Bill Delp – some memories

In June, 1959, with fresh law degrees behind us, Bill and I arrived as the newest associates of an old Chicago firm then known as Sidley, Austin, Burgess & Smith. We were joined by four other new graduates as part of the first “class” of new associates hired in a single year. The Firm with 60 some lawyers was one of the largest in the city, then its only location. The three last “name” partners were still in active practice. Bill and I were assigned to the corporate group although we worked for different clients. We were fortunate to begin practice as the need for corporate lawyers was exploding.

Our main tasks that summer were to prepare for the bar exam and to find a military reserve unit to avoid being drafted for two years active duty at $82 a month (compared to our starting monthly salary of about $550). In September, having passed the bar exam, we left together for basic training as medical corpsmen at Lackland Field in San Antonio, Texas, the first step for the required six months of active duty. If memory serves, Bill trained as an operating room technician. I suspect that being called strange Southern expletives by our drill sergeant bonded a friendship between us that lasted ever since. We wore ugly outfits called “fatigues” including a sort of baseball cap. In the fashion of the day, most of us carefully rounded the flat bill of the cap. Bill, however, either out of resistance or simply not caring, left his looking rather like a duck’s bill. That left him easily identified when we lined up in the 5 AM darkness. He took his share of the inevitable ribbing with the good grace he always exhibited.

Our shared Air Force experiences continued another five and one-half years, one weekend a month and two weeks of summer camp at various Air Force hospitals. Theoretically, we were training to serve if called up; in reality we had vast amounts of free time. Bill and I were part of a group of other young lawyers, each with a required two weeks off work each summer, who enjoyed leisure activities, mainly talking. The Cuban missile crisis was the only time we had good reason to worry about being re-activated. We were discharged in September, 1965, shortly before the Viet Nam War began claiming many Americans. We were already blessed having been born too late to serve in WW II and deferred as students during the Korean conflict. Compulsory service, however, gave us an exposure to many men we wouldn’t have known otherwise and to a bottom-up view of the armed services. I have never regretted that service and doubt that Bill ever did either.

Of course, our real work as lawyers continued together for many years afterwards. The practice of law is time intensive; the Firm occupied long hours of our time. Our families missed some hours they deserved. But the comradery of the Firm was strong and Bill always played an active part. He was well liked and a fine lawyer. He felt strongly about public affairs and loved to debate those who backed the other national political party. Friendships never suffered however; Bill knew that good people differed.

My life was much richer for knowing him; I will miss him.

Jim Archer