In Memoriam
The Honorable Dolores K. Sloviter L’56 Was a Barrier Breaker and ‘Titan in the Law’
“Judge Sloviter fought for gender equality, tackling a long history of both racial and gender discrimination and inequities,” said Ted Ruger, Dean of the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School and Bernard G. Segal Professor of Law. “An antitrust lawyer of the highest order, she also expanded the Third Circuit’s focus on antitrust jurisprudence.”
Continually breaking barriers and leading the way for women to ascend to positions of prominence in the legal profession, Judge Sloviter was also the first female partner at a major Philadelphia law firm and the Circuit’s first female Chief Judge.
Judge Sloviter served on the Third Circuit for nearly 40 years, retiring in 2016. Her service included seven years as Chief Judge. She will be remembered as a champion of the rights of women, the incarcerated individuals, and the elderly.
At her induction ceremony, former classmate and then-Dean of Temple Law School, Peter Liacouras L’56, described Judge Sloviter as “thoroughly and meticulously prepared, prudently ambitious, selective in her choice of words, brilliant in her incisiveness, and respectful of the interests of the poor and minorities. She seemed destined for a constructive leadership role in this country.”
Several Penn Carey Law alumni clerked for Judge Sloviter, including Chris Haaf L’09, from 2012 to 2013. “She was pretty small (in stature) but she just had this huge presence,” said Haaf, founder of Chris Haaf Law PLLC in North Carolina. “You could tell how much respect she garnered from the other judges.”
Sandy Mayson, Professor of Law at Penn Carey Law, clerked for the judge during the same period as Haaf.
She considered it a privilege to clerk for such a “titan in the law.”
“She will be remembered as a trailblazing judge who issued too many landmark opinions to count, whose intellect was universally respected and admired, and who launched many a young lawyer on their own rewarding path in the law, especially young women.”
Liacouras recruited Judge Sloviter to teach antitrust law and civil procedure at Temple, where she served on the faculty from 1972 to 1979.
President Carter appointed Judge Sloviter to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in 1979, part of an emerging class of women judges.
On the bench, Judge Sloviter contributed to several legal decisions that impacted vital doctrinal areas of law. During her judicial tenure, Judge Sloviter authored more than 800 precedential opinions, including the landmark ACLU v. Reno, which established important legal parameters concerning First Amendment protections and the internet.
Former Chief Judge of the Third Circuit, the Honorable Theodore McKee said Judge Sloviter was “attuned to gender discrimination that was informed by her own experiences, but also was sensitive to racial discrimination.
“She was alert to manifestations of racism within the criminal justice system,” added Judge McKee, who remains a member of the Court.
During her first year on the bench, Judge Sloviter made a seismic statement when she declined to attend an annual event at the Union League in Philadelphia honoring Third Circuit judges because the Union League did not accept women as members. The Union League eventually reversed its position.
Throughout her term, Judge Sloviter remained ardently dedicated to ensuring that the most vulnerable community members were afforded equitable access to justice. She formed a Task Force on Equal Treatment in the Courts to examine racial and gender bias. She also turned her attention to the preparation of a casebook titled “Law and the Elderly” and became Vice Chair of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Senior Citizens Judicare Project, which aimed to make professional legal services available to needy elderly persons.
Despite her activism, Judge Sloviter never saw herself as a role model.
In a 1991 speech, she said: “For a long time, I felt like a token appointment as the first woman on the then 90-year history of the Third Circuit until I read that my counterpart, Judge Patricia Wald of the D.C. Circuit, said that we were not tokens, but beacons.”
Judge Sloviter is survived by her daughter Vikki Sloviter-Wheeler and four grandchildren.
1950s
Mr. Knox graduated from Central High School in 1947, from Lafayette College in 1951 and from the Law School at Penn in 1954. He also served in the Army in the 1950s as a German-language trained special agent in the Counter Intelligence Corps in Wurtzburg and Kitzigen, Germany.
Mr. Knox worked in many areas of the law over the years including civil and criminal litigation, real estate transactions, estate planning, and estate administration. Upon discharge from the Army, Mr. Knox was employed as a law clerk in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia for Judges John Morgan Davis, Raymond Pace Alexander, and Berel Caesar L’54, a law school classmate.
