HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 1391
By Freeman
A RESOLUTION to honor the memory of Bartlett Chesterfield
"Bart" Durham of Nashville.
WHEREAS, the members of this General Assembly were greatly saddened to learn of
the passing of Nashville local legend Bartlett Chesterfield "Bart" Durham; and WHEREAS, Bart Durham was the founder and face of the Nashville-based personal injury firm Bart Durham Injury Law, a champion of the underserved, and the first lawyer in
Tennessee to advertise his services in print, on the radio, and on television; and WHEREAS, born on March 5, 1935, in Ripley, Mr. Durham was the son of B.C. and Nelle Pierson Durham; as a small-town boy with humble beginnings, he credited his success to
hard work, others' investments in him, and luck; and WHEREAS, prior to embarking upon his law career, Bart Durham served in the United States Army for two years, spending time in Germany; he attended law school at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and finished his degree at Southern Law University in Memphis; his lifelong love of learning inspired him to financially support numerous individuals in their pursuit of higher education; and WHEREAS, after becoming a member of the Tennessee bar in 1963, he began practicing law in his hometown alongside his father before serving with the U.S. Department of
Justice in Memphis, where he and his colleagues prosecuted and defended all cases in the thirty-three counties of West Tennessee; and WHEREAS, in 1969, Bart Durham made his fortuitous move to Music City for a job as a prosecuting attorney in the State Attorney General's Office, where he was in charge of civil rights cases throughout the State; he appeared regularly in every U.S. District Court from HJR1391
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Memphis to East Tennessee; argued more than 100 cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals in
Cincinnati, Ohio; and argued three cases before the U.S. Supreme Court; and WHEREAS, in 1975, he went into private practice with his peer Henry Haile; before long,
he was appearing regularly in print and on radio and television, with thousands of Tennesseans growing up seeing him on their television sets; and WHEREAS, ever in pursuit of justice for victims of personal tragedies, Mr. Durham represented thousands of personal injury cases during his career and was named a Senior Counselor by the Tennessee Bar Association; he continued assisting with work at his firm until his passing, such was his love for his profession and for the many fine lawyers and team members, including his youngest son, Blair; and WHEREAS, his passion for various avocations also endured throughout his lifetime,
including flying, entering the ring as a wrestling ringside manager alongside Regina Hale, and attending Ferrari racing meets; he acquired a few Ferraris of his own and founded the Tennessee Chapter of the Ferrari Club of America in 1997, serving terms as the Tennessee president and regional director of the Southeast Region; and WHEREAS, he was also a member of Nashville Korean Presbyterian Church, where he
attended with his wife; and WHEREAS, a down-to-earth, kind, and generous man committed to his community and his clients, Bart Durham was deeply devoted to his family and always endeavored to remain true to family values of the highest order; and WHEREAS, left to cherish his memory are his loving wife, Cindy (Sin Young Kang); his children, Colin and Michele Falletta Durham and Blair and Kelley Bean Durham; and his grandchildren, Ethan and Adelynn; and
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WHEREAS, Bart Durham leaves behind an indelible legacy of integrity and probity in
public life, compassion and loyalty in private life, and diligence and dedication in all his chosen endeavors; and WHEREAS, it is fitting that the members of this General Assembly should pause to
remember the bountiful life of this exceptional attorney and human being; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED
THIRTEENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, THE SENATE
CONCURRING, that we honor the memory of Bartlett Chesterfield "Bart" Durham, reflecting fondly upon his impeccable character and his stalwart commitment to living the examined life with courage and conviction.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we express our sympathy and offer our condolences to the family of Mr. Durham.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that an appropriate copy of this resolution be prepared for presentation with this final clause omitted from such copy and upon proper request made to
the appropriate clerk, the language appearing immediately following the State seal appear without House or Senate designation.
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