A tribute upon his retirement to David Dow, professor and dean of the University of Nebraska College of Law, for thirty-two years of service

Henderson, Roger C.

English

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Nebraska Law ReviewVolume 57 | Issue 4 Article 31978David Dow—TeacherRoger C. HendersonUniversity of Arizona College of LawFollow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nlrThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Law, College of at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has beenaccepted for inclusion in Nebraska Law Review by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln.Recommended CitationRoger C. Henderson, David Dow—Teacher, 57 Neb. L. Rev. 895 (1978)Available at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nlr/vol57/iss4/3By Roger C. Henderson*David Dow-TeacherSeldom does one have the occasion to know in a personal wayan individual like David Dow, much less to be afforded the contactwith him that many of us were indeed privileged to have throughhis association with the University of Nebraska College of Law.Whether from the bench, bar, faculty or in the classroom, we allwere and are students of Dean Dow, as he is still known to many. Itis no mean compliment to say that he taught us all and continuesto teach us.Dave's father was a professor at the University of Michigan formany years. Perhaps he inherited his capacity for knowledge andhis desire to communicate it from his parents. I understand frompeople at Michigan that his father was a distinguished andrespected scholar. I have seen his home which is just a block fromthe University of Michigan Law School where Dave received hisJ.D. degree in 1936. I suspect though, without knowing more thanwhat I have just mentioned about Dave's background, that he wasnot a mere duplicate of another. I just cannot imagine another solike Dave Dow.Dave is unique in the many facets of his person. When we onthe faculty were ready to carve up some poor soul-whether stu-dent or colleague-it would quite often be Dave who in a veryhumble and quiet demeanor chastised us because we were tooquick to find deficiencies. Surely it must have been the same inhis association with the bench and bar. When Dave did this, it re-vealed much about his sensitivity to individual rights and privi-leges. He saw things and proceeded to explain the relevancewhen the matter might have otherwise passed unnoticed. Morethan a few who were and are associated with the legal professionare unknowingly indebted to him.Oh, to be sure, there were those occasions when we invoked hiswrath. But he never discriminated. He treated everyone thesame-judges, presidents of the bar, officers of the university, stu-dents and, most often, his colleagues on the faculty. Uncomforta-ble as it was at times to be the object of his ire, mainly because he* Dean of College of Law, University of Arizona. B.B.A. 1960, LLB. 1965, Uni-versity of Texas; LL.M. 1969, Harvard University.896 NEBRASKA LAW REVIEW-VOL. 57, NO. 4 (1978)was usually right in principle, no one ever harbored ill feel-ings-least of all Dave. Conversely, if he could be provoked, hecould just as easily be moved to compassion and understanding.His concern for others was not ephemeral. In fact, his wrath usu-ally came forth when his concern for someone or the college was atits greatest-when he perceived an injustice in the offing. Thisalso reveals much about another facet of his character.Dave is not only intellectually honest, as any respected scholarand teacher must be, he is simply honest through and through.Hesitant at times to express an uncomplimentary opinion for fearhe may have misjudged or overjudged, he was and is generous inhis praise for a job well done or, for that matter, well attempted.Insincerity and hypocrisy are foreign to him. His standards wereand are high. He kept those around him honest in the process.The facet of Dave that most impresses, however, is his capacityfor knowledge. What he knows, not only about law, but about art,music, history and similar things in life is intimidating though hecertainly does not intend it to be so. One quickly learned, afterbeing acquainted with Dave, that he was an encyclopedia. If youdid not understand some reference in a case or about some pointof law, he was the person on the faculty that you most often soughtout to explain it. If he did not know about the origin and history ofthe matter, which he usually did, he could very quickly tell youwhere to find the answer. At times he acted as if he were slightlyembarrassed by having this capacity at his command. He nevermisused it however. Never pedantic, he was always quick to tellyou his doubts or lack of understanding. He was at once the stu-dent and the teacher.David Dow, the teacher, is a facet upon which I began andwould like to conclude this tribute. Dave was not only a teacher ofstudents who aspired to enter the legal profession, but he was ateacher in a broader sense. He taught, as previously mentioned,his colleagues on the law faculty and in the University. The sub-jects were not limited to law. But more importantly he taught andstill teaches the bench and bar through his efforts on various studycommissions such as the Nebraska Supreme Court Commissionon Jury Instructions, the American Bar Association ConstitutionalConvention Study Commission, the Nebraska Supreme CourtCommission on Evidence Law and the Nebraska ConstitutionalRevision Commission. His success in supervising the preparationand presentation of the continuing legal education program on thenew Nebraska and Federal Rules of Evidence adopted in 1975causes us all to be in his debt.There are only a few who leave indelible imprints on peopleand institutions-some for the better and some for the worse.DAVID DOW 897Dave's imprint on the law college and legal profession is much forthe better. The respect paid him evidences his positive influence.Though he now retires from the University after three decades ofselfless service, he surely will continue to be, as we all have knownhim, a great friend and teacher. I cannot picture him otherwise.

