William T. Schwartz Professor of Law

William T. Schwartz was born and raised in Wyoming but went to school at the University of Nebraska, where he studied petroleum geology and received his bachelor’s degree in 1943. Right out of college, he served in World War II with the Fifteenth Air Force. By the end of his military career, he had flown 50 missions, had been promoted to First Lieutenant, and had been awarded the Air Medal, two Bronze Battle Stars, a Distinguished Unit Badge, and the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Upon his return to the U.S., he went back to the University of Nebraska and obtained his law degree in 1948, earning the prestigious Allen Moot Court Competition Award. He moved back to Casper in 1950 and took his first job with General Petroleum as legal staff. He served as the lawyer for Consolidated Royalty Company, then became president and managed a board and over 1,300 shareholders. His expertise was widespread, but his focus was in oil, gas, and minerals. In his distinguished career, Schwartz served as the president of the Wyoming Bar Association and the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation.
To honor his life and the influence he had on the legal system and the state of Wyoming, Schwartz’s family initiated a gift that was matched by state funds to establish the endowment. The donors include Mary Anne and Ron Barnes of St. Louis, Missouri, and their children; Susan and the late Jim Higgins of Belfast, Maine, and their children; Sally and Jim Belcher of Cheyenne and their children; and Bill and Cheryl Schwartz of Jackson and their children.
William T. Schwartz was a mentor to law students, he hired UW law graduates, and he participated in the college’s CLE programs. In his role as Wyoming State Bar President, he served as a key liaison between the state bar and the law school.