Judge Harvey L. Yates Remembered Through Endowed Gift to Law School

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The late Hon. Harvey L. Yates

James Freeman and his wife Barbara Yates Freeman (B.S.'70) have made a gift of $50,000 from the James I. Freeman Charitable Trust to establish the Judge Harvey L. Yates Endowed Memorial Scholarship in the School of Law. The gift is a tribute to Yates Freeman's late brother, the Honorable Harvey L. Yates (J.D. '72), who attributed much of his judicial success to his legal education and relationships made at the School of Law.

The funds will provide scholarship support to students at the U of A law school who are first-generation undergraduate college students from Newton, Madison or Johnson counties in Arkansas.

"We were driven by wanting to create something meaningful that would honor what a wonderful human being my brother was, and also help others as Harvey did throughout his 28 years of judiciary service to the state of Arkansas," Yates Freeman said. "Harvey and I were first-generation college students who grew up in Newton county, went to school in Johnson county and have close family connections in Madison county. Scholarships would have helped us so much during our time at the University of Arkansas, and I think my brother would be proud knowing my husband and I are giving back to students with similar backgrounds in his honor."

"We are deeply grateful to our alumna Barbara Yates Freeman and her husband, James Freeman, for their generosity," said law school Dean Margaret Sova McCabe. "Their financial support will allow many students to focus on their education without having to worry as much about their current finances or future debt."

Judge Harvey Yates graduated from the U of A School of Law in 1972 and began working for Schieffler & Murray Law Firm in West Helena. He served as municipal judge, juvenile judge and chancery judge in West Helena before serving as circuit judge in the 1st Judicial District for 28 years. Judge Yates retired December 31, 2008, and maintained a law practice in West Helena until shortly before his death.

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