These outstanding graduates demonstrate a sustained dedication to the values of justice, ethics and integrity through distinguished professional accomplishments. Distinguished alumni are nominated by School of Law graduates.
Year Name
1983 The Honorable Robert McBride '34
1985 Jack Patricoff '31
1986 Sara R. Levine '30
1987 Herbert Jacobson '34
1988 William Wolff, Sr. '31
1989 Mathias Heck, Sr. '30
1990 Joseph E. Keller '29
1991 Ralph J. Hanaghan '30
1991 The Honorable Rodney M. Love '33
1992 Patricia H. Roll '78
1993 The Honorable Barbara P. Gorman '77
1994 Thomas P. Whelley II '77
1995 Arvin S. Miller '84
1996 A.J. Wagner '77
1997 The Honorable Daniel G. Gehres '78
1998 William H. Frapwell '77
1999 Meyer Dreety '34
2000 Dennis Lieberman '78
2001 Steve Yuhas '85
2002 Harry Beyoglides '78
2003 Gary Shaengold '81
2004 The Honorable John M. Durkin '85
2005 Michael B. Coleman '80
2006 The Honorable Mary Donovan '77
2007 The Honorable Mary Kate Huffman
'90
2008 Walter Reynolds '78
1983: The Honorable Robert McBride '34
The Honorable Robert McBride graduated from the University of Dayton with a Bachelor of Arts in 1932 and from its College of Law with a Bachelor of Laws in 1934. In 1946, he became a judge on the Dayton Municipal Court, and in 1953 on the Court of Common Pleas. After retiring from the Court of Appeals, where he served from 1974 to 1981, Judge McBride sat on occasional panels for several years.
Judge McBride was honored in 1992 as one of the founding fathers of the Ohio Judicial Conference for his 1960 presentation of its founding constitution. He also was a leader in the development of pattern jury instructions, published under the title Ohio Jury Instructions.
1986: Sara R. Levine '30
Sara Rubenstein-Levine was born January 2, 1908. She graduated from Steele High School in Dayton. After one year of pre-law at Ohio State University, she enrolled at the University of Dayton and in 1930 became one of the few women to receive a law degree from the University’s law school. In the same year, she was admitted to the Ohio Bar, and in 1935 she was admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court.
Mrs. Levine engaged in a very limited law practice, devoting most her considerable energies to her family’s business, Rubenstein’s Department Store in Dayton. She retired in 1982. In 1984, the School of Law honored Mrs. Levine and other early graduates with the Juris Doctor degree. Through the generosity of Mrs. Levine, the Rubenstein-Levine Scholarship Fund was established at the University of Dayton in 1984 to assist deserving students attending the School of Law.
Mrs. Levine was a very active member of Temple Israel. She was honored for her charitable and civic interests by memberships in the University of Dayton President’s Club, The President’s Club at Children’s Medical Center, and the Wright State University President’s Club. The University of Dayton School of Law Alumni honored her with the award of Outstanding Alumna in 1986. She passed away three years later in 1989.
1987: Herbert Jacobson '34
Herbert Jacobson graduated from the University of Dayton College of Law in 1934 with a Bachelor of Laws. In 1946, Mr. Jacobson became the assistant county prosecutor for Montgomery County. He became the first assistant prosecutor in 1960, and 15 years later he was designated as the chief trial counsel in the prosecutor’s office. In 1976, Mr. Jacobson was honored by the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association as Outstanding Assistant Prosecutor of the Year. He died in 1990.
1988: William H. Wolff, Sr. '31
William H. Wolff, Sr., graduated from the University of Dayton College of Law in 1931. He was a judge of the Dayton Municipal Court from 1936 until 1943. Mr. Wolff engaged in the private practice of law from 1931 until 1936 and from 1943 until his retirement in 1992. In addition to his private law practice, Mr. Wolff also served as an Assistant Montgomery County Prosecutor from 1943 until 1951 and from 1972 until 1992.
Mr. Wolff passed away in 1994.
