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Tyson Wins Iredell Award
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From left, Willis Whichard, former
N.C.
Supreme Court justice and dean of the
Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law,
N.C. Court of Appeals Judge John
Tyson, recipient of the James Iredell
Award, his wife, Kirby, and son, Jason. |
N.C. Court of Appeals Judge John M. Tyson received
the James Iredell Award from Campbell University’s Phi Alpha Delta
Law Fraternity Thursday, February 19, at the North Carolina Bar
Center in Cary, NC.
Presented annually, the award was inspired by the life and
writings of Justice James Iredell, who was a key figure in the battle for
North Carolina’s ratification of the Constitution and was later appointed to
the U.S. Supreme Court by President George Washington. The Iredell Award is
given to individuals who have made significant contributions to the legal
profession and to Campbell University’s Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law.
Past recipients include former North Carolina Supreme Court justices Susie M.
Sharp, Louis B. Meyer, James G. Exum, Jr., Burley Mitchell, and I. Beverly
Lake, Sr.
Tyson, a member of Campbell’s charter law class, graduated
cum laude in 1979. He received a Master of Business Administration from
Duke University in 1988 and is a candidate for the Master of Law (LL.M.) in
Judicial Process. Prior to his election to the North Carolina Court of Appeals
in 2001, Tyson was in private practice in Fayetteville from 1993-2000. He
served as senior vice president of Development for Blockbuster Entertainment
Group, real estate director and counsel for Revco Drug Stores, and real estate
manager and counsel for Family Dollar Stores, Inc. He has also served as an
adjunct professor of law at Campbell since 1987.
In his acceptance speech, Tyson quoted a series of negative
editorials that appeared in the state’s major newspapers following Campbell’s
announcement to establish a new law school. Some 25 years later, he pointed
out, the law school has not only survived but flourished, remaining true to
its mission statement to train lawyers steeped in Christian morality and
ethics.
"I cannot answer why Campbell chose me, but I can tell you why
I chose Campbell," Tyson said. "The Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law is
characterized by the heritage of the legal profession, the Christian
tradition, and the finer traditions of the new rural South found in the life
and history of Campbell University."
During his years at Campbell, Tyson served as a research
assistant, participated in national moot court competitions, worked as
articles editor of the Campbell Law Review, and was inducted into Phi
Kappa Phi National Honor Fraternity.
His law career was been distinguished by numerous honors and
achievements. He is the first recipient of the Advocacy Award given by the
International Academy of Trial Lawyers and was appointed to the National Panel
of Arbitrators by the president of the American Arbitration Association. Tyson
also became a certified Superior Court mediator in 1992 and has published
numerous scholarly articles in law reviews and professional publications. In
addition, he has served as a lecturer for continuing legal education seminars.
He presently serves as Colonel, Staff Judge Advocate, United States Service
Command, Division III. He also serves on the Campbell University Presidential
Board of Advisors. In 1991, Tyson received Campbell’s Distinguished Alumnus
Award and was elected president of Campbell’s National Alumni Association in
1999.
Bulletin 0039 |
