Posted by Philip Poole on 2009-08-26

Former Cumberland School of Law Dean Arthur A. Weeks died Aug. 22 in Birmingham. He was 94. Weeks served as Cumberland dean of for a total of 16 years.

Funeral services were held Aug. 26 in Birmingham.

"Dean Weeks provided strong leadership through some of the most turbulent times in Cumberland's long history," said current dean John Carroll. "His superhuman efforts to succeed in the face of significant adversity and to keep our law school moving forward laid the foundation for the great law school we are today. All of us who proudly bear the title Cumberland Lawyer' owe him a huge debt of gratitude."

Weeks served as Cumberland dean for a total of three terms: 1948-49, 1950-54, and 1961-72. During this time, he saw that the school was approved by the American Bar Association and became an accredited law school. He was the first dean of Cumberland School of Law at Samford University (formerly Howard College), and was responsible for its move from Lebanon, Tenn., to the Howard College campus in Birmingham. He also oversaw the construction of Memory Leake Robinson Hall, the current home of Cumberland School of Law, and under his leadership enrollment in the school grew from 61 students to more than 600 students.

Weeks graduated from Howard College in 1936. He received his law degree from the University of Alabama Law School and earned an LL.M. (Master of Law degree) from Duke University Law School. He was later awarded an honorary degree from Widener University's Delaware School of Law.

Among the charities suggested by the family in lieu of flowers is the Arthur A. Weeks Law Scholarship, Cumberland School of Law, Samford University, 800 Lakeshore Dr., Birmingham, AL 35229.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.