Dean's Column

Paul L. Selby, Jr.
1924-99

Paul Selby served as the Dean of the West Virginia University College of Law from 1964-72, and as a member of our faculty until he retired as Professor Emeritus in 1989. The following remarks were presented at his memorial service.

The poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, tells us,
Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time.

Paul L. Selby, Jr. was a great man, and he leaves as a part of his legacy a law school, a legal profession, a community, and a state that is better because he shared his life and talents with us.

Paul was the dean of the West Virginia University College of Law when I was a student, and during the eight years he served as dean, nearly 1,000 law students passed through its doors. Each of his students was important to Paul, and he took pride in our accomplishments and would share in our disappointments. During his 25 years at the College of Law, he helped to shape a generation of lawyers, lawyers who are now leaders of the bar and of their communities, lawyers who hold important positions in all levels of government and in private businesses. He not only taught Contracts and Labor Law, he provided a role model we should all seek to emulate.

As the one who now occupies the dean=s chair, I have gained a new appreciation for the course that Paul charted for our College of Law and the challenges he faced as its dean. He loved the law school as in institution, and he served it so well as its steward. He recognized that law schools were the doorkeepers to the legal profession and believed deeply that the doors to both should be open to all who were qualified. Paul was proud to be a lawyer. While he was not blind to the faults of our profession, he sincerely believed that lawyers should be dedicated to helping others, were charged with the duty of safeguarding our liberties, and responsible for seeking justice through our legal system. The College of Law formally recognized Paul=s outstanding contributions and service to the legal profession by awarding him its highest honor, the Justitia Officium Award, in 1996.

While Paul Selby was an exceptional scholar, a beloved teacher, a valued colleague, and a skilled administrator, what truly distinguished him was the strength of his character. Undoubtedly Paul=s commitment to task and tenacity was influenced by his days on the campus of the Ohio State University. Paul was a football star at Ohio State. He played for the legendary coach, Paul Brown, and was a blocking back in the single-wing offense and a linebacker on defense. He was a member of the 1942 Ohio State football team that won the national championship. Paul was always physically strong and stayed in excellent shape and, until his illness in his later years, he looked like he could still play football. Those of us who have spent time with Paul on the golf course know that he never lost his competitive spirit or his desire to win.

While Paul was always physically strong, it was the strength of his character that will endure in our memory. Paul was a person of immense kindness and compassion. During his tenure as dean he worked hard to develop financial support for needy and deserving law students, and during his 25 years at the College of Law, he individually helped many, many students in countless ways that others never knew about. Even members of the faculty did not know of his many acts of kindness and good deeds. It was only as former students would return to visit and share with us stories of how Paul Selby helped them out in a time of need that we learned of Paul=s generosities. Many times, Paul would literally take money from his pocket and give it to a student who was facing a financial crisis, and on many occasions he would buy books or supplies for a student who had run out of money. Paul=s acts were motivated by caring. He told no one; he sought no recognition for his good deeds and, were it not for his former students who shared with us how Paul Selby touched their lives, we would not have learned of his deeds of kindness, and we will probably never know how many people Paul helped out in his own quiet, unassuming way.

Paul served a college administrator during one of the very difficult times of this century. He served as our dean in the late 1960's and early 70's. As many will recall, during that era there was much unrest and social turmoil throughout the country and on college campuses. In those troubled times, Paul was the voice of social conscience and of reason. He put principles ahead of expedience, and he put the good of the institution above his own. He made decisions based on what was right, not what was the least controversial. As a leader, Paul was aided by a sense of humor and, when he found it necessary, a willingness to state things bluntly so everyone would know exactly what he meant. Paul was also an intensely loyal person. He was loyal to his college, to his faculty, to his profession and, above all, to his friends.

He was a person of great integrity. Paul often used his legal skills as an arbitrator, and did much of his arbitration work in the coal industry. The relationship between labor and management, through much of the 1970's, was often very strained, and yet, Paul was so well respected by both sides for his fairness and integrity that he was selected to serve as the chief umpire of the Arbitration Review Board under the National Bituminous Coal Wage Agreement of 1978.

Finally, to think of what Dean Selby meant our law school community also means to think of the very special lady who was his wife of 54 years. Mrs. Selby is a lady of grace and charm, a warm and caring person, a source of strength and goodwill.

As those from the law school community know, I have a favorite quote, and while I have been unable to find the source of the quote in its present form, it is undoubtedly based upon a passage found in the Book of Deuteronomy in the Old Testament. The wisdom shared in the quote is that as we journey through life, we will all rest in the shade of a tree that we did not plant and drink water from a well we did not dig. With a simple elegance, these words remind us of how the efforts of one generation benefit the next. The water from the well that Paul Selby dug not only satisfies a thirst for knowledge, it also nourishes tolerance, understanding, fairness and equality. In my mind=s eye, the tree that Paul planted has grown into a mighty oak tree reflecting his strength of character and those who rest in its shade on a hot summer day include men and women, rich and poor, old and young, and people of all races and nationalities.

In the years ahead when our students return to the College of Law at the end of the summer, when football returns to college campuses, when autumn transforms the leaves of our hardwood forest to brilliant colors, I will be reminded of the man who was the dean when I was a student in our College of Law; who was the dean when I joined the faculty, and will be blessed by fond memories of my colleague and friend, Paul Selby.