Class of 1975

(Notes posted in the order they were received, with the newest posts on top.)

Maurice Earl Franklin died November 5, 2012. A 1968 graduate of Father Bertrand Catholic High School, Maurice obtained a scholarship to Yale University and received a baccalaureate degree in Psychology in 1972. Maurice immediately continued his studies and matriculated into Vanderbilt Law School. Upon graduation from Vanderbilt Law School, Maurice was immediately admitted to practice in Tennessee. He practiced law with the NAACP Legal Defense and Education fund and shortly thereafter, was awarded a prestigious clerkship to Chief U.S. District Judge Bailey Brown. At the extraordinary young age of 27, Maurice was named Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Memphis office, making him only the second African-American assistant to the U.S. Attorney at that time. After his career as a federal prosecutor, Maurice entered private practice as one of the founding partners of two firms: Higgs, Franklin & Armstrong and Archibald, Armstrong, Franklin & Halmon. Maurice is survived by two children, Brian and Chautara. Posted 3.1.2013

Oliver Lee, age 62, died February 13. He attended elementary and junior high school in the segregated public schools of Savannah Georgia. In 1965, near the end of his ninth grade high school year, he was selected for A Better Chance (ABC), a program inviting talented low-income youth to attend elite private schools to help them gain entry to the middle class. In a 1994 newspaper article in The Wall Street Journal, Oliver said the program "lifted his horizons" as he attended Cheshire Academy, a prep school near New Haven, Connecticut; he graduated from Cheshire with honors in 1968. He earned his BA from Dartmouth College before earning his law degree from Vanderbilt Law School. He was very proud that in 1979 he was "duly admitted and qualified as an Attorney and Counselor of the Supreme Court of the United States." Oliver began his career as a corporate and securities lawyer. He was a trial attorney for six years with the Securities and Exchange Commission in both the Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, Georgia offices before moving into private law firm practice specializing in securities law. He was a member of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Georgia, and the Atlanta Bar Association, where he was former chairman of the Minority Clerkship Committee and former member of the board of directors. He was also a past president of the Atlanta Chapter of the National Association of Securities Professionals and a member of the Georgia Utilities Contractors Association. His strong interest in entrepreneurship led to his involvement as founding partner, co-partner, and major shareholder in several businesses and developments, including Integral Municipal Services, National Concessions Management, ScanTech Holdings, SIPCO, and a host of other technological and real estate ventures. He was passionate about business development, loved the work of crafting successful corporate projects, and worked hard to pass that enthusiasm and work ethic on to his children.

Oliver was also an active member of the community. He worked closely with the Butler Street CME Church where his family holds membership. He was a member of the 1990 Class of Leadership Atlanta, past president of the Pace Academy Parents Club, past trustee with the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, past chairman of the South DeKalb YMCA, former member of the board of directors and executive committee metropolitan YMCA. His work in the healthcare arena was of special importance to him. He began his tenure on the DeKalb County Hospital Authority board of directors in 1988 and in 1995 joined both the DeKalb Regional Healthcare System board of directors and the DeKalb Medical Center board of directors. He was a trustee with Promina Healthcare Systems from 1997-2005 and was appointed chairman of the DeKalb Regional Healthcare System board of directors in 2007. He remained highly involved in both his business and community work until his death. Oliver is survived by his wife of 39 years, Gloria Harper Lee; three children; and one granddaughter. Posted 3.1.13

Wm. Paul Phillips, recently retired district attorney general for the 8th Judicial District of Tennessee, has been named executive director of the Roane State Foundation. The foundation is a not for-profit organization that provides financial support for Roane State Community College students and programs. As executive director, Paul will serve as chief administrative officer for the foundation's board of trustees and direct the foundation's programs. Paul served as attorney general in the 8th district for 33 years. Posted 1.29.13

J. Hobson Presley Jr., a partner at Balch & Bingham, has been awarded The Carlson Prize by the National Association of Bond Lawyers (NABL) at the National Association of Bond Lawyers’ General Meeting on October 24 in Chicago for his article, “The Disclosure Dilemma for VRDOs Secured by a Letter of Credit.” The Carlson Prize, named in honor of Rita J. and Charles P. Carlson, and conceived by Glenn E. Floyd of Norman, Oklahoma, may be awarded annually to the author of the best scholarly article submitted for publication in The Bond Lawyer: The Journal of the National Association of Bond Lawyers, or on the Association's website. The article eliciting Hobby’s award focused on disclosure obligations for municipal bonds that are secured by a bank's letter of credit or other forms of credit enhancement. Posted 11.19.12

Michael B. Hammond was inducted into the New Albany High School (NAHS) hall of fame at the seventh-annual NAHS Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in October. Michael and his brother, James (who was also inducted into the school’s hall of fame in October), give scholarships each year to New Albany High School seniors in honor of their mother. To date, 45 students have received financial assistance from the brothers. Michael is an investment banker in New York City. Posted 11-16-12

