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61 Tex. L. Rev. 13 (1982-1983)
Wit and Wisdom of Bernie Ward

handle is hein.journals/tlr61 and id is 51 raw text is: The Wit and Wisdom of Bernie Ward Charles Alan Wright* Who would not sing for Lycidas? he knew Himself to sing, and build his lofty rhyme. Bernard J. Ward died on May 7, 1982. It is a measure of how widely he was respected and loved by federal judges that on the morn- ing of his death I felt obliged to call a Justice of the Supreme Court, ten judges of the courts of appeals, scattered among the Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Ninth, and Eleventh Circuits, and district judges in New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and Texas. I did not call the Chief Justice of the United States. Bernie had served the federal judiciary so well in so many ways-most recently, by appointment of Chief Justice Burger, as a member of the Standing Committee on Rules of Practice and Pro- cedure of the Judicial Conference of the United States-that I thought it appropriate to write the Chief Justice and comment in a more formal way on the grievous loss the federal courts had suffered. In that letter I said what I strongly believe: there was not a law professor in the coun- try who was admired by, and a friend of, so many federal judges. The unhappy duty of conveying the sad news to so many of Bernie's friends was a welcome distraction at a time when my own heart was torn. Bernie and I had known each other since 1961. For the first four years or so we were acquainted in professional matters, but for the remaining years we were very close friends. For me his death was a tragedy, personally as well as professionally. In the early after- noon of that dreadful day his priest came by to give me a copy of The Catholic Burial Rite so that I could become familiar with the lesson I was to read at the funeral the next day. Father McCabe asked if I could think of any amusing stories about Bernie that he might use to lighten the funeral sermon. There were many wonderful stories about Bernie, I told him, but I could not think of one. My grief was too great for amusing anecdotes to come readily to mind. I promised to think on the matter and see if I could come up with anything. Then I had the wise idea of getting out the thick files of the corre- spondence I had had with Bernie over the years. Even during the years * Bates Chair for the Administration of Justice, The University of Texas School of Law. A.B. 1947, Wesleyan University; LL.B. 1949, Yale University.

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