Posted by Mary Wimberley on 2007-04-17

Samford University's Cumberland School of Law honored attorneys James Anthony "Tony" McLain and George Courtney French, and retired Cumberland professor Frank W. Donaldson during a March 30 alumni weekend event.

McLain, general counsel for the Alabama State Bar, was named 2007 Distinguished Alumnus. The 1977 Cumberland graduate was cited for his leadership of the State Bar and his emphasis on ethical advocacy. He is a past president of the Cumberland National Alumni Association and a member of the law school advisory board.

French, a partner in the Birmingham firm of Fuston, Petway and French, was named Volunteer of the Year. A 1998 Cumberland graduate, French was cited for his role as a counselor, coach and mentor, and in recruiting and inspiring minority students at Cumberland.

Donaldson, a Cumberland professor for more than 40 years and a former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, was named Friend of the Law School. He was noted as being a "stalwart of civility" who has shown many how to be better people and lawyers.

The awards were presented by Cumberland dean John L. Carroll.

Also at the event, Birmingham attorney J. Mark White was named Cumberland National Alumni President for 2007-09. A 1974 law graduate, he is a partner in the firm of White, Arnold, Andrews & Dowd, P.C.

 
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.