What a wonderful day for my family. The Washburn University School of Law presented the lifetime achievement award to my grandfather, William A. Smith, who graduated in 1914. Don and I went to the awards luncheon in Overland Park and our cousin, Merri, and her son met us there. Merri and Josh flew in from Austin.
Grandpa Judge was born in Valley Falls, Kansas, to a very poor family. During his early years he was faced with many challenges and considered "slow" by his teachers. He wore hand me down clothes and even had to wear his sister's old shoes to school.
In high school, Grandpa was ready to quit. He was tired of being considered stupid. But, the high school principal saw something in Bill Smith and encouraged him to become involved in debate. Grandpa realized that he could think of his feet and give a speech. The world opened up to him and he decided to attend Washburn University where he studied law.
After pursuing Pancho Villa and fighting in WWI, Grandpa became Assistant Attorney General of Kansas. He was then elected Attorney General where he fought the KKK and was successful in revoking their charter and thus making them illegal in Kansas. Even though crosses were burned in his yard, my grandfather did not back down. He fought the Klan in Kansas and won.
He was also proud of his battle against John Brinkley the goat gland doctor. This crazy son of a bitch convinced men that if they came to Milford and had the testicles of goats (yes, you read that right) implanted in their scrotums, their virility would be restored. I am not making this up. So, Grandpa got after him and his license was revoked.
Shortly thereafter, Grandpa was elected to the Kansas Supreme Court where he served from 1930 to 1957. He was Chief Justice when he retired. Like my dad, once he became a judge, that's what everyone called him.
Grandpa was friends with Alf Landon and rode the Sunflower Express with Alf during his ill-fated presidential campaign. No one ran for state office in the Republican party without asking my grandpa first. But his Republican party was the party of the little guy, the party of the disenfranchised, the party that was liberal and spoke for those who couldn't speak for themselves. NOT the repuglican party of today.
Grandpa Judge was against the death penalty, having had to sentence a man to die. He believed that someone needed to stand up for the little guy and that someone was him.
Every summer he and Grandma Ada went to Colorado, where my family would join them for 2 weeks in August. It was a wonderful time. Grandpa Judge was bigger than life and had a lap that could hold me for hours while I read to him. He knew that writing for me was a bit difficult because I am left handed, so he bought a blackboard and would sit and watch me write.
This man who started from very humble beginnings was a voracious reader, a lover of music, theatre and sports. He never learned to drive - - my grandmother drove him everywhere he needed to go and he never met a stranger. I can remember walking in the state capital with him and getting a bit impatient because he stopped and talked to everyone. Every. One. Every. Single. Person.
And, he loved Washburn University. His 3 sons graduated from there, 2 of whom (Walker and Don) went on to law school. All three of Don's kids went to Washburn; Brother and me got our law degrees and Baby got her undergraduate (and Mrs.) from there.
It was time for him to be recognized by the Alumni Association, if you ask me.
This is Don looking at the awards luncheon program. You can't tell, but he is looking at the page that contains Grandpa's photo and biography.
Don accepted the award on behalf of our family. He was quite articulate and appropriate. Not like he is in real life.
This is Don, Merri and Josh after the luncheon. I'm not in the photo because someone had to actually take the picture, right?
Baby had an exam in a summer class she is taking at K State this summer so she couldn't attend the luncheon. After her exam, she picked up Mom and they met the rest of us in Kansas City for a mini reunion.
Kim brought a box of old pictures of Uncle Walker and Aunt Nita (Merri's parents) and it was fun to go through them with Merri.
Josh and Merri flew back to Austin, but promised to come back for a longer visit.
Don and I drove back to Wamego by way of Lawrence and Topeka.
Can I just say that today I was especially glad to be a Smith. I come from very good stock.
