In his 42 years of service to The University of Texas School of Law, Professor Roy M. Mersky, the Harry M. Reasoner Regents Chair in Law and director of the Jamail Center for Legal Research, developed the Tarlton Law Library into one of the premier libraries in the nation. He believed in the library as an intellectual center as well as a physical repository of knowledge but service to those who relied on the library was always his chief concern.
A prolific author, consultant to many law deans and chief judges, active in many professional associations, he developed a reputation for fostering talented law librarians and was recognized as an innovative leader in the library profession.
In recognition of and gratitude for his profound contributions to UT Law School, and particularly its library, the Tarlton Law Library’s Special Collections Center and Rare Books Room will be named in his honor. Please visit the Law School tribute page for details about the project and how to make contributions to the Roy M. Mersky Memorial Fund.
An exhibit honoring Professor Mersky will be on display in the Susman Godfrey Atrium of Townes Hall, just outside the library entrance. Photographs, clippings, and other materials celebrate Professor Mersky’s many accomplishments.
Related links
Interim Director Terry Martin remembers working for Roy Mersky
Tribute to Roy Mersky by Ernest E. Smith, Texas Law Review, November 2008
Oral history interview with Roy Mersky (full-length video, 3hr 12min | highlights from tribute, 12min 5sec)
Oral history transcript published as Tarlton Law Library Oral History Series No. 9
Roy Mersky’s professional website, much as he left it