Richard P. Carmody, of counsel at Adams & Reese, was honored as the recipient of the American Bankruptcy Institute’s “Outstanding Committee Member of the Year” award at the 17th Annual Southeast Bankruptcy Workshop and Meeting in Amelia Island, Florida, held July 25-28. The award is a tribute to Richard’s long-standing service to the ABI and for his work as newsletter editor to the ethics and professional compensation committee. Richard has been recognized as one of the founding members of the ABI, which was established in 1982, and also as the founding chairs of the ABI ethics committee. In 1992, he became the first lawyer in Alabama to become certified as a specialist in Business Bankruptcy by the American Board of Certification on whose board he now serves. Posted 8-21-12

Stanley R. Forbes has been elected chair of the California Citizens Redistricting Commission. The Commission is charged with drawing new district lines for Congressional seats, the State Senate and Assembly, and the Board of Equalization. Stan was one of 14 Commissioners selected out of more than 36,000 applicants. The Commission was created by statewide voter initiative which took redistricting away for the Legislature and gave it to the Commission which is completely separate and independent from the Legislature and has the final say on the new districts. Posted 7-19-12

George Harold Wyatt III has been appointed a member of the Michigan Compensation Appellate Commission, successor entity to Michigan Workers' Compensation Appellate Commission and the Michigan Unemployment Board of Review, by Governor Rick Snyder. George was previously appointed Commissioner with former Workers' Compensation Appellate Commission by former Governor Jennifer Granholm. Posted 7-9-12

Ruth E. Johnson is the winner of the 2012 Athena Award, presented by CABLE, a network of professionals committed to connecting women and opportunity. Ruth was featured in an article appearing in The Tennessean, Q&A with Ruth Johnson: Women’s progress heartens Athena winner. Posted 6-1-12

Bruce N. Hawthorne has been named to the position of corporate vice president, general counsel and secretary at Huntington Ingalls Industries in Newport News, Virginia, previously known as Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding. Bruce is the company’s chief legal officer and has overall responsibility for the law department and its outside counsel. Prior to joining HII, he served as partner and development chairman for the law firm of Arnall Golden Gregory. Posted 4-6-11

Eve Biskind Klothen, assistant dean for pro bono and public interest programs at the Rutgers School of Law–Camden, has been named the recipient of a 2011 Outstanding Service Award from Philadelphia VIP, an organization committed to providing community access to justice and legal services. Since 2002, Klothen has advanced and expanded the portfolio of pro bono and public interest programs at the Rutgers School of Law–Camden, which offers a diverse array of pro bono projects in such areas as bankruptcy, domestic violence, immigration, and more. Posted 3-10-11

Jones Elliott Warner '75 Elliott Jones and his son, Warner Jones, Class of 2009, have formed the boutique corporate law firm Emerge Law. The firm will focus on counseling distressed businesses and individuals in workout situations, corporate reorganizations, business insolvencies and Chapter 11 bankruptcies. Read the profile. Posted 9-30-10

Elliott Ozment is an immigration attorney working on some of Middle Tennessee's highest profile immigration cases. "They are the underdogs," Ozment said. "This is what motivates me, animates me and keeps me going." The Tennessean featured Ozment in a recent article. Read the profile. Posted 9-22-10

Richard Manson was named the new President and CEO of SourceMark LLC, a Brentwood, Tennessee-based medical and surgical supply company. Posted 8-30-10

Rosemary Beverly Brown died May 4, 2009, at age 58. A Nashville native, Rosemary earned her B.A. from the University of Arizona. After earning her law degree at Vanderbilt, she practiced as a securities attorney in Nashville and Dallas. Later she worked as a real estate agent in Boulder, Colorado, and served as a chaplain for the Boulder Community Hospital Pastoral Service. Rosemary spent much of her adult life battling an aggressive cancer. Though it changed her plans, ending career paths prematurely, it never defined her dreams. She spoke three languages, and liked conversations and correspondence. She is survived by her husband of 19 years, Bill Briggs of Boulder, Colorado. Posted 6-17-08

Kenneth Selvig died suddenly on November 13, 2006, while hiking in Montana, the place he loved best. Born and raised in Outlook, MT, Kenneth graduated from Rocky Mountain College and Vanderbilt Law School and also attended Vanderbilt Divinity School. A gifted musician and athlete, he was an all-state high school basketball champion and was also invited to play football with the Cowboys after college. He maintained a lifelong love of learning and intellectual pursuits, recently earning an M.A. from Florida Atlantic University in history. He also enjoyed fishing and golf. He was a career prosecutor in Florida, recruited to serve under David Bludworth by Daniel T.K. Hurley and serving as chief assistant state attorney and executive assistant state attorney under Barry Krischer. He was widely respected in the legal community for his principled pursuit of justice and high ethical standards. He leaves to mourn a wife, Tanja Ostapoff; children, Sonja Romano (Ryan), Karl, and Kirsten; parents, Agnes and Roald Selvig; and seven brothers and sisters.

Do you have news you would like to share or just want to let everyone know what you are up to these days? Submit your class note online, e-mail Grace Renshaw or call 615-322-2606.

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