While clerking, he also practiced law. He was associated with the late Kip Denega in the trial of insurance subrogation cases. In criminal litigation, he was defense counsel in 50 homicide cases and many felony trials. In his private practice, Mr. Knox represented individual clients in civil transactions, formed business corporations, and wrote business contracts. He and his wife, Eileen, managed an office of 10 individual practitioners in the Land Title Building in Philadelphia for over 30 years. In 2014, Mr. Knox began working from home in the East Mount Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia with Eileen, who practiced with him for decades as a paralegal.
Mr. Knox was a sports coach and director of the Chestnut Hill Fathers Club and the Chestnut Hill Youth Sports organization, in which his sons participated. Mr. Knox also served on the board that organized lunches at the Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church.
Mr. Knox is preceded in death by two sons, Peter and Todd. In addition to his wife, Eileen, he is survived by sons Richard and Andrew, and by grandchildren John, Benjamin, Hannah, Ella, Kyle, Teddy, and Lucy.
Samuel “Bud” Diamond W’52, L’55, a lecturer in many departments at Penn who helped launch the nation’s first small business clinic at the Law School, passed away on September 15, 2022.
He was the co-founder of the law firm of Diamond, Polsky and Bauer in 1960. Mr.Diamond served clients until his retirement in 2010.
At Penn, he taught students in the general honors program. He also became the inaugural supervisor of a clinical program at the Law School that would focus on transactional lawyering on behalf of for-profit entrepreneurs and nonprofit entities. Today, it is known as the Entrepreneurship Clinic, and that model has been emulated by up to 100 or more law schools, underscoring Mr. Diamond’s major contribution to legal education at Penn and beyond.
He is survived by his wife, Miriam (nee Forman); his children Jonathan (Sandra Itkoff), Deborah (Jonathan Block), and David (Audrey Kraus); and grandchildren Leo, Kidist Rose, Aaron, Eli, Hannah, Harry, and Benjamin.
Mr. Whiteside was born and raised in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia. He was an all-star athlete at La Salle College High School, and then attended the University of Notre Dame, where he studied finance and played backup quarterback and defensive back on the school’s 1949 national championship football team. Following his graduation from the Law School at Penn, Mr. Whiteside served in the Air Force from 1954 to 1956, where he rose to first lieutenant and worked in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps.
Also in 1954, Mr. Whiteside married his wife, Eileen, whom he met on the Boardwalk in Ocean City. They lived in Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania and Cheltenham Township in Pennsylvania, where they raised their six children.
Mr. Whiteside began his 40-year career in 1956 at the firm that became Fox Rothschild. One of his longtime clients included the Community College of Philadelphia, which he represented from its founding in 1964 until his retirement in 2001.
Mr. Whiteside, an enthusiastic fan and supportive father of his son Gump, who played hockey at Rochester Institute of Technology in the 1980s, was eventually asked to serve as chairman of the school’s board of trustees. In 1997, he helped form a joint educational venture between RIT and the Croatian government, and he became a trustee for what is now RIT Croatia. He and his wife were the first non-Rochester resident recipients of the Nathaniel Rochester Society’s award for outstanding service to the school in 2003.
He was also a passionate leader and former Man of the Year for the Police Athletic League of Philadelphia; President of Notre Dame’s Philadelphia Alumni Club; on the board of directors and a charter member of the hall of fame at the Wissahickon Skating Club; and President of the board of trustees at Germantown Academy. He enjoyed travel, particularly with his family, and attending Broadway musicals with his wife. At age 75, he completed a 75-mile bicycle ride.
Mr. Whiteside was preceded in death by his wife, Eileen; son, Rick; and two sisters. He is survived by children Bill III, Mike, Gump, Mary, and Muffin; 11 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and a sister.
1960s
Born in Milton on Jan. 22, 1936, he was a son of the late Preston B. and Isabelle (Lindner) Davis. He was married to his loving wife Margaret “Meg” (Whitenight) Davis for 59 years until her passing on May 18, 2018.
Mr. Davis graduated from Milton High School Class of 1953 and magna cum laude from Dartmouth College in 1957. He earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania in 1960, where he served as editor of the Law Review. He clerked for one year for the Honorable Herbert F. Goodrich on U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals. He returned to Milton to work with his father, Preston B. Davis, in a firm that began in 1895. In 1970, R. Michael Kaar joined the firm, which became Davis, Davis, & Kaar.
