KU law school honors former law dean and two alumni at graduation ceremony

LAWRENCE -- The University of Kansas School of Law honored three men with ties to the school during its hooding ceremony May 19 at the Lied Center.

For his extraordinary achievements, dedication to justice and commitment to the legal profession, Judge James K. Logan received the law school's distinguished friend award.

The KU law school awarded two distinguished alumnni awards. Tyrone C. Means was honored for his contributions to the legal profession and his dedication to service and the community. John M. Rounds was honored for his exemplary achievements, dedication to excellence and commitment to the betterment of Kansas institutions of higher education.

A native of Quenemo, Judge James K. Logan received his undergraduate degree from KU in 1952. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa honor society and received a Rhodes scholarship. He earned his law degree from Harvard magna cum laude in 1955 and was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. After graduation, he served as a law clerk to Judge Walter Huxman of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, then entered private practice with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in Los Angeles.

In 1957, Logan returned to join the KU law faculty. An outstanding teacher and scholar, he became dean of the law school in 1961, reportedly the youngest law school dean in the country.

During Dean Logan's tenure, the curriculum expanded and the school lowered the number of required courses, emphasized writing and began requiring a senior thesis. Faculty members were encouraged to become active in scholarship, law reform and bar activities. The school doubled in size and its endowment more than doubled. The school's first modern clinics were created. In 1968, Logan left the law school first to run for the U.S. Senate, then to practice law in Olathe.

In 1977, he was appointed to the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Known for his intellect and compassion, he served with great distinction until retiring from the court in 1998.

Logan brought his considerable talents back to private practice, first with the Logan Law Firm and now with Foulston & Siefkin.

Although his formal association with the KU law school ended in 1968, Logan has remained involved with the school, serving as a member of the Board of Governors of the KU Law Society. He is a James Woods Green Medallion honoree.

Tyrone C. Means is a 1973 graduate of Morehouse College and a 1976 graduate of the KU School of Law. He was admitted to the Kansas bar in 1976, the Alabama bar in 1977 and the Georgia bar in 1998. He is a managing partner in the firm of Thomas, Means, Gillis & Seay in Montgomery, Ala. He has practiced law in Alabama for 25 years and served as the 2000-01 president of the Alabama Trial Lawyers Association, having previously served that organization as its treasurer, secretary and vice president.

Means is an outstanding lawyer with an extraordinary commitment to public service at all levels. He is general counsel for the Washington, D.C., Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Project Foundation Inc. Means is an active member of the Alabama Lawyers Association, the Alabama State Bar, the Montgomery County Bar Association, the Montgomery Trial Lawyers Association, the Montgomery County Inns of Court, the Alabama Law Foundation and the Alabama Civil Justice Foundation, serving on numerous committees and task forces. He has served on the boards of directors or trustees for countless organizations, including the YMCA and Jacksonville State University. He is grand attorney for the Grand Lodge of the State of Alabama, Prince Hall Masons. A loyal alumnus of the KU law school, Means was the speaker and honored guest at the school's 1999 Minorities in Law Banquet.

John M. Rounds came to KU from Caney in 1935 after attending Coffeyville Community College. At KU, he studied political science and met Paul E. Wilson, then also an undergraduate. Rounds entered KU's law school in fall 1936 and graduated in 1939. He was an outstanding student and was liked and respected by his classmates and teachers.

Following law school, Rounds entered the oil business and continued in that field for 30 years. In 1970, he turned his interest to commercial real estate. He brought to his professional life the intelligence and integrity he showed as a student and had a highly successful professional career.

Rounds has never forgotten his roots and has made his mark on Coffeyville Community College, the university and the law school through his great generosity. His gifts have resulted in the creation of a western civilization professorship that provides for the Coffeyville Honors Program, a unique partnership between Coffeyville and KU; a total renovation of the theatre at Coffeyville Community College; and two professorships at the law school, including one named in honor of his friend and classmate Paul E. Wilson.

A member of the KU Chancellors Club and a James Woods Green Medallion honoree, Rounds also has served on the Board of Governors of the KU Law Society.