Friends of the Bar, 0620 WYBJ, Vol. 43 No. 3. 62
| Position | Vol. 43 3 Pg. 62 |
Harvey Gelb Bar Number: 5-2049 Law School: Harvard Law School
Basic Bio: Harvey graduated with a B.A. in 1957 from Harvard College and a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1960. While at law school, he served on the Board of Editors of the Harvard Law Review. He began his practice of law in Pennsylvania in 1961 and remained in practice in Scranton until joining the law faculty at UW in 1979. There he taught classes mainly in business organizations, business planning and securities regulation. Harvey retired in 2012 as a Professor Emeritus.
One key figure in my life was my grandfather. Raised in Old Forge, a very small town in northeast Pennsylvania, I spent a lot of time with him. He lived just up the block. My grandfather was a longtime municipal official and Justice of the Peace and a major influence for my life-long interest in law, politics, and public service.
Another major influence for me came from the Old Forge movie theatre across the street from my house, which showed several films a week. There I developed a life-long love of movies. One film I saw as a youngster was High Noon featuring Gary Cooper in the leading role. I admired the way he stood up for what he believed was right. I still count High Noon as one of my all-time favorites.
One of the things I admired about my grandfather and tried to emulate was his commitment to public service. For example, early in my career, I was elected to and served six years on the Scranton School Board. I also served as Scranton City Solicitor for four years and worked for two appellate court judges. I believe public service and philanthropic activities are ways for lawyers to give back to their communities.
During my academic career, I was privileged not only to thoroughly enjoy teaching but also to receive recognition for teaching by UW (John P. Ellbogen Meritorious Classroom Teaching Award), by the Law School (Winston S. Howard Distinguished Professor of Law), and by students who often asked me to perform “hooding” in their graduation ceremonies.
I felt most honored to be named Kepler Chair in Law and Leadership. I knew the late attorney Charles Kepler and his family and hold them in the highest regard.
The best part about being a professor was working with students. Throughout...
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