. Dedman, Sr. (1926-2002)Robert Jr. DedmanFollow this and additional works at: https://scholar.smu.edu/smulrThis Tribute is brought to you for free and open access by the Law Journals at SMU Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in SMU Law Review byan authorized administrator of SMU Scholar. For more information, please visit http://digitalrepository.smu.edu.Recommended CitationRobert Jr. Dedman, A Tribute to Robert H. Dedman, Sr. (1926-2002), 56 SMU L. Rev. 759 (2003)https://scholar.smu.edu/smulr/vol56/iss2/2A TRIBUTE TO ROBERT H. DEDMAN, SR.(1926-2002)Robert Dedman, Jr.N the words of our great American forefather, Thomas Jefferson, "Atthe end of our lives, the only thing we will have left are our relation-ships and our experiences. Make them extraordinary." My father,Robert H. Dedman, was extraordinary. This tribute is written in celebra-tion of his life.The greatest compliment I could give my father is to say that he had aservant's heart. He truly became selfless over his lifetime. In fact, I be-lieve that his heart finally gave out on August 20, 2002, because he hadgiven so much of it to others throughout his life. He was extremely proudwhen Southern Methodist University renamed its law school in honor ofour family in February 2001. Robert said many times that "the more youlearn, the more you earn." But more importantly, he would advise, "themore you learn, the more you live." In describing his philosophy of giv-ing, Robert summed it up in one phrase: "They don't put luggage rackson hearses." He believed we make a living by what we receive, and thatwe make a life by what we give.Robert loved the law and was fortunate to work as an attorney for oneof his mentors, H.L. Hunt. This provided him the opportunity to observethe business world and it instilled in him the entrepreneurial spirit thatled to the founding of his first club, Brookhaven Country Club, forty-sixyears ago. Robert was a unique person because he had a rare combina-tion of ambition, vision, and the ability to make things happen. He wasalso the eternal optimist-the fact that he initially used the plural in nam-ing his company Country Clubs, Inc., demonstrates that, from the begin-ning, he had a greater vision for the future. The vision that he saw soearly on has grown and evolved into what is now ClubCorp, the worldleader in providing golf, private club, and resort experiences.Having grown up poor in Arkansas, Robert liked to say that he "wastoo poor to paint and too proud to whitewash." He believed that thecombination of poverty and pride taught him that the best place to find ahelping hand is at the end of your own arm. Robert learned early in lifethat it is better to be a victor of choice than a victim of chance. His hum-ble origins taught him humor as well. To the end, he carried jokes in hiswallet. Following his death, The Dallas Morning News wrote that "Hewas at the age when he could tell jokes, tell risqu6 jokes, and nobodySMU LAW REVIEWwould be offended." One of his favorite jokes was: "Life is like a roll oftoilet paper. It goes so much faster toward the end."Throughout his life, Robert was a consummate coach and teacher. Hismother used to say that he actually began teaching his own teachers asearly as the fifth grade. Later in life, he reduced some of the principles hefelt were most important to a speech about a four-legged chair-each legof this chair represented by the letters P-L-A-N (planning, learning, atti-tude, and, of course, my mother, Nancy). He was a coach on the golfcourse. He insisted upon giving lessons to everybody (willing or not) re-garding their golf grip. I now tell golfers that I have proof that there isgolf in Heaven because Robert once told me that he wasn't goingotherwise.Robert often coached through poetry. He loved poetry, calling it thecollective wisdom of the ages, or the language of the heart. He especiallyadmired Rudyard Kipling's poem, If. The last verse of the poem describesthe essence of Robert. It says, "If you can talk with crowds and keep yourvirtue, or walk with kings-nor lose the common touch." Robert knewU.S. presidents, celebrities, the rich, and the famous, but he was down toearth with everyone. He inherently knew the wisdom of the Italian prov-erb: "At the end of the game, they put the king and the pawn back intothe same box." His determination to live every day to its fullest was trulythe Aristotelian philosophy of life-the fulfillment of one's potential. Hewas the living embodiment of the Latin phrase, carpe diem, or "seize theday." Robert often referred to the fact that life is not a dress rehearsal,and he crammed a lot of life into seventy-six years.Robert had many titles throughout the years. He was a student. He wasa partner. He was an entrepreneur, a founder, a lawyer, a business leader,a coach, a community leader, and a philanthropist. But the references heloved the most were husband, father, and granddaddy. There's no ques-tion Robert was a great success in life, but he also realized how importantit is to make a lasting contribution and to create something that's signifi-cant. The fact that the SMU School of Law now bears his name is signifi-cant. I am proud to know that, through the law school, his legacy willendure. Longfellow's poem, A Psalm of Life, reads in part: "Lives ofgreat men all remind us we can make our lives sublime, and, departing,leave behind us footprints on the sands of time." Robert Dedman's foot-prints can never be filled, but they can be followed.[Vol. 56

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A Tribute to Robert H. Dedman, Sr. (1926-2002)

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