Vernon Jordan gave the 16th Annual Joseph L. Rauh, Jr., Lecture on April 14, 2008, before more than 250 honored guests in standing room only capacity in the Window Lounge. Mr. Jordan described the extraordinary diversity of the 2008 political race as one taking place between a woman, an African American and a senior citizen—to much laughter. He educated the audience about the central role Mr. Rauh played in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Michael Rauh, Joseph Rauh’s son and chair of the School of Law’s Foundation, served as master of ceremonies. UDC Acting President Stanley Jackson welcomed the crowd. Dean Shelley Broderick gave a state-of-the-law-school update stressing the need for a building to house the School of Law. Wade Henderson, the Joseph L. Rauh, Jr. Professor of Public Interest Law at UDC Law, provided a wonderful introduction of Mr. Jordan, outlining his childhood and successes in his Civil Rights and Corporate careers. The audience also remembered two stalwart supporters of the School of Law, Mrs. Hilda Mason and Mrs. Olie Rauh, who always attended the Rauh Lecture.
Michael Rauh, Vernon Jordan, UDC Law Dean Broderick, UDC Acting President Stanley Jackson, Wade Henderson