Kermit Lance Hall (August 31, 1944 – August 13, 2006) was a noted legal historian and university president. He served from 1994 to 1998 on the
Assassination Records Review Board
The President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992, or the JFK Records Act, is a public law passed by the United States Congress, effective October 26, 1992. It directed the National Archives and Records Administration (NA ...
to review and release to the public documents related to the
assassination
Assassination is the willful killing, by a sudden, secret, or planned attack, of a personespecially if prominent or important. It may be prompted by political, ideological, religious, financial, or military motives.
Assassinations are orde ...
of U.S. President
John F. Kennedy.
Biography
Hall was raised in
Akron, Ohio
Akron () is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Ohio, fifth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 190,469 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Akron metr ...
. His father, Kermit, was a tire builder, and his mother, Katherine, a bookkeeper. He was a
Vietnam era veteran
A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in an job, occupation or Craft, field.
A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in the military, armed forces.
A topic o ...
. He earned his bachelor's degree from the
University of Akron
The University of Akron is a public university, public research university in Akron, Ohio, United States. It is part of the University System of Ohio. As a STEM fields, STEM-focused institution, it focuses on industries such as polymers, advance ...
and master's degree in 1967 from
Syracuse University
Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York, United States. It was established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church but has been nonsectarian since 1920 ...
. He earned his Ph.D. degree from the
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...
in 1972. He also received a Master of Studies in Law (
MSL) degree from
Yale Law School
Yale Law School (YLS) is the law school of Yale University, a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was established in 1824. The 2020–21 acceptance rate was 4%, the lowest of any law school in the United ...
in 1980.
Over the course of his career, Hall held academic positions in the history departments at
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private university, private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provide ...
,
Wayne State University
Wayne State University (WSU) is a public university, public research university in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 375 programs. It is Michigan's third-l ...
, and
University of Florida
The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preem ...
. In 1992, Hall began a rapid ascent in higher education administration that included appointments at
University of Tulsa,
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...
, and
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University (NC State, North Carolina State, NC State University, or NCSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1887 and p ...
. He served as president of
Utah State University
Utah State University (USU or Utah State) is a public university, public land grant colleges, land-grant research university with its main campus in Logan, Utah, United States. Founded in 1888 under the Morrill Land-Grant Acts as Utah's federal ...
from 2000 to 2005, and in early 2005 he became the
seventeenth president of the
State University of New York at Albany. During a distinguished career as a scholar, he wrote six books and edited twenty-two, including the award-winning ''The Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court'' (second ed., rev. 2005), ''The Magic Mirror: Law in American History'' (1989), ''A Comprehensive Bibliography of American Constitutional and Legal History'' (1984), and ''The Politics of Justice: Lower Federal Judicial Selection and the Second Party System, 1829-1861'' (1979). He served on numerous editorial boards and edited several book series, including ''Bicentennial Essays on the Bill of Rights'' published by Oxford University Press.
He received fellowships and grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the American Council of Learned Societies, and the American Bar Foundation. In 1993, President
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...
appointed him to the Assassination Records Review Board, which reviewed and eventually released tens of thousands of documents pertaining to the death of President John F. Kennedy. After the board completed its work, Hall received in 1999 the James Madison Award from the
American Library Association
The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world.
History 19th century ...
for his commitment to openness in government. In recent years, Hall assumed the role of public intellectual. A frequent lecturer in both the U.S. and abroad, he provided expert commentary to the national media about the history of the U.S. Constitution and the Supreme Court.
Hall died of a heart attack on August 13, 2006, while swimming on vacation on
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. He was 61 years old.
A remembrance ceremony was held on August 14, 2006, at the Albany campus. The ceremony was attended by numerous campus leaders including Provost Susan Herbst, SUNY Chancellor John Ryan, Senator
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...
, Congressman
John E. Sweeney, and Albany Mayor
Gerald Jennings.
Personal life
He was married to Phyllis, and was survived by his sister, Mary Bouvier, as well as several nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews.
References
External links
UAlbany news releaseIn Memoriam: Kermit Hall January 2007, ''Perspectives'', American Historical Association
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hall, Kermit L.
1944 births
2006 deaths
Accidental deaths in South Carolina
American legal scholars
American legal historians
Presidents of University at Albany
Syracuse University alumni
University of Akron alumni
University of Minnesota alumni
University of Tulsa faculty
Presidents of Utah State University
Wayne State University faculty
Yale Law School alumni
20th-century American academics