Mr. Davis served as solicitor for Northumberland County from 1964 to 1969, Northumberland County Redevelopment Authority, the Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds, Milton Municipal Authority, Milton Regional Sewer Authority, Delaware Township, Mifflinburg Zoning Hearing Board and Lewis Township Zoning Hearing Board. He also served as a director of The First National Bank of Milton, Commonwealth Bank and Commonwealth Bancshares, as well as a member of the advisory boards for Meridian, CoreStates and Sovereign Banks. He was also a former director of SUN Home Health Services. He was a member of Northumberland County (Past President), Pennsylvania and American Bar Associations.
Mr. Davis lived a life of service. He was president of the Susquehanna Valley Area Council and later Susquehanna Council of the Boy Scouts of America. He was chairman of the Board of Tressler Lutheran Services Associates, vice-president of Hemlock Council, Girl Scouts U.S.A., chairman of Focus Central Pennsylvania, Past Master of the Milton Masonic Lodge, and on the boards of Milton Rotary, the United Way, Wynding Brook Country Club, and the Northumberland County Republican Party.
An avid golfer and Penn State sports fan, Mr. Davis was a member of the Penn State Wrestling Club, the Nittany Lion Club, and rarely missed a Penn State football game or annual NCAA wrestling championship event. He enjoyed tailgating with friends and family and hosted years of winter sports weekends at Penn State, spending time with his children and grandchildren.
Mr. Davis was a loving father and is survived by four children, Kerry Davis and wife, Judy of Sunbury; Kathy Hrenko of Kennett Square; Kirk Davis and wife, JoAnn of Blossburg; and Kelly Farquhar and husband, William of Newark, Delaware. He is also survived by a brother, W. Laurence Davis and wife, Catherine of Center Valley and nine grandchildren whom he adored, Kristopher Davis, Adam Hrenko, Rachel Davis Wright and husband, Jason, Aaron Hrenko, Zachary Hrenko, Jarrod Davis, Joel Farquhar, Katrina Davis and Justin Farquhar. In addition, he is survived by his sister-in-law, Mary Eleanor (Whitenight) Beaver, and brother-in-law, Gene Whitenight and wife Linda. He is also survived by his long-term legal partner, R. Michael Kaar; and executive team, Dana Ramsey and Vicki Lose.
Louis Nevins W’60, L’63, PAR’92, a longtime Washington, D.C., attorney and political enthusiast, died August 17, 2022. He was 84.
Mr. Nevins was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and attended the Wharton School and the Law School at Penn. Following graduation, his lifelong love of politics took him to Washington, D.C. He began his career as a lawyer at the Federal Housing Administration, but found his calling in legislative affairs, first for the National Association of Realtors, then as the director of the Washington office of the National Association of Mutual Savings Banks.
In the early 1980s, Mr. Nevins became a partner at Thacher Proffitt & Wood, opening the firm’s Washington office. In 1993, he began his tenure as president of the Western League of Savings Institutions. After retirement, he served on the board of the American Jewish Committee and led courses on politics and current events for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at American University.
In addition to being a steadfast supporter of Israel and a firm believer in engaging with different political views, he sat on the board of Big Brothers, Washington, D.C., served as the PTA president of Lake Normandy Elementary School, and chaired the Parents Committee at Amherst College, where he received the Distinguished Service award.
Mr. Nevins was remembered as a devoted husband to his wife, Sherry. He is also survived by children Elizabeth, Jennifer, and David; stepchildren Dana and Lorin; and was Papa Lou to Clara, Charlie, Liv, Jesse, Gillian, Lucy, Austin, and Theo.
David Dickey L’64, who served as a Deputy Attorney General in Pennsylvania and as Associate Counsel for the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission, died Oct. 10, 2022. He was 83.
Born in Chicago, Mr. Dickey attended Kennard-Dale High School in Pennsylvania. After graduating from Dartmouth College and the Law School at Penn, he was admitted to the Bar of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and to the Bar of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania in 1965. That same year, he was commissioned to the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General as Deputy Attorney General. He was also former Associate Counsel for the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission. Later, he practiced law at the firm of Roland & Schlegel in Reading, Pennsylvania.; in private practice in Greencastle, Pennsylvania; and in Berlin, New Jersey with the firm of Bell & Dickey.
Mr. Dickey was a 50-year member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association. Additionally, he served as a board member and officer of the Reading Symphony, and was also a member of Meyersdale Lodge 554 F&AM, Scottish Rite A.A.S.R., Valley of Harrisburg, Berlin Lions Club, and was former secretary of the Berlin Sportsman Association Inc. He loved spending time with family at the Clovernook Farm in Berlin.
