William H. Maness Sr. '38, a leader in Jacksonville, Fla., legal community and once a powerful voice for civil rights in the city, died last month.
He was 94.
A native of Erwin, N.C., Maness graduated from Elon in 1938. He worked in insurance and briefly returned to Elon as a special assistant to President L.E. Smith before being drafted into World War II in 1941. Following his distinguished service as a naval aviator, Maness enrolled in Stetson University School of Law, graduating in 1948, and practiced law until 1957, when he was appointed a judge in the Fourth Judicial Circuit. In 1963, he stepped away from the bench and returned to active practice, continuing to work until 2010.
He made his most profound impact to his profession and community in the 1960s, when he became a vocal supporter of the civil rights movement. In 1964, Maness led an ambitious, though ultimately unsuccessful, commission on race relations, calling for an end to racial discrimination in Jacksonville. He later nominated Leander Shaw, a future Florida Supreme Court justice, to become the first black member in the Jacksonville Bar Association. On one occasion, Maness’ progressive views about race resulted in his family’s expulsion from a church they attended.
This legacy inspired two front-page tributes to Maness in Jacksonville’s newspaper, The Florida Times-Union on Oct. 19 and Oct. 23 following his death.
A loyal Elon alumnus, Maness established the William H. Maness Endowment, which funds an annual writing competition administered by the Department of English and also brings accomplished writers to campus. He chaired the 50th reunion committee of the Class of 1938 and was instrumental in rallying his classmates to raise $100,000 for the Class of 1938 Scholarship. He helped establish the Wayne H. and Mable B. Perrine Memorial Scholarship, which is named in honor of two of Maness’ good friends and benefits students in the Department of Performing Arts.
To share his experiences and expertise with future generations of Elon students and faculty, Maness donated several items to the university’s Archives and Special Collections. The William H. Maness Collection includes personal and professional correspondence, books, manuscripts and other items related to Maness’ career and the civil rights movement in Jacksonville.
Maness is survived by his wife, Betsy; children William and Judith; five grandchildren and two great grandchildren.