MONTEVALLO—When the University of Montevallo holds its Founders’ Day convocation Oct. 9 at 11 a.m. in Palmer Auditorium, Mark Brandon, dean of the University of Alabama School of Law, will deliver the Founders’ Day address.
Brandon, who graduated from UM in 1975 with a bachelor’s degree in history, earned the juris doctor from the UA School of Law in 1978, a master of arts in political science from the University of Michigan in 1986 and a doctorate in politics from Princeton University in 1992. His career path began with two years as an assistant attorney general for the State of Alabama and included work with Legal Services Corp., two law firms, and teaching positions at the University of Oklahoma and the University of Michigan before joining the faculty at Vanderbilt University. He served as a professor of law at Vanderbilt, specializing in constitutional law. He also held a secondary position in the department of political science. He began his duties at UA July 1.
Brandon has authored two books, Free in the World: American Slavery and Constitutional Failure, published by Princeton University Press in 1998; and States of Union: Family and Change in the American Constitutional Order, published by University Press of Kansas in 2013. He also has authored a number of book chapters and journal articles. He is a member of the Alabama State Bar and the State Bar of Michigan.
He received the Distinguished Alumnus Award at Homecoming 2011.
University of Montevallo President John W. Stewart III said, “The Montevallo family is proud to welcome home as our Founders’ Day speaker Dr. Mark Brandon ’75. Indeed, his scholarship at Princeton, Vanderbilt and Michigan is validation of the caliber an undergraduate education Montevallo provides. We are very proud that Dr. Brandon is at the helm of the University of Alabama’s very fine law school and know that his message to our students, faculty and staff will prove thoughtful and meaningful.”