Josiah H. Blackmore II
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Josiah H. Blackmore II Capital University President, 1988-98 Law School Dean, 1980-88 Professor Emeritus |
Josiah H. Blackmore’s influence in the history and continued viability of the Law School cannot be underestimated.
He was a solo practitioner when he came to the Law School in 1969 as an adjunct professor, teaching domestic relations law. He became a professor in 1970, and during his time with the Law School taught evidence, domestic relations, family law, constitutional rights, civil procedure, conflicts of law, justice, legal systems and professional responsibility.
He held the Law School’s first endowed chair, the Newton D. Baker/Baker & Hostetler Chair.
In 1979, he was named acting dean and then dean the following year. He oversaw the transition of the Law School into the former Grange Building on South High Street in Columbus.
One of his first goals was to acquire accreditation from the Association of American Law Schools – putting the school on equal footing with Ohio’s other law schools.
Blackmore became interim president of Capital University in 1987 and became its first non-Lutheran president in February 1988. He served until 1998. He continued to teach law as a part-time faculty member until 2006.
Blackmore passed away in 2007 after an extended illness. He was honored posthumously with a jointly named academic chair – the Josiah H. Blackmore II/Shirley Marie Nault Chair in Legal Education.