This week, the
Arizona Law community mourns the passing of our
friend, namesake, and celebrated alumnus, James E.
Rogers ('62). We dedicate this week's
newsletter to Jim and his remarkable legacy.
Jim's
diverse career reflected a wealth of interests and
passions in law, communications, finance,
philanthropy, and education.
Raised
in Las Vegas during its atomic energy 'boom', Jim
was a proud graduate of Las Vegas High School.
He earned his BS degree in accounting ('60)
and his law degree ('62) from the University of
Arizona. Later, he took a Master of Laws (LLM)
from the University of Southern California and
briefly served as a teaching fellow at the
University of Illinois Law School.
He began law practice in
Las Vegas in 1964 with Gelfand, Berggreen,
Feinberg, and Rogers, formed with his close mentor
Leo Gelfand.
In 1988, he ceased
practicing law to devote 100 percent of his time
to the development of television and radio
stations. He founded Valley Broadcasting Company
in 1971, when the company applied to the Federal
Communications Commission for its broadcast
license, and served as the company's chief
executive officer beginning in 1979 when KVBC-TV,
the NBC affiliate in Las Vegas, went on the
air.
Broadcasting had always
appealed to Jim for its potential to shape civic
culture. Jim also
founded Intermountain West Communications, which
owns and operates television stations in the
western U.S.
In 1981, Jim became a
Nevada National Bank board member and later
founded the Community Bank of Nevada. In those
roles, he worked to promote economic and community
development and financial accessibility for local
industry.
In
addition to broadcasting and financial services,
Jim was deeply invested in advocating for
education, particularly at the collegiate
level.
In 2005, Jim became
Chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher
Education, a job for which he refused to be
compensated, noting that his own education had
afforded him both wealth and meaningful work.
He served as Chancellor until 2009, using
the position to advocate for better state funding,
increased private philanthropy, and -- most of all
-- access to affordable, quality education for
every student.
Jim's
accomplishments attracted national
acclaim. In
1998, he was awarded a Doctor of Laws (LLD) from
the University of Arizona. Jim
also held honorary
doctorates from Idaho State University, Kentucky
Wesleyan, Carroll College, and University of
Nevada Las Vegas. He
served on numerous boards for organizations and
institutions such as the New York University
School of Law, the Washington University School of
Law in St. Louis, the University of New Mexico
School of Law, the University of Southern
California School of Law, and the board of the
National Law Center for Inter-American Free Trade
in Tucson.
Jim is perhaps best known
to alumni of the College of Law for his
philanthropy and, indeed, his generosity has
been and will continue to
be transformative.
Always a loyal Wildcat
(and an enthusiastic Wildcat sports fan) Jim
became more actively engaged during the time that
his son Perry Rogers ('94) was attending law
school. As a result of many visits and
conversations with deans, faculty, and students,
Jim and his wife, Beverly Rogers, made a
record-breaking gift to the college.
At the
time it was made, their gift of $115 million to
the University of Arizona College of Law was the
largest gift to the University of Arizona and the
largest gift to any American law
school.
In 1998, the law school was
renamed the James E. Rogers College of
Law.
Jim earned a place on
Time magazine's (1999) listing of "The Top
12 Philanthropists," having gifted or pledged more
than $275 million to colleges and universities
nationwide.
Though
he had little use for the publicity that such
honors produced, Jim
liked the idea that philanthropy could be
contagious.
He worked with other
donors on joint projects including his good
friend, George Rountree. Together, they renovated
Rountree Hall and supported the 3L class gift
program, encouraging students to give back -- both
financially and with their time and energy -- as
they increased their capacity to do so.
In
fact, recent generations of our students had a
chance to develop rare personal connections with
their law school's namesake. On visits to
the college, Jim would lecture to classes,and meet
with students in less formal settings. Some of my
fondest memories of Jim involve his personal
meetings with students, where he would offer
pragmatic advice and encouragement. He
frequently remarked that he learned as much as he
taught in these conversations. Jim always
wanted to know about our students -- where they
came from, what they were interested in, and how
they coped with the costs of their education.
He
was a true friend, and his passing is an enormous
loss for all of us. Here
are just two of the many important lessons I
learned from Jim:
All
success involves change, and you must respond
quickly.
There
is hardly an industry as dynamic as the
communications business. When Jim Rogers started
in television, news stories were shot on film,
HDTV was a meaningless acronym, and double-digit
profits were the rule, not the exception. Jim
believed in nimble strategies -- the same type of
approach that we've learned is necessary in legal
education.
Play
to win, but don't be afraid to play your own
game.
Jim
Rogers liked to win, but he wasn't afraid to win
by virtue of the bold move. When other
broadcasters were trying to stem business losses
conventionally, Jim acted counterintuitively.
He held fast to his core value that his
primary job was not merely to entertain but to
inform viewers. That same spirit holds true
at the College. We train graduates to act
brilliantly and with diligence, but we also
instill an attitude of service.
Jim was a trusted advisor
to deans and a powerful voice for the entire law
school community, a mentor to countless students,
and a lasting presence at the college he loved so
much. Beyond his transformative gifts to the
law school and the University of Arizona, he
encouraged us to think bigger, to aspire to
greatness, and to always remain open to the
opportunities that change presents. His
support for education at all levels -- and his
leadership in bringing critical issues to public
attention -- was a true public service.
I
think the following words, offered by his close
friend and colleague, Dean Emerita Toni Massaro,
capture much of what made Jim Rogers so
special:
"He
believed deeply in the power of ideas and
education. Countless students and academic
programs across our nation have soared because of
Jim's spectacular generosity and his formidable
drive to make the world a better place. Here at
the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College
of Law, we not only have lost a remarkable alumnus
and donor, but an intellectual partner and dear
friend. Jim was a larger than life, one of a kind
man who opened many doors for others, and inspired
others to do likewise. Our heart goes out to his
wife Bev, his children Perry, Suzanne and Kim, and
to the whole Rogers family."
--
Toni Massaro, Regents' Professor, Milton O. Riepe
Chair in Constitutional Law, and Dean
Emerita
I
join our students, staff, and faculty in feeling
fortunate to have known and learned from
Jim. Today, we celebrate his life and
spirit. Tomorrow, we will continue his
lifelong passion to make a real impact on the
world around us.
Peace,
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