Iowa Law has a rich history of esteemed faculty members who have left a lasting impact on the institution and its students. One such influential figure is the late Professor David H. Vernon, a former dean and beloved member of the faculty whose achievements and influence extended far beyond the walls of the classroom and deep into the hearts of those who knew him. 

In 2001, after his passing, former students, colleagues, family, and friends came together to establish the David H. Vernon Professorship of Law, a position established in recognition of Vernon’s outstanding contributions to the law and as a testament to the profound influence he had on the Iowa College of Law community.

“David was a noted legal scholar, inspiring teacher, and successful academic administrator. He was also my favorite professor while I was a student at the law school and a mentor to me during the first years of my legal career,” said Casey D. Mahon (73BA, 76JD), one of several former students and colleagues of Vernon who have generously supported the endowment since its establishment. “It was only natural that I would contribute to an endowment in David’s name to help fund the salaries of the distinguished professors appointed to David’s chair.”

Vernon’s journey in academia was marked by notable achievements and contributions. With degrees from Harvard University and New York University, he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After teaching at leading institutions such as New York University Law School, the University of Houston Law Center, and the University of New Mexico School of Law, Vernon joined the University of Iowa in 1966. As dean of Iowa Law from 1966 to 1971, he introduced the innovative small-section program, providing first-year law students with a more personalized learning experience. 

Following his deanship, Vernon spent 30 years on the Iowa Law faculty and was named the Allan D. Vestal Professor of Law in 1986. His scholarly focus encompassed contracts, commercial law, and remedies. 

Since its establishment, the David H. Vernon Professorship has been held by remarkable scholars, with each named professor adding to its rich legacy. In 2006, Randall Bezanson (71JD), a former student of Vernon’s during his deanship, became the inaugural holder of the professorship and continued Vernon’s dedication to legal education and scholarship. After Bezanson’s passing in 2014, Sheldon Kurtz succeeded him as the next Vernon Professor. Both Bezanson and Kurtz, who joined the College of Law in 1973, served as deans of other law schools during their careers. 

In 2022, Professor Joseph Yockey, a nationally recognized scholar in the areas of corporate governance, organizational compliance, social enterprise, and higher education, succeeded Kurtz, who retired in 2021. “This is really the ultimate honor a person in my profession can achieve,” Yockey said. “It’s also given me even more motivation to try to do what I can to raise the profile of Iowa Law and help our students succeed.”

Vernon Fellowship Aims to Ensure Student Success  

Former College of Law associate dean and professor Marcella David, now a senior vice president, provost, and professor in the Business and Entrepreneurship Department at Columbia College Chicago, remembers Vernon not just as an outstanding scholar and teacher but a proud advocate of diversity in legal education. 

“He was the kind of legal educator I wanted to be: engaged in teaching that is robust and forward-thinking, a campus leader providing service to the college and university, and a professional committed to providing the broadest possible access across all dimensions of diversity,” David noted.

A little over a decade ago, David founded the David H. Vernon Fellowship to honor Vernon’s dedication to diversity. 

“From my perspective, we see the values that David inspired—diversity, access, engagement, professionalism—at risk in today’s supercharged, divisive political environment. So having two ways of honoring David’s commitment to these values in support of faculty and students is truly fantastic,” she added.

Gabriela Rivera Aponte (23JD) is the most recent recipient of the Vernon Fellowship and is now an incoming associate at McGuireWoods in Chicago.