1997 Hall of Fame Inductee Laramie L. Leatherman Class of 1953

Larry Leatherman was born in Martinsville, Illinois.  He did his undergraduate work at Eastern Illinois before pursuing his law degree at the University of Kentucky. He received his LL.B. in 1953 and went on to distinguish himself professionally as an outstanding tax lawyer. He was one of the earliest partners with the firm of Greenebaum, Doll & McDonald. He joined that firm in 1959, became Chairman of the Executive Committee in 1987, and served in that capacity until his death in 1994. 

A hallmark of  Leatherman’s career was his commitment to, and involvement in, programs that greatly impacted his profession, the City of Louisville, education and his alma mater, the University of Kentucky College of Law (now UK J. David Rosenberg College of Law). 

He served as attorney advisor for the United States Tax Court from 1956-59, he was Chairman of the Bar-IRS Liaison Group for the Central Region, chaired the Planning Committee for the Kentucky Institute on Federal Taxation, and he also chaired the Tax Section or the Louisville Bar Association. His hard work and accomplishments did not go unnoticed, as evidenced by his listing in the book Best Lawyers in America every year since its first publication in 1983. 

Leatherman was committed to improving the quality of life for the people of Louisville. He devoted many hours to public service and was a driving force in the creation of a comprehensive plan for downtown Louisville. He served as director of the Downtown Development Corporation, Chairman of the Louisville Chamber of Commerce, and Commissioner of the Louisville & Jefferson County Convention & Visitors Bureau. He was a strong advocate for education serving as a Trustee and Vice President of the Gheens Foundation, a Director for the Center for Leadership and School Reform, a member of the Executive Committee, for Bellarmine eCollege, and one of the founding members of the Kentucky Education Foundation. 

His impact on education reached far beyond Louisville. Leatherman had a deep and continuing commitment to the quality of legal education in Kentucky, especially with regards to the College of Law. He was a driving force in the establishment of the College’s Lafferty Society, he served tirelessly as President of the Alumni Board, and was a very active member of the College’s Visiting Committee. He made a significant impact on the College by establishing the Laramie L. Leatherman Professorship. This endowment became a Distinguished Professorship after his death, thanks to a generous gift from the Gheens Foundation in Mr. Leatherman’s memory.