Keith U. Martin

Keith Martin, area lawyer, age, 89, passed away on Friday, August 27, 2010, of a heart attack. Keith donated his body to the University of Kansas Medical Center. He is survived by Hulda, his beloved wife of 68 years; his sister Helen Gilles, MD, of Lawrence, his sons Alson Martin, Lenexa, David Martin, Overland Park, lawyers, daughter Ann Martin, Ph.D., Leawood, and son Richard Martin, MSEE, Lake Oswego, Oregon; daughters-in-law Yona Martin, Renee Martin, and Chyrelle Martin, Psy.D; grandchildren Melanie Martin-Leff, Russ Martin, Scott Martin (and wife Rebecca), Jo Martin, M.D., Brad Martin (and wife Sara), Carley Martin, Cait Martin, Reid Martin. and great grandson Harrison Tully Martin. Keith was preceded in death by his older sister Corrine Ervin of Parsons, Kansas.

Keith was born January 19, 1921 in Miami County, Kansas to Montie and Hazel Martin, was reared on the family farm between Paola and Wellsville, and was educated in a one-room country schoolhouse where one teacher taught all eight grades. Older students educated the younger ones by telling them there was no Santa Claus and that storks did not bring babies. He rode a horse to attend Paola High School , was president of the senior class, spurned his father's offer of a car to stay on the family farm, and attended the University of Kansas as a Summerfield Scholar, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa his junior year.

Thereafter, Keith received an MBA degree from the Harvard Business School and a law degree from the University of Kansas, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif. While attending law school, he taught economics at KU. He was admitted to the Missouri Bar in 1947 and the Kansas Bar in 1948. He was proud of being a lawyer and frequently quoted Supreme Court Justice Frankfurter who said “merely being a real practicing lawyer is a great calling.” Keith believed that one of the reasons the United States is the greatest country is because it has the most lawyers per capita of any nation as well as very gifted journalists.

As a young lawyer, he had an active solo practice in Kansas and Missouri. He helped organize the City of Mission in 1951 and served as its first city attorney for fourteen years. In the late 1950s, the Kansas Supreme Court passed a rule that if a Kansas lawyer actively practiced in another state, the Kansas lawyer could not practice in Kansas courts, even though licensed, without a lawyer as co-counsel who practiced only in Kansas. Keith challenged this rule, and took the case to the United States Supreme Court on two separate occasions. He eventually lost the case by a vote of 6-2. Anthony Lewis of The New York Times wrote a scathing criticism of this Supreme Court decision in an article entitled “Explanation Please!” Howard Payne of Payne & Jones law firm was Keith’s lawyer in the Supreme Court. Keith then became a member of Payne & Jones in 1965 and practiced there until his death. Several years after the US Supreme Court decision, the Kansas Supreme Court changed the rule and area lawyers now routinely practice in both states.

The lawyers of Johnson County elected Keith for two terms to the Johnson County Judicial Commission, which recommends lawyers to the Governor for judicial appointments. In the 1950s, Governor George Docking named him as a member of the Kansas Board of Tax Appeals. In the 1970s, he served as Chairman of the Kansas Water Resources Board. In 2005, the Johnson County Bar Association gave him its highest honor, the Justinian Award. In 2006, the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association honored him for his efforts in 1955 in amending its constitution to allow African-American lawyers to join. He served five terms as a member of its executive committee in the 1950s.

As a young lawyer, Keith was active in Democratic politics and, despite Kansas being a Republican state, was only narrowly defeated in 1948 by his friend incumbent John Anderson for county attorney and later for Lieutenant Governor in 1964. Keith always said if he could have afforded a car, he would have won the 1948 campaign! He was able to campaign only in areas where bus service could take him.

One of Keith's favorite events was the annual "seminar" he hosted at his weekend farm home in Hillsdale, Kansas, with his sons Dave and Al, at which senior judges and lawyers gathered each year for over 25 years to fish and tell stories. Unfortunately, continuing legal education credit was never granted for this event.

The family suggests contributions to the Nature Conservancy of Kansas, 7005 SW Jackson, Topeka, Kansas 66603, or Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City Missouri.

Memorial Service

As he wished, there will be no funeral but there will be memorial services at 11 am, Friday, September 3rd at the Amos Family Funeral Home, 10901 Johnson Dr. Shawnee, KS 66203 (913) 631-5566.