A LOOK BACK: KAPPA HISTORY
Nationally acclaimed Chicago artist Shawn Michael Warren was com- missioned to complete the portrait of Dickerson. He was referred for the commission through Gallery Guichard fine art studio owners Andre Guichard (Kappa Alpha 1987) and his wife Fran- ces Guichard (AKA). Warren’s painting held additional significance in that it is the first portrait created by an African American to be displayed in the hall of the Law School. The Greater Beta Alumni Association financed the fram- ing for the picture of their revered Beta Chapter charter initiate. The unveiling of the 58” x 46” portrait occurred at the Law School on September 27, 2021. Before the unveiling, remarks were given by Dean Miles, Professors Hubbard, Fairley, and McAdams, in addition to Andre and Frances Guichard, who introduced the artist, Mr. Warren, for further com- ments. Warren explained the method of study he employed to capture Dick- erson’s essence. Once the maroon veil was lifted to reveal the portrait, guests marveled at the realistic facial features and Dickerson’s demanding persona captured in the oil painting. University of Chicago Provost Ka Yee Christina Lee, followed by stating, “Dickerson is the first person of color to have a portrait who did not teach at the Law School.” During a post-unveiling interview, Dean Miles, Professors McAdams, Fairley, and Hubbard shared their perspectives on Dickerson and the conference. Dean Miles spoke of Dickerson’s perseverance - “One of the things we learned about his life, that most of us within the Law School com- munity didn’t appreciate before the centennial celebration and conference, was that there was someone who faced incredible discrimination in his time, and yet he suspended his education of the Law School to serve the same country that discriminated against him in World War I. He was obtaining his law degree and graduating…in 1919 on the southside where the race riots were
Kappa Alpha Psi is most apprecia- tive of the graciousness provided by the University of Chicago Law School, Dean Miles, Associate Dean Marsha Ferziger Nagorsky, Professors McAdams, Hubbard, and Fairley for delivering vital information for the composition of this article and granting this perpetual high honor to Earl B. Dickerson. The entire conference is available to view online at: https://www.law.uchicago.edu/earl-b- dickerson-centennial.
occurring.”
Professor Fairley said she would describe Dickerson as being “bold and resilient” and added, “It is precisely because his legacy was so broad that we felt we didn’t just want to have a legal and academic symposium. We wanted to celebrate all of the other things.” Professor McAdams stated, “The thing to me that is so impressive about him is from the beginning of his life to the end of his life, he was constantly doing a wide array of things, and he was just this force….” Professor Hubbard described Dickerson as “persistent, passionate, and brilliant.” He said, “[His] greatest legacy is something very hard to isolate because it is diffused among so many hundreds of thousands of people whose legal careers have been inspired by or boosted by his presence in their lives.”
THE JOURNAL ♦ WINTER 2021 - SPRING 2022
PUBLISHING ACHIEVEMENT IN EVERY FIELD OF HUMAN ENDEAVOR
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