Professor John E. Nowak
My Constitutional Law professor & a hell of an inspiration!
John E. Nowak
David C. Baum Professor Emeritus
He has been retired now for a bit, but he still has his wit, enrapturing charm, and inspiration-ability about him.
I was lucky enough to reconnect with him yesterday over email, and it was like stepping back in time to 1994-1997. Such a blast and a real treat to have experienced after 30 years!
When I was his student, the University of Illinois College of Law was a Top 20 institution and tough to gain entry to. I applied early in November 1992 (as well as over at their also Top 20 at the time MBA program), was accepted in December 1992 (as well as over at the MBA program), and away I went for four years.
Professor Nowak and Professor Ronald Rotunda were both there and already 10-15 years into their co-authoring of the textbook on Constitutional Law, the one-volume hornbook of Constitutional Law, and the six-volume treatise on it as well. Pretty impressive and intimidating just a little bit at the time. Ha!
In March 1995 when I was elected Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review, it was such a special honor to receive Professor Nowak’s congratulations given how he had been EIC there 25 years earlier.
I don’t really have much more I want to say about this at the moment. Still taking it in and thinking over the years since I last spoke with him. Thirty years is funny that way . . .
Let me know your thoughts on this experience and your comparable ones. The personal history is what makes us all so special and human.
Steven
Buttons . . . there’s always buttons . . .