1989: Mathias H. Heck '30
Mathias H. Heck graduated from the University of Dayton College of Law in 1930. A number of things have changed since 1930. Tuition for full time students was $180 each semester, and lodging added an additional $100. The University Bulletin noted that the Law Library “contains a sufficient number of federal and state reports and digests besides the standard textbooks and encyclopedias to accommodate the students.” What never changed were Mat Heck’s attributes of personal character, which attracted the trust and confidence of people around him, and his loyal support of the University of Dayton.
Mr. Heck cultivated these attributes early in life with hard work on the family farm in Trotwood, Ohio. There the family of eight grew vegetables that Mat, while he was in law school, delivered fresh each morning before sunrise to the wholesale markets in Dayton. He attended Madison Township schools, graduating from Madison High School in 1923. Following high school he entered the insurance business. In addition to delivering the family’s farm produce, Mr. Heck sold insurance during the day to finance his education at the University of Dayton at night. Graduating as the president of his law school class, he entered the practice of law that same year in downtown Dayton.
In 1933 Mr. Heck was elected the Justice of the Peace of Madison Township. In 1937, he was appointed Assistant Attorney General of the State of Ohio. Mr. Heck was also one of the original incorporators of the Imperial State Bank of Vandalia.
His distinguished legal career includes four terms as Prosecuting Attorney for Montgomery County from 1945 to 1961. In 1946 he successfully prosecuted Bugs Moran, the infamous criminal who fought with Al Capone over Chicago gangland territory. Mr. Heck once wrote: “I chose the office of Prosecuting Attorney as I like people in all walks of life, and I knew I could be of great service to the people of this county be serving them as their dedicated and impartially-minded Prosecuting Attorney.”
On March 11, 1989, alumni of the University of Dayton School of Law gathered to honor Mathias Heck as our Most Distinguished Alumnus, an award to affirm the career and life of a man dedicated to serving the law, his community and his family. Mr. Heck served on the School of Law’s Board of Visitors, on the Alumni Association Board of Trustees, and was a member of the University of Dayton’s President’s Club. He was also a supporter of the Program in Law & Technology at the School of Law.
Mr. Heck lived a life that earned the trust of the citizens of the Miami Valley, inspired the confidence of those around him, and piloted a distinguished legal career. It was for these reasons that the University of Dayton conferred its highest award, the Honorary Degree of the Doctor of Humane Letters, upon him on May 14, 1994. He passed away that year.
Born on a farm, Mr. Heck was actively engaged in his own farm all of his life. Known as the Circle K Ranch in Brookville, Ohio, his farming operation included herds of Black Angus cattle as well as a rare breed of cattle called Scotch Highland. When his sons Mat Jr. and Tom were home, the ranch also included some horses for recreation and enjoyment. Mr. Heck and his wife of 48 years, Lucille, raised two sons. Mat Jr. is currently Montgomery County Prosecutor, following in his father’s footsteps. Dr. Thomas Heck is a physician practicing in Dayton, Ohio. He also had four grandchildren, Tiffany, Mathew, Christopher and Andrew.
Many Brookville residents have wonderful memories of Mr. Heck, his wife Lucille, and his beloved Circle K Ranch. Writing for the Brookville Star, Bob Fox wrote, “I remember I used to go out to Mat Heck’s house to fix his TV set in the good old days, and before I would leave, Mr. Heck would always fill a sack with goodies out of his garden.”
The drama of the law and the preeminent role of justice in our society, qualities that Mr. Heck so clearly embodied for a lifetime, are reflected in the physical character of the Mathias H. Heck Courtroom. His ardent support for the use of technology in strengthening our justice system is also represented by the sophisticated computer, video, and audio technology that is a hallmark of the model courtroom.
