Mourning the loss of Professor Larry Knowles

Professor Larry Knowles met Haile Selassi I, emperor of Ethiopia, in 1966 when he was a visiting professor at Haile Selassi I University.

Laurence W. Knowles, a professor at the University of Louisville School of Law for nearly 40 years, died on October 17, 2018.

Knowles, who served on the law school faculty from 1959-1997, taught constitutional and business law.

“Although I didn’t have the privilege of working with Professor Larry Knowles, his influence as a legal educator and scholar can be seen in the generations of lawyers he taught," says Dean Colin Crawford. "Larry was well-respected by his colleagues and students, who appreciated his intellect, his skill as a faculty and student mentor, his intelligence and his sense of humor.”

Knowles earned a bachelor's degree from LaSalle College, an LL.B. from Rutgers University and an LL.M. from Yale University.

During his time at the University of Louisville, he held several roles with the federal government, including as an attorney and consultant for the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and the U.S. Office of Education. He was a visiting professor or lecturer at the University of Virginia, the University of Georgia, the University of South Carolina, the University of Leeds (England) and Haile Selassi I University (Ethiopia).

At the University of Louisville, Knowles established the Journal of Law and Education and was its executive editor for many years.

"Larry was always a kind man," says Professor Grace Giesel. "He was generous with his time. He always had a great sense of humor and would joke about whether he could teach his house cat to pass the bar. Larry was never cross or angry; he would rather make his point with humor and clarity. I will miss him."

Courier-Journal published Knowles' obituary on Nov. 4, 2018.