Former Washburn University School of Law Dean John E. Howe died Feb. 4, 2007, in Lincoln, Nebraska, at the age of 88. Personal reflections or condolences may be sent online at the Roper & Sons web site (see the Send a condolence link in the upper-right of the page).
Howe became dean of the law school in 1959 and immediately focused on legal writing. Washburn Law had yet to produce a separate law review, but before the end of his first year the Law Review Board was set to produce an intramural journal that would be mimeographed until the following academic year's budget contained funding to print the journal professionally.
Howe was dean when the 1966 tornado devastated the Washburn University Campus. Howe ran the law school out of his home, helped haul thousands of volumes from the law school library to storage, and tirelessly solicited alumni for donations to build the new law school.
He was born in Newport, Kentucky to Dr. Allie E. & Martha E. (Hergert) Howe. After graduating from Campbell County High School he received a B.A. from Western Kentucky, an L.L.B. from the University of Kentucky and an L.L.M. from the University of Michigan. He practiced law in Mt. Sterling, Kentucky for two years and then began a teaching career in law that spanned more than 30 years. He taught at Creighton University for five years, at St. Louis University for seven years and at Washburn University as Dean and later Distinguished Professor until his retirement in 1979.
He was a loving and devoted son, husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother and uncle. He is survived by his wife of 66 years Margaret Howe; his brother, Nelson Howe; his daughter Jeanne Cassel; his son, Jay Howe; his daughter, Marti Denton; ten grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren.
John was a Kentucky Colonel, Professor Emeritus and member of Westminster Presbyterian Church of Topeka, Kansas.
