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William O.E. Henry

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William O.E. Henry

William “Bill” O.E. Henry, once listed as one of the best lawyers in America, called himself a true Central Floridian. Born in Ocala, he received both journalism and law degrees from the University of Florida, worked at a newspaper in Ocala, and eventually became a partner at a law firm in Bartow.

Just out of high school, Henry served two years of active duty with the Navy. He was later commissioned and served 20 years as an officer in charge of a Naval Reserve Intelligence unit.

During his time at UF, Henry was active across the campus, where he served as editor of the All American 1949 Seminole Yearbook and the 1950 Summer Gator newspaper and helped produce Gator Growl. He was president of Sigma Alpha Epsilon social fraternity and a member of Phi Eta Sigma scholastic fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity, Sigma Delta Chi journalism honorary and Florida Blue Key.

Henry learned from the best when he entered the then small firm, Holland, Bevis, McRae and Smith in Bartow. In 1968 the firm merged with Knight, Jones, Whitaker & Germany, creating the state’s largest law firm. Henry moved to the Lakeland office to be closer to his clients and to become chairman of the firm’s executive committee and a team leader of his area of practice — corporate, tax, health, alternative dispute resolutions and trusts and estates.

Henry also served his profession by remaining active in The Florida Bar, where he held many positions, including president in 1983. He served for six years as a member of the board of governors and was the chairman of several Bar committees. He was also the president of The Florida Bar Foundation from 1988 to 1989, trustee of The Florida Bar Foundation Endowment Trust and chair of the Tax Section of the Florida Bar. Henry was also the first Floridian in 50 years to serve on the council of the Section of Business Law for the American Bar Association.

Henry’s legal talents were recognized countless times. He was awarded the Medal of Honor by The Florida Bar Foundation, the Outstanding Past-President award by the Voluntary Bar Association, and the Outstanding Tax Attorney in the State of Florida by the Tax Section of The Florida Bar.

A loyal alumnus to his alma mater, he served as president of the University of Florida National Alumni Association and was the recipient of the University of Florida Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1972.

Bill is survived by his wife, Mary; son Bob: daughters Jean Theobald and Carol Lee, and his grandchildren.

Published: June 27th, 2014

Category: Alumni

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The Florida Constitutional Law Endowment in memory of Justice Ben F. Overton was created by Judge Karen Miller in 2013. This fund supports lectures and presentations by Justices of the Florida Supreme Court at the Fredric G. Levin College of Law.

HISTORY

Justice Overton, who earned his B.S. in 1951 and his Juris Doctor in 1952 from the University of Florida, was the first merit appointment to the Florida Supreme Court. Throughout his career he was active in legal education and served as an Adjunct Professor at the Levin College of Law through December 2012, the month of his death. Although he resided at Oak Hammock at the University of Florida, a continuing care retirement community developed in cooperation with UF, he also considered the Florida Supreme Court “home.” Among the high points of his later years was hosting Justices of the Florida Supreme Court in Gainesville and taking his class to Tallahassee to hear oral arguments at the Florida Supreme Court.
Judge Miller, who earned her B.S. cum laude from New York University in 1974 and her Juris Doctor from New York Law School in 1977, served as Chief Administrative Law Judge of the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs, New York City’s business regulatory agency, before she retired to Oak Hammock at the University of Florida. Having accompanied Justice Overton on his excursions to Tallahassee and joined him in welcoming guests to Oak Hammock at the University of Florida, she created the endowment in memory of Justice Overton to ensure that the Levin College of Law continues to have the funding necessary to continue and enhance the interaction between its students and the Florida Supreme Court.

 

Judge Miller remembered the event that motivated the endowment.

 

Prior to a dinner at the home of Dean Robert Jerry and Lisa Jerry shortly after Justice Overton’s death, Justice Barbara Pariente and I were discussing a suitable memorial. Justice Pariente, who had been Justice Overton’s colleague on the Florida Supreme Court and who understood the importance to him of the interaction between his students and the Court, suggested the outline of what has become the Overton lectures. Dean Jerry, who has since retired, as has Dean Emeritus Jon Mills, who assumed responsibility for implementing the Overton lectures, were very supportive from the beginning. Since Dean Mills’ retirement, Professor Timothy McClendon, who assisted both Justice Overton and Dean Mills teaching Florida Constitutional Law and who co-authored the recent Florida Constitutional Law casebook, has continued the Overton lectures with the support of Interim Dean Merritt McAlister and CGR director, Professor Danaya Wright.

Justice Overton was a devoted jurist, educator, and ethical leader of the Florida legal profession. The Overton Lecture Series brings Florida Supreme Court Justices to the University of Florida, Levin College of Law, and serves to introduce students to the inner workings of the Court. CGR and the students of the College of Law extend our deepest gratitude to Judge Karen Miller for making the Overton Lectures possible in perpetuity.

You can watch an interview for the Florida Historical Society by Mary Adkins, professor emeritus of the UF Levin College of Law, with Justice Overton here.

Justice Overton was also interviewed for the Samuel Proctor Oral History Project and a transcript of his interview is available at the Smathers Library, and here.
Justice Overton sat on the Constitution Revision Commission of 1977-78 that proposed a right to privacy in the Florida Constitution. Although it failed as part of the Constitution Revision Commission recommendations, it passed in 1980 when proposed by the legislature. The bill was co-sponsored by our very own Jon Mills. The privacy provision prevailed by greater than 60%. Justice Overton then wrote a concurrence in a critical reproductive rights case in 1989 affirming that the privacy provision of the Florida Constitution included the right to obtain an abortion. That decision was overruled in Planned Parenthood of SW and Central Florida v. Florida. You can read about the role of Justice Overton, Jon Mills – director emeritus of CGR, and the history of the 1989 case here.