J. HOUSTON GORDON TO SPEAK AT UT MARTIN’S DECEMBER COMMENCEMENT
MARTIN, Tenn. – J. Houston Gordon, of Covington, will serve as keynote speaker at the
University of Tennessee at Martin’s fall commencement, slated to begin at 11 a.m., Dec. 10, in
the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center. University of Tennessee System President Joe DiPietro will
confer degrees.
Gordon graduated from UT Martin with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1968 and later received
a juris doctorate degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1970 and an L.L.M.
master of law degree in taxation from the George Washington University National Law Center in
1973.
He served the University of Tennessee System on the Board of Trustees from 1989-95 and was
vice-chair of the board from 1994-95. He has also served as an instructor at the College of Trial
Advocacy for the University of Tennessee College of Law.
A UT Martin supporter, Gordon received UT Martin’s Outstanding Alumni Award in 1997 and
the Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Service in 2008. The J. Houston Gordon Museum,
located in the special collections area of UT Martin’s Paul Meek Library, is named in his honor.
Gordon spent four years representing soldiers charged with crimes as a captain in the U.S. Army
Judge Advocate General Corps before returning home to Covington in 1974. He has been named
one of the “Best Lawyers in America” by his peers every year since 1984 and is listed as one of
the top-100 trial lawyers in America.
Gordon is licensed to practice law in Tennessee and the District of Columbia and has appeared as
lead counsel before federal and state appellate courts in multiple jurisdictions. He has also been
admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States, the Tennessee Supreme
Court and all lesser state courts, and multiple United States District Courts in seven additional
states.
He and his wife, Debbie, have three grown sons and nine grandchildren.
Those who are unable to attend UT Martin’s fall commencement ceremony can tune in to a live
webcast available at ovcdigitalnetwork.com/watch/?Live=4952.
For more information, contact the UT Martin Office of University Relations at 731-881- 7615.
