17 Facts About Jack Pope

Altogether, Jack Pope served on the bench for 38 years, including the District Court, Court of Appeals, and Supreme Court.

Jack Pope is a descendant of Andrew Jackson Berry, who fought at the Battle of San Jacinto in the Texas Revolution.

Jack Pope then served as a student editor of the Texas Law Review at the University of Texas School of Law, graduating with a Bachelor of Laws degree and in 1937 was licensed by the bar.

Jack Pope's practice consisted of both civil and criminal matters, such as creditors' rights, oil and gas, personal injury, and family law.

Jack Pope served on the legal staff of the Naval Air Training Station in Corpus Christi, as well as on stations in Washington, DC and San Diego, until his discharge in 1946.

In late 1946 Pope was appointed by Democratic Governor Coke R Stevenson to fill the unexpired term of Judge Allen Wood of the 94th District Court.

Jack Pope became Texas' youngest district judge at the time when he sat on the bench at 33 years of age.

Jack Pope's concerns included legal ethics, trial administration, best practices for presenting and excluding evidence, and the Texas jury system.

Jack Pope sat on the court until 1950, whereupon he began serving his own six-year term, with voters subsequently re-electing him to an additional two terms, for a total of 14 years.

In December 1963, Jack Pope declared his intention to run for a vacancy position on the Texas Supreme Court, after receiving 80 petitions from 55 Texas counties with over 2,000 signatures of attorneys pledging their support, and in 1964 he was elected an associate justice.

Jack Pope's efforts resulted in both compulsory continuing judicial education and the Court's adoption of The Texas Code of Judicial Conduct in 1974.

Jack Pope was directly involved in the creation of the Texas State Law Library in 1971, and served on the Friends of the State Law Library Board of Directors.

When Joe R Greenhill resigned as chief justice in October 1982, Governor William P Clements appointed Pope to succeed Greenhill.

Also in 1989, Pope co-founded the non-profit Texas Center for Legal Ethics with other former Chief Justices Joe R Greenhill and Robert W Calvert.

The Legislature called the law the Chief Justice Jack Pope Act, in honor of his earlier work championing the IOLTA program which provides legal assistance for the poor.

Jack Pope was survived by his two sons, three grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Jack Pope was my mentor, role model, counselor, and most especially my friend.