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Philip E. Kaplan, ’04, age eighty-five, passed away peacefully on June 23, 2023. Phil graduated from Har- vard College in 1959 and the University of Michigan Law School in 1962. Originally licensed to practice law in Massachusetts, he and his family moved to St. Lou- is for a brief period as a field attorney for the National Labor Relations Bureau. Following his calling as a civil
rights attorney and so- cial activist, the family moved to Little Rock in 1967 where he founded the State’s first integrated law firm. Phil success- fully tried several land-
mark lawsuits, the most notable on behalf of the inmate population of the Arkansas prison system in a challenge to a law requiring equal treatment for creationism any time evolution was taught in the classroom. A proud and committed Arkansas and Little Rock resident for over fifty-five years, Phil served on many civic, religious and philanthropic boards, which included The Jewish Federa- tion, Temple B’nai Israel, Arkansas Symphony Orchestra,
Arkansas PBS, KUAR Public Radio and as the Chairper- son of the Arkansas Martin Luther King Commission. Phil is survived by Ruthe, his wife of sixty-two years, two children and three grandchildren.
Richard Allen Knudsen, ‘70, passed away May 5, 2023 after ninety-eight years of life. Dick graduated from high school in 1943 and enrolled at the University of Nebraska but cut that short to serve in combat during World War II in
the 69th Infantry Division. He returned to Nebraska to earn his BA in 1948 and
his LLB in 1950. Dick married Sally Stebbins in 1949. Dick served as President of the Lincoln Bar Association, Chairman of the Nebraska State Bar and Nebraska Bar Association President. Dick was predeceased by Sally and a child but survived by two children.
Judge Michael William Krumholtz, Sr., ‘07, gradu- ated from Denison University in 1976 and earned his J.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 1979. He joined the Montgomery Ohio County Pros- ecutor’s Office (1979-1981), before private practice, fol- lowed by serving as a judge on the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court from 2013 to 2022. Mike passed on April 20, 2023 at the age of sixty-nine, survived by his wife Janis, three children and two grandchildren. Mike was a dedicated sports fan, notably of teams all outside of Ohio (except for the Dayton Flyers). He was an avid collector of eclectic objects and a consummate storyteller.
George O. Lawson Jr., ’18, passed away on May 28, 2023 at the age of seventy-eight. George was born in New Jersey but his family returned shortly after to Cor- dele, Georgia where George grew up. George attended Morehouse College where he majored in biology. In 1965, George was drafted into the United States Army. After basic training and before reporting to duty at Fort Meade in Maryland, George married his college sweet- heart Jacquelyn Brown. Upon his discharge in 1967, George and Jackie returned to Atlanta where he began work in a hospital medical lab. He progressed through a number of leadership roles, eventually being named As- sistant Administrator of the hospital. During that time, he enrolled in Atlanta Law School at night on the GI Bill. George passed the State of Georgia Bar exam in 1976 and began practicing law the following year. Among the many distinctions in his legal career, George successfully defended a client against 224 felony charges — the larg- est indictment in the history of the State of Georgia. He was a lead defense attorney in the Atlanta Public School standardized testing case. George’s love for the game of golf began when he was working at Holy Family Hospi- tal; he would arrange his work schedule so that he could play golf with the doctors. He became a scratch golfer and won a new Cadillac by hitting a hole-in-one during a golf tournament in 2012. Our Treasurer, Rick Deane, had cases against George when Rick was in the U.S. At- torney’s Office. Rick recalls George as thorough, pro- fessional, formidable in court, and yet one of the nicest people he has ever known. Judges and opponents could absolutely rely on his word. George is survived by Jackie, their daughter and granddaughter.
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