F. William McCalpin was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 attorney

Lawyer

A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...

, who throughout his career was a strong advocate for legal services within the American Bar Association

American Bar Association

The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...

. He was involved in a variety of leadership positions supporting both the private bar and legal services. He was named Chair twice of the national Legal Services Corporation

Legal Services Corporation

The Legal Services Corporation is a private, non-profit corporation established by the United States Congress. It seeks to ensure equal access to justice under the law for all Americans by providing civil legal assistance to those who otherwise would be unable to afford it...

 and served on that organization's board of directors across four decades. US Secretary of State

United States Secretary of State

The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...

 Hillary Rodham Clinton

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...

, who served as Chair of the Legal Services Corporation between McCalpin's two terms as Chair, wrote of him, "He was an extraordinary man, a valued mentor and a true champion for equal justice and access to legal services for the poor. Through his work Bill changed lives and made an indelible impact upon the legal community."

McCalpin was a partner and counsel of the St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...

 law firm Lewis, Rice & Fingersh, L.C.. He was awarded in 1988 the American Bar Association

American Bar Association

The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...

 Medal of Honor, awarded to recognize "exceptionally distinguished service by a lawyer to the cause of American jurisprudence." The F. William McCalpin Pro Bono Award, given by the Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, is named for him. In addition, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri dedicated the F. Wm. McCalpin Wall of Justice in 1999.

On November 19, 2010, the Legal Services Corporation

Legal Services Corporation

The Legal Services Corporation is a private, non-profit corporation established by the United States Congress. It seeks to ensure equal access to justice under the law for all Americans by providing civil legal assistance to those who otherwise would be unable to afford it...

 dedicated its Conference Center Washington, DC, to McCalpin, formally naming it in his honor.

Besides local papers, the New York Times ran McCalpin's obituary on December 17, 2009.

Milestones

Timeframe	Position
1948	Graduates from Harvard Law School and joins the law firm of what is now Lewis, Rice & Fingersh, in St. Louis. Becomes a partner in 1956 and retired from active practice in 1991.
1965-70	Chairman of the American Bar Association Special Committee on Availability of Legal Services
1965-70	Director of the Legal Aid Society of the City and County of St. Louis and Member of the National Advisory Committee for the Legal Services Program of the Office of Economic Opportunity
1973-1976	First term as Chairman of the ABA Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants.
1977-1978	The Director of Missouri Legal Aid Society
1979-1981 and 1993-2003	Member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation Legal Services Corporation The Legal Services Corporation is a private, non-profit corporation established by the United States Congress. It seeks to ensure equal access to justice under the law for all Americans by providing civil legal assistance to those who otherwise would be unable to afford it... . Chair (1980-1982)
1983-1985	Second term as Chairman of the ABA Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants.
1984-1986	President of the American Bar Foundation American Bar Foundation Established in 1952, the ' is an independent, nonprofit national research institute located in Chicago, Illinois committed to objective empirical research on law and legal institutions... .
1986-1993	Member, Board of Directors of National Legal Aid and Defender Association. President (1989-1992)
1988	Receives the American Bar Association Medal, the organization’s highest honor.
1996-2002	Chairman of the American Bar Association Commission on Legal Problems of the Elderly
2002-2009	Member of the Board of Directors of the National Senior Citizens Law Center