Mr. Dickey was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Bruce. He is survived by his wife, Rebecca; brother John; sister-in-law Judith; stepsons Jonathan, David, and Joshua; nine step-grandchildren; a step-great-grandson; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.
The Honorable Bruce Kaplan L’65, who served as a judge in New York Family Court, died Nov. 23. He was 82.
Judge Kaplan was born in Brooklyn, New York, and attended Phillips Academy. Following graduation from Princeton University and the the Law School at Penn, he served as Law Secretary for the Honorable Bernard Meier and the Honorable Bertram Harnett. He later served two terms in New York Family Court under New York City Mayors Ed Koch and David Dinkins.
A passionate bibliophile and student of history, Judge Kaplan served on the board of Hampton Library in Bridgehampton, Long Island, for 12 years. He served as President there from 2014 to 2016, during which time he raised the largest appeal in the library’s history.
Judge Kaplan is survived by his loving wife, Janet; brother, Peter; nephew and niece Teddy and Jennifer; and grandniece, Clementine.
1970s
A graduate of Yale College and the Law School at Penn, Mr. Magliocco remained a dedicated and active alumnus of both schools, including service as a member of the Penn Carey Law Board of Advisors. He was a co-owner of wine and spirits distributor Empire Merchants and Chatham Imports, and he played an active role in managing and growing both entities throughout his career. Along with his two brothers, Mr. Magliocco was instrumental in restoring Michter’s American Whiskey.
Additionally, he was a trustee of Central Synagogue and a former trustee of the Ethical Culture Fieldston School, where he was a parent for 25 consecutive years. Along with his family, Mr. Magliocco was also a staunch supporter of NYU Langone Health for many decades. An avid follower of politics and sports, most especially his beloved New York Giants, and a lifelong learner in fields as diverse as classical music and Torah studies, he took special pleasure in bringing together family and friends over great food and wine.
Mr. Magliocco is survived by Carla, his wife of 42 years; children Daniel, Katharine, and Will; three grandsons; brothers John and Joe; and several relatives.
Mr. Ingram’s law career included time at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office and private criminal defense work. He was remembered for being well-prepared and zealous in defending his clients, in addition to being affable and respectful toward the tribunal and the prosecutors on his case. He “was welcome fresh air in the courtroom,” wrote former classmate and retired prosecutor George Shotzbarger G’75, L’78. “One might say that Gerry tried to bring more light than heat into the litigation.”
He is survived by his former wife, Gail Wilson L’80, and sons Malcolm and Jordan.
1980s
Ms. Reardon graduated from Central High School in 1976 before attending Dartmouth College and the Law School at Penn. In 1983, she joined the Manchester law firm of McLane, Graf, Raulerson & Middleton. She practiced there for five years while simultaneously serving two terms as a State Representative. In her second term, she was named Democratic Whip. In 1988, Reardon held a senior position on Paul McEachern’s campaign for governor, and later worked on the 2004 campaigns of John Lynch for Governor and John Kerry for President.
In 1989, she became a public defender, and three years later, was the inaugural Public Affairs Director for Planned Parenthood of Northern New England. When Jeanne Shaheen became Governor of New Hampshire, she hired Ms. Reardon as her legal counsel in 1997. When Shaheen was elected a U.S. Senator in 2009, Ms. Reardon accompanied her to Washington, D.C., serving as political strategist and Chief Counsel. During these years, Ms. Reardon was often featured in news outlets including The Washington Post, Politico, NBC News, and The Boston Globe. Over the years, Ms. Reardon advocated for increased education funding, protected abortion access, and expanded rights of LGBTQ individuals.
Ms. Reardon frequented political rallies and party meetings; passionately advocated blockage of Northern Pass, a controversial power line project from Canada through New Hampshire; and often volunteered for local political campaigns. More recently, she started a blog, ReardonReports, which offered her insights on New Hampshire politics. An adventurer, Ms. Reardon traveled the world with her older sister, State Rep. Patty Cornell (D-Manchester), including to Africa, Iceland, Italy, and U.S. state parks. She also loved horror films. She was remembered by colleagues and politicians for her tenacity, humor, brilliance, and big heart.
Ms. Reardon is survived by her sister, Patty; and cat, Huey.