1990: Joseph E. Keller '29
Joseph E. Keller was born in Dayton, Ohio, in 1907. His family members were among the earliest settlers in the Miami Valley. Early in his life he and his family recognized the excellent educational opportunities available at the University of Dayton. He first graduated from the University of Dayton Preparatory School in 1924, then earned a law degree in 1929 and finished with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1930. The degree of doctor of jurisprudence was bestowed upon Mr. Keller in June 1935 at Georgetown University. In 1991, the University of Dayton conferred its highest award by presenting Mr. Keller with the Honorary Degree of the Doctor of Humane Letters.
While a student at the University of Dayton, Mr. Keller’s ardent interest in journalism persuaded him to serve as editor of The Exponent, the university’s literary magazine. His substantial business acumen served him well as the business manager of The Daytonian, the university’s yearbook. After winning a $50 award for the best-written student review of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mr. Keller wrote film reviews for the Journal Herald, one of three local newspapers in Dayton. During his freshman year, he won the George V. Naureth prize for excellence in constitutional history.
After graduation Mr. Keller accepted a faculty position at the University of Dayton College of Law where he taught from 1930-1934. In addition to law courses, he taught a journalism course and also served as faculty advisor for the University News, named the best biweekly college newspaper in Ohio. During this same time he served as judge of the Municipal Court of Oakwood.
In 1934 he accepted a position in Washington, D.C., as administrative assistant to the Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission. Here Mr. Keller flourished, employing his formidable knowledge of the law as well as his natural journalistic talents. After leaving government service, Mr. Keller joined a private law practice in 1938 where he remained until founding his own D.C. firm, Keller and Heckman, in 1955. He gained a national reputation as a leading expert in the fields of communications law and private carrier law.
Throughout his life Joe Keller was devoted to his faith, his family, his university and law school, and the others in need. His charitable giving and support was remarkable. Mr. Keller generously gave his time and talent to many, including extensive volunteer work for a number of prominent organizations. For more than 40 years, he was active in the Gorgas Institute of Tropical and Preventative Medicine, serving as general counsel. He also served as general counsel for the Katherine Pollard Maddux Mental Health Association, which addresses the special mental health needs of preschool children.
For more than four decades Mr. Keller lent his considerable talents to the Boy Scouts of America. He received the Silver Beaver Award, the highest scouting award, and the St. George medal, the highest Catholic scouting service award from the Archdiocese of Washington. He is widely credited for his work in racially integrating the Boy Scouts of America in the Washington, D.C., area.
Mr. Keller was also instrumental in establishing the International School of Law, which later became the George Mason University School of Law. In addition, when no bar examination review programs could admit black graduates, he started a bar examination for black law graduates. He often invited law students, particularly those who lived in the Dayton area, to live in his home rent-free if they needed a place to stay while attending school.
For many years after the normal retirement age, Mr. Keller would still go to his office every day. "I’d just get into trouble if I quit working," he said.
Initially declining an invitation by the University of Dayton to be publicly recognized for his generosity to the university, Mr. Keller said, “I’ve always been interested in helping people to be good lawyers. My roots came from the University of Dayton. It’s the only place I feel I ever got an education.” University officials finally convinced him to allow the new School of Law building to bear his name, which it proudly does – Joseph E. Keller Hall. Sadly, Mr. Keller never saw the completed facility; he passed away in 1994.
1991: Ralph J. Hanaghan '30
Ralph Hanaghan was born to very modest circumstances and lived within the shadow of the University of Dayton campus. He was the son of immigrants and was the first member of his family to attend college. Had it not been for the generosity of the university and its law school during the Depression, the direction of his life would have been substantially different.
Mr. Hanaghan practiced law in Dayton for 50 years. He was recognized as a skilled litigator and for his wise counsel to many families and businesses. He died in 2003.
1991: The Honorable Rodney M. Love '33
The Honorable Rodney M. Love was an active-retired and visiting judge by assignment of the Supreme Court of Ohio. He was also an ex-Congressman for the state of Ohio. Judge Love received his Bachelor of Science in political science from The Ohio State University in 1930 and his Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Dayton in 1933. He practiced law in Dayton for more than 50 years and passed away in 1996.
