Taft Among Group To Be Honored At Law Alumni Luncheon

The most famous graduate of the University of Cincinnati College of Law will join two more recent outstanding alums in being honored this month as members of the college’s 2005 class of Distinguished Alumni.

William Howard Taft, the only man to serve as both President of the United States and Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, will be honored on the 125th anniversary of his graduation from the college. Being recognized with him will be fashion industry leader Colombe M. Nicholas and leading Cincinnati attorney Michael H. Neumark Their accomplishments will be celebrated at the college Alumni Association’s Spring Alumni Luncheon on Friday, April 22, at 12:15 p.m. at the Phoenix.

Taft graduated from the college in 1880, and he returned to UC to serve as dean of the law school from 1896-1900. After serving in the Cabinet of Teddy Roosevelt, he himself was elected president in 1908. Later, he earned the job he was said to be most interested in all along, that of Chief Justice, in 1921. He led the Supreme Court until retiring in 1930, just one month before his death.

Nicholas was a 1968 graduate of the college who went on to become one of the most powerful leaders in the world of fashion. Over a career of more than 25 years, she spent terms leading fashion giants Anne Klein, Giorgio Armani, Health-Tex and Christian Dior. Currently, she is a consultant with Financo Global Consulting, and serves on the board for The Mills Corporation, Tandy Brand Accessories, Inc., and Sola International, Inc. She is also on the Board of Trustees at the University of Dayton, where she received her undergraduate degree.

Neumark graduated from the UC College of Law in 1970, and has made his mark in Cincinnati through his involvement not only with the firm of Thompson Hine LLP, where he is a partner, but through his commitment to the community and to improving the professionalism of lawyers in Cincinnati. In combination with his practice in corporate law and business organizations, Neumark has been a member of Thompson Hine’s executive committee for the last 12 years, a period of significant growth for the firm.

He also founded the Cincinnati Academy of Leadership for Lawyers (CALL), which promotes leadership, professionalism and high ethical standards among practicing lawyers. He is a past president of the Cincinnati Bar Association and is currently the first vice-president of the Board of Trustees for the Legal Aid Society of Cincinnati, in addition to numerous other community commitments.

For more information about the Spring Alumni Luncheon or the college’s Alumni Association, contact the College of Law’s Assistant Director of Development, Lauren Scharf, at 513-556-0071.