Darlington School is pleased to announce that Raymond Murray will be the keynote speaker at the Baccalaureate Service on May 17 and Justice Norman Fletcher will address the Class of 2013 at Commencement on May 18. Darlington will stream both events live online at this link.
Raymond Murray has taught and coached at Darlington since 1986. He holds a B.A. from the University of the South – Sewanee and an M.A. from the University of West Georgia. At Darlington, he has taught Freshman Honors, Sophomore Honors, junior and senior English, and Cinema. He has also served as a college adviser for over a decade and coached Middle School football, junior varsity baseball, varsity softball and varsity golf.
Murray is a recipient of the Excellence in Teaching Award, the James Douglas Brown Jr. Award, the Richard M. Yankee Excellence in Teaching Award and the Oscar Betts ’19 Master Teacher Award. He has also been recognized in countless editions of Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers. He and his wife, Laura, are the parents of three Darlington alumni, Alex (’02), Brett (’04) and Caitlin (’07).
Norman Fletcher, former chief justice of the Georgia Supreme Court, is a member of Darlington’s Board of Trustees. He holds a B.A. and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Georgia as well as a Master of Law from the University of Virginia. He was also awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Mercer University.
After graduating from law school, Fletcher joined the law firm of Mathews, Maddox, Walton and Smith in Rome. He then moved to LaFayette, Ga., to start a private practice. He served as the Lafayette city attorney from 1965 through 1989 and the Walker County attorney from 1973 through 1988. From 1979 through 1989, he also was a special assistant attorney general for the State of Georgia. He served in numerous other positions while maintaining his private practice, including board member of the Attorney’s Title Guaranty Fund, president of the Lookout Mountain Bar Association, president of the University of Georgia Law School Association, chairman of Local Government Section of the State Bar of Georgia, president of the City Attorney’s Section of the Georgia Municipal Association, a member of the State Disciplinary Board and chairman of the Investigative Panel, board member of LaFayette Chamber of Commerce and president of the LaFayette Rotary Club.
In 1989, Fletcher was appointed to the Supreme Court of Georgia by Gov. Joe Frank Harris; he served as chief justice from 2001 until he retired from the Court in 2005. He now works with the Rome law firm of Brinson, Askew, Berry, Seigler, Richardson and Davis LLP.
Fletcher has received numerous honors and awards throughout his career, including the University of Georgia Law School Association’s Alumni Distinguished Service Award, the Phoenix Committee/Gridiron Secret Society’s Phoenix Award, the University of Georgia’s Blue Key Service Award, the Atlanta Bar Association’s Leadership Award, the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia’s Excellence in Government Award, the Atlanta Bar Association Judicial Section’s Hon. Romae Turner Powell Judicial Service Award, the National Center for State Court’s Harry L. Carrico Award, the Emory Public Interest Committee’s Epic Inspiration Award, the State Bar of Georgia General Practice and Trial Section’s Tradition of Excellence Award, the Georgia First Amendment Foundation’s Charles L. Weltner Freedom of Information Award, The Athens Justice Project Award, the Atlanta Bar Association Litigation Section’s Logan E. Bleckley Award, the University of Georgia School of Law Equal Justice Foundation Award for Outstanding Public Interest Attorney, the Georgia Excellence in Public Service Award, the State Bar of Georgia Distinguished Service Award and the State Bar of Georgia Thomas O. Marshall Professionalism Award. Additionally, the Lookout Mountain Bar Association gives the Norman S. Fletcher Professionalism Award annually in his honor.
Fletcher is a fellow of both the American Bar and the Georgia Bar Foundations, and is a master in the Joseph Henry Lumpkin Inn of Court. He and his wife, Dorothy, have two grown daughters and five grandchildren.
The Baccalaureate Service will be held May 17 at 7 p.m. in Morris Chapel. Commencement will begin May 18 at 9:30 a.m. on the Chapel Lawn. In case of rain, Commencement will be held at 10:30 a.m. in the Huffman Athletic Center.
