President Emeritus Willard “Sandy” Boyd will continue to be celebrated at the University of Iowa College of Law for generations. Boyd, beloved by the entire university community, passed away on Dec. 13, 2022.

Boyd served as the University of Iowa’s 15th president from 1969 to 1981. He started at Iowa as a professor at the College of Law in 1954, later becoming an associate dean and then moving into university administration. One of Boyd’s early tasks was to help conceive and establish the UI Foundation, known today as the UI Center for Advancement.

His contributions to the university are also cherished in the Boyd Law Building, which opened in 1986 and was dedicated in his honor. Boyd continued to teach at Iowa Law after returning to campus in 1996 and co-found the Larned A. Waterman Iowa Nonprofit Resource Center in 2001. He then served as the university’s interim president from 2002 to 2003 before formally retiring in 2015.

Boyd’s influence is deeply embedded in the character and excellence of Iowa Law, and we will forever be thankful for his commitment to our community. A memorial service was held at Hancher Auditorium this past spring with many telling stories that highlighted Sandy Boyd's eternal legacy.

Arthur Bonfield, Allan D. Vestal Chair and Associate Dean Emeritus, said, “Sandy believed in and practiced, as a central tenet of his life, service to the institutions of which he was a part, to the larger community, and to other people. He also deeply embraced the cause of justice, fairness, and equality of opportunity through the rule of law for all members of our society.” Arthur Bonfield, Allan D. Vestal Chair and Associate Dean Emeritus

“Sandy created community, and he understood better than anyone how to bring the academic commitment to bear in such a way that it improved the community. He improved our community, he improved students, and frankly, the whole state of Iowa,” Dean Kevin Washburn shared.