Blacks in Legal Studies and Military Service: Reginald Reeves

Reginald Reeves, originally from Greensboro, Carolina, found his way across the country through his participation in the army. He joined the army at the early age of 17 during World War II, eventually finding himself a lieutenant colonel in the US Army Reserves and a platoon leader in the 382nd infantry regiment. Reeves made valuable use of his time in the army before graduating from the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College (a Historically Black College) and receiving his bachelor’s degree in mathematics with honors.¹

Arriving at the University of Idaho in the fall of 1949, Reeves found himself as the only Black student enrolled in the College of Law. During his time at the University, Reeves noted (later in life) that he was never approached by any legal fraternities looking for him to join and he also noted a subtle opinion from White faculty/staff members that he was unwanted at the University.²

Despite these feelings, Reeves certainly shined during his time at the University of Idaho, especially with his volunteering for and organizing the University’s first ever blood drive. In 1950, in the midst of the Korean War and with many soldiers in dire need of blood, General Omar Bradley had pleaded with the American people for blood donations. This blood drive spread across the country, creating a competition between colleges and universities all over the United States. Ultimately, Harvard University would go on to win the contest, but the University of Idaho was the runner up, being nicknamed the “Bloodiest Campus in the Nation.”³ Reeves would continue to participate in donating his blood throughout his life, which by 2016 totaled ⁴and by 2020, 50 gallons.⁵

While attending class, between 1950 and 1952, Reeves helped instruct in the ROTC program on campus,⁶ and in 1952, his last year of law school, Reeves submitted an essay for the national Nathan Burkan Memorial Contest titled “Loss of Literary Property in Comic Strips,” a contest in which no law student from the University of Idaho had competed before.⁷ Reeves won the competition, seeing his paper published in the Copyright Law Symposium the next year.⁸ Reeves’ charitable nature would continue after school with the foundation of his Sun Valley Charitable Foundation and the thousands of pounds of donations he sent to impoverished places across the world.⁹

Reeves has received many awards throughout the years, with his first two awards being awarded to him in 2002: the Commander’s Award for Public Service and the Outstanding Civil Service Medal (two medals that had never been awarded in the Western United States before).¹⁰ He found himself inducted into the University of Idaho’s Alumni Hall of Fame in 2004,¹¹ and he also earned the Award of Legal Merit at the University in 2020.¹² He has received the Idaho State Bar’s Service Award in 2012 and the Richard C. Fields Award, also from the Idaho State Bar, in 2015 for his civility, professionalism, and outreach in the community.¹³ If all these awards were not enough, Reeves also earned the American Red Cross Heroes Award for his continued donation of blood and needed items.¹⁴ Reeves’ story is one of true remarkability that showcases the tenacity and integrity of many Black students at the University of Idaho.

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