REMEMBERING DEAN DONALD J. POLDEN

Former University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law Dean Donald J. Polden passed away on October 15th in Mountain View, California, surrounded by his family and loved ones at the age of 76.

Dean Polden was a treasured and influential member of the Memphis Law family, serving as Dean of the law school from 1993 to 2003. Under his leadership, the law school increased the diversity of its student body, raised the national profile of its faculty and their scholarly publications, significantly increased private support of the law school and to its endowment, and improved the structure and operation of the law school’s alumni chapter.

During his time as Dean, the seeds were planted for the law school’s eventual move to our beautiful historic building in downtown Memphis. It was Dean Polden who first scouted downtown for a new home for the law school, eventually landing upon 1 North Front Street as his leading candidate. He began the long and arduous process of gaining support (both political and financial) to acquire the building for the eventual purpose of re-housing the law school, with former Dean Jim Smoot taking charge of the process after Dean Polden moved on to assume the Deanship at Santa Clara University School of Law in 2003. 

Beginning the process of guiding the law school to its new home was undeniably important and will go down as one of the most important decisions in Memphis Law’s history, but another equally important, if somewhat less visible, long-term goal was also realized under Dean Polden’s leadership. In January of 2001, the law school finally achieved its long sought-after goal of attaining membership in the Association of American Law Schools (AALS), reflecting the sustained and increasing commitment to teaching, scholarship, and service that Dean Polden championed. 

Dean Polden also understood the importance of increasing diversity in the legal profession and, in particular, making law school more accessible to minority students and diverse applicants. He oversaw much of the law school’s initial diversity-focused efforts in the mid-to-late 90s and added numerous support programs to help African-American students deal with family and work issues once they were admitted to Memphis Law. His efforts to better help and prepare these students were instrumental in our eventual success and recognition in the areas of diversity and access. He fought for, and acquired, funds and staffing for numerous diverse student recruitment efforts in the mid-90s, and was instrumental (alongside Professor Kevin Smith) in overseeing the evolution and development of the law school’s Academic Support Program as well.

Known throughout academia as “the grandfather of leadership education for lawyers,” Dean Polden taught and lectured for years to professional audiences in the areas of federal antitrust law, federal securities law, employment law and corporate law and governance. Additionally, he was a Fellow of the American Law Institute, the American Bar Foundation and the Tennessee Bar Foundation.

Over the course of his career, he was also appointed by the American Bar Association, the Tennessee Supreme Court, the Association of American Law Schools and the Iowa Supreme Court to state and national commissions and committees, including ones on improving racial and ethnic diversity in state courts, strengthening clinical legal education and improving the health of law students.

He was an instrumental figure in the success and history of Memphis Law, and he will be greatly missed.