F. William McCalpin

F. William McCalpin (8 November 1921 – 9 December 2009) was an American attorney, who throughout his career was a strong advocate for legal services within the American Bar Association. He was involved in a variety of leadership positions supporting both the private bar and legal services. He was named Chair twice of the national Legal Services Corporation and served on that organization's board of directors across four decades. Hillary Clinton, who served as Chair of the Legal Services Corporation between McCalpin's two terms as Chair, wrote of him, "He was an extraordinary man, a valued mentor and a true champion for equal justice and access to legal services for the poor. Through his work Bill changed lives and made an indelible impact upon the legal community."[1]

Brothers F. William McCalpin (left) and George A. McCalpin (right) in Golden Gate National Cemetery in August 2007 at the grave of their cousin Sgt. William "Billy Jack" Dieter who died on the Doolittle Raid.

McCalpin was a partner and counsel of the St. Louis, Missouri law firm Lewis, Rice & Fingersh, L.C.. He was awarded in 1988 the American Bar Association Medal,[2][3] awarded to recognize "exceptionally distinguished service by a lawyer to the cause of American jurisprudence."[4] The F. William McCalpin Pro Bono Award, given by the Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, is named for him. In addition, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri dedicated the F. Wm. McCalpin Wall of Justice in 1999.

On November 19, 2010, the Legal Services Corporation dedicated its Conference Center Washington, DC, to McCalpin, formally naming it in his honor.[5]

Besides local papers, The New York Times ran McCalpin's obituary on December 17, 2009.[6]

Milestones
Timeframe Position
1938 Graduates from St. Louis University High School.
1942 Graduates from St. Louis University with a bachelor's degree in economics.
1943 to 1945 (approx) Served in the United States Marine Corps in the Pacific.
1948 Graduates from Harvard Law School and joins the law firm of what is now Lewis, Rice & Fingersh, in St. Louis. Becomes a partner in 1956 and retired from active practice in 1991.[5]
1950 to 1953 (approx) Recalled to service in the Marines during the Korean War.
1965-70 Chairman of the American Bar Association Special Committee on Availability of Legal Services
1965-70 Director of the Legal Aid Society of the City and County of St. Louis and

Member of the National Advisory Committee for the Legal Services Program of the Office of Economic Opportunity

1973-1976 First term as Chairman of the ABA Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants.[5]
1977-1978 The Director of Missouri Legal Aid Society[3]
1979-1981 and 1993-2003 Member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation. Chair (1980-1982)[3]
1983-1985 Second term as Chairman of the ABA Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants.[5]
1984-1986 President of the American Bar Foundation.[5]
1986-1993 Member, Board of Directors of National Legal Aid and Defender Association. President (1989-1992)[3]
1988 Receives the American Bar Association Medal, the organization's highest honor.[5]
1996-2002 Chairman of the American Bar Association Commission on Legal Problems of the Elderly
2002-2009 Member of the Board of Directors of the National Senior Citizens Law Center[3][7]
Political offices
Preceded by
Hillary Rodham		 Legal Services Corporation Chair
1980–1981		 Succeeded by
William F. Harvey

References
  1. "Tribute to F. William McCalpin, Missouri Bar Association 2010 midyear meeting" (PDF). Missouri Bar Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 7 March 2010.
  2. "Guidelines for ABA Medal" (PDF). American Bar Association. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  3. "Obituary". St. Louis Post Dispatch. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  4. "William H. Gates, Sr., to Receive American Bar Association Medal for 2009". American Bar Association. 24 June 2009. Archived from the original on 30 August 2009. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
  5. LSC Dedication for F. William McCalpin November 19, 2010 Archived January 9, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  6. Hevesi, Dennis (17 December 2009). "F. William McCalpin, Champion of Legal Aid to Poor, Dies at 88". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
  7. "Board of Directors". National Senior Citizens Law Center. Archived from the original on 5 January 2010. Retrieved 10 December 2009.


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