Friday, February 7, 1997
FACULTY:
Eule’s zest for life touched his students, colleagues and
familyBy J. Sharon Yee
Daily Bruin Contributor
UCLA’s School of Law suffered a tremendous loss last week with
the death of a highly valued and well-respected professor. Julian
Eule, a professor at UCLA since 1984 and associate dean from
1992-1995, died on Jan. 30 of cancer at age 47.
"He was a world-class teacher  everyone’s favorite
professor," said Jonathan Varat, a fellow professor at the law
school and also Eule’s best friend.
"He was incredibly energetic and touched everybody he met," he
added.
Varat met Eule in 1983 after discovering that they had
simultaneously written articles about the same subject in
completely separate law journals. They later agreed to discuss a
possible job opportunity at UCLA, where Varat was a professor. But
what was intended as a one-hour job interview quickly became a
three-hour conversation about a variety of issues, which eventually
grew into a close friendship.
Prior to coming to UCLA, Eule studied as an undergraduate at the
State University of New York at Stony Brook, earned his law degree
at Cornell University in 1973, and eventually a Masters of Laws
from Harvard Law School in 1977.
Upon completing his education, he practiced law for Shearman and
Sterling law firm in New York and served as legal counsel to
then-Connecticut Gov. Thomas Meskill, who is currently a Second
Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals judge. From 1977 to 1984, he taught
and served as associate dean at Temple University Law School in
Philadelphia, Penn.
Perhaps one of Eule’s most notable and memorable characteristics
was the incredible amount of energy and vitality he often expressed
in his everyday life.
"He had the most infectious sense of humor … and was
incredibly energetic," said Varat.
Former students also say they were greatly affected and inspired
by Eule. Most recently, he taught constitutional law and appellate
advocacy classes.
"He was a fantastic lecturer (and) kept the class really
lively," said Holly Paul, a 1991graduate who took Eule’s
constitutional law classes as a UCLA student. She also said she was
inspired to focus her work in appellate law because of his
influence.
Others praised his diligence and persistence in encouraging
reform in constitutional law and the California Initiative Process,
emphasizing his most recent efforts on reinterpreting the commerce
clause of the Constitution.
"He was very sensitive about constitutional law issues … he
wasn’t an esoteric professor, but more interested in practicality,"
said Braden Penhoet, a 1995 graduate who worked as his research
assistant and is now a corporate attorney for the Brobeck, Phleger,
and Harrison law firm in downtown Los Angeles.
"Put simply, he was a timely and thoughtful scholar," Penhoet
added.
Eule’s ability to connect with his students earned him both the
law school’s Rutter Award for Excellence in Teaching and Professor
of the Year in 1988. He was again named Professor of the Year in
1990 and 1992.
Eule routinely had lunch with his students, stayed after
lectures to discuss issues and, according to students, would
literally spend hours debating with them about anything.
"He didn’t mind if someone disagreed with him, but he wanted to
know why. He wanted to be open about it," Varat said.
Eule’s constant optimism and zest for life was also apparent at
home. After overcoming Hodgkin’s disease in 1984, he began to look
at life in a very different way, showing great enthusiasm towards
it, said family members.
"He knew what was important in life and what wasn’t … and (in
this way) he taught me the true value of life," said Brian Eule,
his son, a high school senior.
After losing his own father at a young age, Julian Eule realized
the importance of being a supportive and loving father to his own
children. Even after long days at work, he would come home and
still have energy for them, his son said. In addition to
encouraging their schoolwork and activities, Eule emphasized the
importance of saying "good night" and "I love you" at bedtime, no
matter what the circumstances of the day might have been.
"I don’t remember one night going to bed without saying ‘Good
night,’" said Brian Eule, stating that his father’s reason for
doing this was a story he had heard about a son who went to bed
angry at his father, and during the night, the father passed away
without truly knowing that the son loved him. Julian Eule did not
want this to happen to his family.
A native of New York and a great sports enthusiast, Eule was a
huge Mets fan. To show his loyalty, he made it an annual tradition
to wear his Mets uniform  an original  to classes for
an entire day. After deciding to teach at UCLA, he and some of his
students drove across the country (while his family flew), making
it a point to visit every baseball stadium possible along the
way.
When diagnosed with cancer last summer, Eule confronted his
disease with courage and optimism.
"He was an incredible fighter because (having overcome Hodgkin’s
disease), he valued life so much," his son said.
Eule demonstrated his concern for others by voluntarily teaching
at the UCLA Medical School because he felt it was important to
teach doctors about his disease from the perspective of a
patient.
Because he could not stand to see others in pain or upset: "When
he got sick, he was happy it happened to him instead of his
family," Brian Eule said.
His unselfish ways will also be missed in his professional
life.
"The UCLA Law School has experienced a tremendous loss …
(current students) have been deprived of an excellent teacher,"
Paul reflected. "Of course, they’ll continue on, but they’re just
going to have one less terrific professor."
A funeral service, with over 200 people in attendance, was held
Sunday at Hillside Memorial Park in West Los Angeles. Commenting on
how Eule’s funeral brought together a significant part of the law
school community, Penhoet said, "He was such an integral part of
the law school … he was really a big part of the glue of the
school."
Brian Eule suggested that despite his untimely death, Julian
Eule would not have regretted any part of his life.
"He considered the last 14 years of his life his best ones," he
said.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial
contributions be made to the Julian Eule Memorial fund, in care of
UCLA School of Law, Office of the Dean, Box 951476, Los Angeles, CA
90095.
Julian Eule taught at the UCLA School of Law since 1984. Cancer
took his life Jan. 30.