Senior Partner, Lewis, White & Clay
Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters
1991
Citation:
Respected for your support of education and your involvement in civic and professional organizations, you have earned a reputation as one who cares about and works hard for his city. As senior partner of one of the most important law firms in the city, you have dedicated yourself not only to excellence but also to helping Detroit. After receiving your juris doctorate from the University of Michigan in 1970, you spent just two years as a law clerk and associate attorney before forming your own firm. As a role model for the African-American community, you have committed your time to many civic organizations including service on the board of directors at Harper-Grace Hospitals, Greater Detroit Area Hospital Council and the Metropolitan Center for High Technology. Your involvement in higher education began twenty-one years ago as a charter member of the board of trustees of Oakland University. You presently sit on the board of the Center for Creative Studies College of Art and Design and you have served as a vice president of the Michigan Association of Governing Boards of Colleges and Universities. As a distinguished attorney, you are an active participant in countless legal organizations including the American, National, Wolverine and Detroit Bar Associations as well as the State Bar of Michigan. In recognition of your many years of public service, as well as your noteworthy achievements in the legal profession, the University of Detroit Mercy is pleased to award you an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degree. Commencement, University of Detroit Mercy, School of Law, May 12, 1991.