David Dow—Teacher

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Nebraska Law Review
Volume 57 | Issue 4 Article 3
1978
David Dow—Teacher
Roger C. Henderson
University of Arizona College of Law
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nlr
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Law, College of at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been
accepted for inclusion in Nebraska Law Review by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln.
Recommended Citation
Roger C. Henderson, David Dow—Teacher, 57 Neb. L. Rev. 895 (1978)
Available at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nlr/vol57/iss4/3
By Roger C. Henderson*
David Dow-Teacher
Seldom does one have the occasion to know in a personal way
an individual like David Dow, much less to be afforded the contact
with him that many of us were indeed privileged to have through
his association with the University of Nebraska College of Law.
Whether from the bench, bar, faculty or in the classroom, we all
were and are students of Dean Dow, as he is still known to many. It
is no mean compliment to say that he taught us all and continues
to teach us.
Dave's father was a professor at the University of Michigan for
many years. Perhaps he inherited his capacity for knowledge and
his desire to communicate it from his parents. I understand from
people at Michigan that his father was a distinguished and
respected scholar. I have seen his home which is just a block from
the University of Michigan Law School where Dave received his
J.D. degree in 1936. I suspect though, without knowing more than
what I have just mentioned about Dave's background, that he was
not a mere duplicate of another. I just cannot imagine another so
like Dave Dow.
Dave is unique in the many facets of his person. When we on
the faculty were ready to carve up some poor soul-whether stu-
dent or colleague-it would quite often be Dave who in a very
humble and quiet demeanor chastised us because we were too
quick to find deficiencies. Surely it must have been the same in
his association with the bench and bar. When Dave did this, it re-
vealed much about his sensitivity to individual rights and privi-
leges. He saw things and proceeded to explain the relevance
when the matter might have otherwise passed unnoticed. More
than a few who were and are associated with the legal profession
are unknowingly indebted to him.
Oh, to be sure, there were those occasions when we invoked his
wrath. But he never discriminated. He treated everyone the
same-judges, presidents of the bar, officers of the university, stu-
dents and, most often, his colleagues on the faculty. Uncomforta-
ble as it was at times to be the object of his ire, mainly because he
* Dean of College of Law, University of Arizona. B.B.A. 1960, LLB. 1965, Uni-
versity of Texas; LL.M. 1969, Harvard University.
896 NEBRASKA LAW REVIEW-VOL. 57, NO. 4 (1978)
was usually right in principle, no one ever harbored ill feel-
ings-least of all Dave. Conversely, if he could be provoked, he
could just as easily be moved to compassion and understanding.
His concern for others was not ephemeral. In fact, his wrath usu-
ally came forth when his concern for someone or the college was at
its greatest-when he perceived an injustice in the offing. This
also reveals much about another facet of his character.
Dave is not only intellectually honest, as any respected scholar
and teacher must be, he is simply honest through and through.
Hesitant at times to express an uncomplimentary opinion for fear
he may have misjudged or overjudged, he was and is generous in
his praise for a job well done or, for that matter, well attempted.
Insincerity and hypocrisy are foreign to him. His standards were
and are high. He kept those around him honest in the process.
The facet of Dave that most impresses, however, is his capacity
for knowledge. What he knows, not only about law, but about art,
music, history and similar things in life is intimidating though he
certainly does not intend it to be so. One quickly learned, after
being acquainted with Dave, that he was an encyclopedia. If you
did not understand some reference in a case or about some point
of law, he was the person on the faculty that you most often sought
out to explain it. If he did not know about the origin and history of
the matter, which he usually did, he could very quickly tell you
where to find the answer. At times he acted as if he were slightly
embarrassed by having this capacity at his command. He never
misused it however. Never pedantic, he was always quick to tell
you his doubts or lack of understanding. He was at once the stu-
dent and the teacher.
David Dow, the teacher, is a facet upon which I began and
would like to conclude this tribute. Dave was not only a teacher of
students who aspired to enter the legal profession, but he was a
teacher in a broader sense. He taught, as previously mentioned,
his colleagues on the law faculty and in the University. The sub-
jects were not limited to law. But more importantly he taught and
still teaches the bench and bar through his efforts on various study
commissions such as the Nebraska Supreme Court Commission
on Jury Instructions, the American Bar Association Constitutional
Convention Study Commission, the Nebraska Supreme Court
Commission on Evidence Law and the Nebraska Constitutional
Revision Commission. His success in supervising the preparation
and presentation of the continuing legal education program on the
new Nebraska and Federal Rules of Evidence adopted in 1975
causes us all to be in his debt.
There are only a few who leave indelible imprints on people
and institutions-some for the better and some for the worse.
DAVID DOW 897
Dave's imprint on the law college and legal profession is much for
the better. The respect paid him evidences his positive influence.
Though he now retires from the University after three decades of
selfless service, he surely will continue to be, as we all have known
him, a great friend and teacher. I cannot picture him otherwise.


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David Dow—Teacher

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