He was president of the Dayton Bar Association and served on the board of directors for the Ohio Mental Health Association, Community Mental Health and Retardation. He was a past president of the Board of Trustees of the Ohio Soldiers and Sailors Committee in Dayton and of the Federal Bar Association. Additionally, he was a member of the Ohio Common Pleas Judges’ Association and of the Ohio Association of Probate Court Judges, where he also served as president.
Admitted to the Ohio Bar Association in 1933, Judge Love practiced law in Dayton from 1933 to 1945. In 1945 he became Deputy Chief of Montgomery County Probate Courts. From 1945 to 1960, he was a Probate Judge in Montgomery County and a member of the 89th Congress from the 3rd District of Ohio. The Dayton-based law firm of Smith & Schnacke had the honor of his professional expertise as a law partner from 1960 to 1964, and from 1967 to 1969. In 1965 he was the United States Representative for the 3rd District of Ohio and a member of the House Armed Services Committee. From 1969 until his retirement, he was Judge in the Common Please Court in Montgomery County, Ohio.
1992: Patricia H. Roll '78
The wife of John M. Roll M.D. and mother of seven children, Mrs. Roll entered the University of Dayton School of Law at age 45. Her generous welcome by students and faculty made these the happiest and most satisfying years of her life. Mrs. Roll was a first-year Moot Court winner, casenote editor of the Law Review, and graduated Magna Cum Laude.
She remained with the School of Law for fourteen more years, with her duties ranging from general administration to academics as an Associate Dean to Admissions, Law Library and Career Services. Her greatest pleasure was teaching Legal Research and Writing. Mrs. Roll was a caring source of wise advice and counsel to a generation of law students, faculty, and deans. She passed away in 2004.
1993: The Honorable Barbara P. Gorman '77
Judge Barbara Gorman is a 1977 graduate of the University of Dayton School of Law. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Marquette University in 1970 and her Master’s degree in psychology from the University of Dayton in 1974. She is currently a judge with the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas.
After graduating Summa Cum Laude from the School of Law, she worked for Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office in the civil division for nine years and then joined the criminal division in 1986. In 1987, Judge Gorman was the first woman to be named to the general division court. She was nominated as a finalist for the Dayton YWCA’s Outstanding Career Woman Award in 1988. In addition, she received an award as one of Dayton’s first “Up & Comers for those People under 40.” Judge Gorman is a member of the Law Board of Visitors.
1994: Thomas P. Whelley II '77
Thomas P. Whelley II is a lawyer at Chernesky, Heyman & Kress P.L.L. and an adjunct professor at the University of Dayton School of Law teaching Civil Trial Practice. He has wide experience in the preparation of complex business litigation cases, the defense of employment law cases, and other litigation matters. He holds a J.D. from the University of Dayton School of Law, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the law review, a Master’s from the University of Scranton, and an A.B. from Kings College. After graduating from law school, Mr. Whelley became a lawyer at Smith& Schnacke in Dayton for 12 years and then became a partner in the law firm Thompson, Hine & Flory. In 1992 he joined Chernesky, Heyman & Kress P.L.L. as head of its litigation group.
A Master of the Carl D. Kessler Inn of Court, Mr. Whelley is also a member of the Ohio Civil Trial Lawyers Association and the Defense Research Institute. He has been president of the Legal Aid Society of Dayton, has been on the board of directors for the Dayton chapter of the American Red Cross, and is a former chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Western Ohio Chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society, and has been on the board of trustees and of legal council to both the Youth Drug Program and to Aware, Inc. In addition, Mr. Whelley was the 1998 co-chairman of the Montgomery County Bench Bar Conference and has been president of UDSL’s Board of Advisors.
1995: Arvin S. Miller '84
Arvin S. Miller is the Criminal Clinic Coordinator and Visiting Assistant Professor at the School of Law. He was admitted to the Bar in 1984 after receiving his Juris Doctor from the University of Dayton School of Law and his Bachelors of Arts in 1978 from Miami University. Mr. Miller was an instructor of law at the University of Dayton School of Law for two years and was then assigned as assistant prosecuting attorney for Montgomery County in 1988. During this time he also served as an adjunct professor for the law school. He became a public defender in 1996 before coming back to the School of Law full time in 2004.
