C. David Howell, Esq. '66 CWSL

Villanova Law School, now known as the Charles Widger School of Law, took a chance on David Howell—and the bet paid off. David's dream of working as an attorney in the in the oil and gas industry drove this Pennsylvania native to apply first to law school in Louisiana. Graduating from a law school in Louisiana, he thought, would give him the best access to the industry. But as with so many plans, this was not meant to be. David began his law studies at Tulane University in New Orleans, but during his second year, life called him back to Pennsylvania.

Villanova Law welcomed him as a transfer, nurtured him as a law student, and in the process, under the watchful eyes of Dean Harold G. Reuschlein, changed his life for the better. He thinks very fondly of Dean Reuschlein and the kindness shown to him. The Dean gave lifelong inspiration to David with his message—don’t be controlled by your immediate circumstances; look beyond. To say thank you, David, in memory of the Dean, has made Villanova a beneficiary under his will.

Born in Easton, Pennsylvania in 1941 to parents who urged independence in their three children, David graduated from the University of Virginia. Afterwards, the next step was law school. David was close with his father, a lawyer whose clients were the hardworking laborers who built Easton. David admired his father and worked for him during summers while in school. These experiences inspired David to become a lawyer, but he also knew that he did not want to have the same type of practice. The idea to work in oil and gas actually came from David’s mother, who had invested in penny stocks for the industry.

At Tulane, David enjoyed the study of law but came to realize that its unique curriculum, based on common law and civil law, was geared to preparing lawyers to practice exclusively in Louisiana and he wanted broader options. This thought, coupled with a family emergency, drove David to look to relocate to Pennsylvania when his father became seriously ill during his second year. In order to help both his father and mother, David began exploring the Pennsylvania law schools.

Enter Villanova, which was the only school willing to take David as a transfer and allow him to graduate on time. Dean Reuschlein took a particular interest in David, who was the Law School’s first transfer even though David considered himself to be a “C” student with the commitment of an "A" student. David fondly remembers how the Villanova community was very warm and personal and that he had close relationships with the Dean and his professors. He felt that the faculty always wanted the students to succeed and recalls that the door of every professor’s office was open. To him, the Law School seemed like a family. He muses, though, that he must have been something of an oddity for faculty and students, wearing a coat and tie to class, carrying on a tradition he had picked up at Tulane.

Although he loved law school, it was never David’s intention to practice law. He explains, “I went to law school to prepare for a career in business. [Law school] prepares one to think in ways you might not otherwise have thought, teaches you how to present your ideas in an appropriate manner. To me, it is a gateway education to all kinds of careers.”

Thanks to Dean Reuschlein, David graduated on time in 1966, passed the bar exam and took his first position as a lawyer in Chicago where he enjoyed a rewarding career as an attorney working in various corporate and government positions. There he met his wife, Reta. They had a daughter, Caryn, who lives in Berkeley with her husband and their two children. David and Reta had bought a lovely home in Easton in 1997. In 2003, they returned from the Midwest to live in Easton permanently. Proximity to Villanova allows David to return annually for the 1842 Heritage Society’s beautiful Mass and Brunch held in early June.

If, like David, your Villanova experience has made a lifetime impact on you, consider remembering the University in your estate plan. It is simple to make a gift in your will to Villanova. Besides a bequest in a will, there are also many other ways to leave a gift to Villanova in your estate. To discuss an estate gift, contact Tim McKinley at 215-240-0812 or timothy.mckinley@villanova.edu.