The St. Louis University Law Journal has published a fine tribute to the late Sen. Tom Eagleton:

252 pages of eulogy, remembrance, as well as scholarly analysis of Eagleton’s careers as politician, prosecutor, lawmaker, constitutional scholar, civic playmaker, lawyer, writer, teacher and raconteur. (Vol 52, No. 1 Fall 2007).

I have a dead tree copy of the issue (couldn’t find it online), and in flipping through it I landed on a terrific tribute by James J. Murphy, longtime lawyer at Bryan Cave remembering when he worked under Eagleton as an assistant St. Louis circuit attorney.

(Eagleton was elected St. Louis Circuit Attorney in 1956. He was 27 years old).

Here’s a description of a grand jury proceeding Eagleton pursued against an especially odious abuse of public office:

A major grand jury investigation targeted corrupt members of the St. Louis City School Board. Films taken by investigators depicted school maintenance employees repairing and painting one member’s house. Teachers who sought preferment knew that they were expected to patronize the furniture store owned by another member. A third board member charged fees to new graduates in return for job recommendations.

Another colorful anecdote:

Eagleton’s elderly Aunt Hazel served as the ace undercover agent in another investigation following a consumer complaint that certain dance studios were defrauding lonely old ladies. Slick young salesman would exploit the women’s desire for companionship by selling them multiple life memberships while gliding them around the dance floor.

Recalling Sen. Eagleton, and his many accomplishments in public life, I have to think he would be especially pleased to be remembered for his fight against school board graft and dance studio swindles.

Note to law journal editors: How come you don’t make your offerings available for downloading on your Web site?

(Sen. Eagleton pictured with St. Louis University Law School Prof. Joel Goldstein at a seminar they co-taught on the presidency and the constitution in 2005-2006).