Federal judge from Louisville dies

Retired federal Judge Pierce Lively died Saturday. He was 94.

Born in Louisville in 1921, Lively studied at Centre College in Danville where he earned a bachelor's degree in history and English literature. From 1943 to 1946 he served in the U.S. Navy, and while in the military, he married his college sweetheart, Amelia Harrington. He studied law at the University of Virginia where his papers are now held.

The University of Virginia School of Law's biography of Lively says he returned to Kentucky after graduating in 1948. He clerked for U.S. Sixth Circuit Judge Shakelford Miller Jr. in Louisville and then moved to Danville where he practiced law for 22 years. In 1972, he was appointed to the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals by President Richard Nixon. He served as chief judge from 1983 until his retirement in 1998.

Upon his retirement, Lively reflected on his cases, the UVA law school's site said, telling the Lexington Herald-Leader: "Some of the worst abuses in human history have been committed by governments in the name of religion. Our Founding Fathers wisely understood this and acted to prevent it, in no uncertain terms, in the Constitution."

Lively was also a lifetime trustee at Centre College, having joined the board in 1952, according to the UVA website.

Dan Stroup, a politics professor at Centre, taught a constitutional interpretation class with Lively for 15 years. Stroup called him a reserved man who brought practical wisdom, gentleness and civility to the classroom. He also helped students understand that federal judges and U.S. Supreme Court justices were real people. Stroup called Lively a guiding force at the college.

"He was such a wonderful model of a public servant to present to my students," Stroup said.

Funeral arrangements are pending.