A member of the Ohio Supreme Court and Ohio Bar Association Civil Legal Needs Assistance Improvement Committee, Mr. Miller is also on the board of trustees and is a past president of the Greater Dayton Volunteer Lawyers Project. He is also a member of the Carl Kessler Inns of Court and is on the board of directors for the Dayton Legal Aid Society. Mr. Miller was honored by the American Bar Association in 1991 with the Pro Bono Publico Award where he was recognized for creating and developing the Greater Dayton Volunteer Lawyers Project. Read more about Mr. Miller here.
1996: A.J. Wagner '77
A. J. Wagner is a 1977 graduate of the University of Dayton School of Law. He is a former Montgomery County Auditor and remains a partner in the law firm Shively & Wagner in Dayton. He is also a past president of the law school's alumni association.
Mr. Wagner received his undergraduate degree in elementary education from the Franciscan University of Stuebenville. He has worked as a teacher, probate court referee, and acting judge in the Dayton Municipal Court before establishing a private legal practice. Mr. Wagner has served as a trust officer for Society Bank and is a member of the board of trustees for the Miami Valley Regional Transit authority in 1986. He has also served on the Dayton Civil Service Board.
Involved with other area politicians prior to running for county auditor, Mr. Wagner ran the re-election campaign for Mayor Richard Clay Dixon and served as treasurer for County Commission President Chuck Curran during his state senate campaign. Mr. Wagner has also sat on the Democratic Central and Executive Committees.
1999: Meyer Dreety '34
For 1934 UD law graduate Meyer Dreety, the old-fashioned way was still the best way to do business in the legal profession. He drafted wills in pencil and sent them to a typist. He charged primarily by the job rather than the hour, and he built his practice one piece of advice at a time. “It’s still a small community,” he said. “If you want to build a practice, sometimes you do a lot for nothing. If people come in and want advice, you give them advice and don’t charge for it and hope they remember that when they need you for something else.”
Building a law practice wasn’t easy during the Great Depression. “Before I ever got anywhere, I went through a starvation period of four or five years,” he said. Not long after he started establishing his practice, the United States entered World War II; Mr. Dreety enlisted, went through two tours of basic training and was assigned to a New Jersey base, where he served as an unofficial legal adviser.
After 14 months, he was promoted to sergeant, sent to officer candidate school and later assigned as a second lieutenant to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. There he would work in the base’s legal offices in both active-duty and civilian roles until he retired as a colonel in the Air Force Reserves in 1976 and as a civilian in 1977. As member of the Armed Services Procurement Committee, Mr. Dreety helped draft armed services procurement regulations and helped try a case before the U.S. Supreme Court. He also served on active duty in the Korean War.
When he retired, a former colleague from the base asked Mr. Dreety to mind his Englewood firm while he was away. The attorney then called Mr. Dreety and said he wasn’t coming back. Mr. Dreety was out of retirement, working 20 hours a week even at age 90, until he finally retired for the second time in the late 1990s.
Mr. Dreety served as president of the Federal Bar Association from 1971 to 1972. He received the association's Distinguished Federal Lawyer Award in 1973 and the USAF's Meritorious and Exceptional Civilian Service Medals. He also helped establish the Wright-Patt Credit Union and served on its board of directors for more than 40 years. Mr. Dreety passed away in January of 2005.
2000: Dennis Lieberman '78
A graduate of Miami University, where he received his undergraduate degree, and the University of Dayton, where he received his law degree, Dennis Lieberman is a partner at Flanagan, Lieberman, Hoffman & Swaim. He is also the chairman of the Montgomery County Democratic Party. Mr. Lieberman has judged moot court competitions, spoken to student groups, and helped with class reunions for the School of Law. He was also a member of the 1996 Electoral College for Ohio.
2001: Steve Yuhas '85
Steve Yuhas received his undergraduate degree in criminal justice from the University of Dayton in 1982 before receiving his law degree three years later. He has been an attorney with Flanagan, Lieberman, Hoffman & Swaim in Dayton for 15 years, practicing workers’ compensation, personal injury, divorce and criminal law. Active in the School of Law Alumni Association for several years, he currently serves as president for the organization.
2002: Harry Beyoglides '78
When Harry Beyoglides reflects on his decision to become a lawyer, he recalls thinking that practicing law “would be a good profession in which to help people.” More than 25 years later, with his law firm Johnson, Douple, Beyoglides & Leve in Dayton, he is not disappointed.
After graduating from the University of Dayton School of Law, Mr. Beyoglides remained active in the school’s alumni association, serving as president for six years. “I think I had the longest tenure as president than any of my predecessors or successors,” he said, laughing. “I enjoyed doing it, but I thought it was time someone else had the opportunity.”
While president, Mr. Beyoglides judged moot court proceedings and raised funds for the construction of Joseph E. Keller Hall. He also took part in developing an interfaith prayer service, which invites people of Dayton’s law community once a year to join together in worship.
Thrilled with his entire experience with UDSL, Mr. Beyoglides finds it difficult to single out an activity or event as most memorable or fulfilling. However, he is honored and humbled by the school’s offering him the Special Appreciation Award in 1999 for service to the law school and this 2002’s Distinguished Alumnus Award for his practice in law and his giving to the school and the community. “I’m very honored,” he said. “But I don’t think this is an award just for me. It’s more like a team award.”
2003: Gary Schaengold '81
Gary Schaengold, a partner at Eilerman, Schaengold & Donahue and a magistrate for the Fairborn (Ohio) Municipal Court, has had many opportunities to make the University of Dayton School of Law proud. A longtime UDSL volunteer, he is a past president and secretary of the alumni association, where he also has chaired the communications committee that created a liaison position on the law school’s advisory council, effectively opening up communication between the two groups. “In the early 1980s, the alumni association was a fledgling organization,” Mr. Schaengold said. “We have grown in the number of people who are actively involved, which has enabled committees to provide more assistance to the school. We’ve become a successful and functional organization.” Mr. Schaengold now serves on the UDSL Advisory Council.
With his time divided between his duties as a magistrate and his general practice, Mr. Schaengold, who also serves as treasurer and member of the board of trustees of the Dayton Bar Association, said that he doesn’t get bored. Described as a renaissance man when he was featured as Barrister of the Month in “Dayton Bar Briefs,” Mr. Schaengold is currently the treasurer and member of the Board of Trustees of the Dayton Bar Association. With his wife, Anita, he co-hosts “Simply Trivia,” a monthly call-in radio show on WYSO-91.3FM.
2004: The Honorable John M. Durkin '85
John M. Durkin has been a judge in the Mahoning County Court of Common Pleas since 1997. Prior to his election he was in private practice, handling medical malpractice, personal injury, and criminal defense litigation. Judge Durkin is a past president of the Mahoning County Bar Association, past chairperson for the Certified Grievance Committee, and currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Bar Association.
Judge Durkin established the Mahoning County Felony Drug Court and continues to preside over the court along with his regular docket. That program has been recognized as a Mentor Court by the United States Department of Justice. The Mahoning County Bar Association selected him as Lawyer of the Year in 1997. He has received the Community Corrections Association Public Service Award, the Community Service Award from TASC, and the Peace Award from the Mayors Task Force on Crime and Violence.
A graduate of the University of Dayton, Judge Durkin received both his Bachelor of Arts and his Juris Doctor from the college. He has served on the faculty of the Ohio Judicial Conference and currently sits on their Executive Committee. Judge Durkin has lectured for the Mahoning County and Ohio State Bar Associations, the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, and the Ohio Judicial Conference.
He resides with his wife, Monica, and their three children.