The Struggle to Become Great

Born in Port Arthur, Texas, Walter first attended college at SMU on a football scholarship before ultimately earning his BBA at Baylor University in 1959. After graduating, he spent a brief tenure as an insurance adjustor before enrolling in Baylor Law School where he earned his JD, graduating in 1965. Ironically perhaps, Walter would battle the insurance industry on behalf of his clients throughout his entire career.

During those lean years of law school, Walter and his wife Sheila lived modestly on the small monthly salary she earned from the bank where she worked. As Walter related years later in an article for Baylor’s alumni magazine:

“We were making $245 a month from Sheila’s job at a bank, and we borrowed all the money for tuition. When I got home from law school each day, I’d take a nap for about an hour, pick her up at the bank and then stay up all night studying.”

Walter’s “all-nighter” studies were necessary to keep pace because his days were filled with the rigorous demands of Baylor Law’s highly respected Practice Court curriculum, the central focus of his law study. He confesses to being intimidated at the time by the ongoing challenges and pressures of Practice Court, complete with judge, jury and the critical eye of an audience comprised of his professors and fellow law students. However, by the time he received his JD in 1965, Walter Umphrey knew his way around both the courtroom and the courthouse.

With finely honed skills learned at Baylor Law, Walter was primed and ready for trial. He returned to his hometown area and joined the Jefferson County District Attorney’s office as a Prosecutor. He quickly rose through the ranks to become the Chief Felony Prosecutor before departing the DA’s office in 1969 to found the Provost Umphrey Law Firm with David Provost.

The Legendary Lawyer

Over his career, Walter Umphrey proved his formidable legal mettle, many times against even the most powerful industries. Time and time again, he emerged victorious with verdicts, settlements, judgments and awards that benefited individuals and their families harmed by the injurious conduct or negligence of others, especially those “too big to lose” industries.

In a career that experienced numerous highlights and important victories, including landmark asbestos class actions, among others, Umphrey ultimately ascended to the summit of legal history. In 1998, he served as the lead counsel of the five man “dream team” of lawyers selected to represent the State of Texas in its historic lawsuit against the tobacco industry. In this role, Walter Umphrey engineered the largest civil suit settlement in U.S. history. The result was a $15.3 billion award to the State of Texas, plus an additional $3.3 billion the tobacco companies agreed to pay Umphrey and the “dream team” for their legal fees.

For this and other legal triumphs, Walter was recognized as a “Legal Legend” in the June 2000 by Texas Lawyer magazine. In the company of other luminary trial attorneys, Umphrey was rightly placed among the “Top Texas Lawyers of the 20th Century”. In 2010, in its “Special 25th Anniversary Issue,” Texas Lawyer again recognized Umphrey, naming him one of the twenty-five greatest Texas Lawyers of the past quarter century. He was included on the exclusive list of Texas Super Lawyers from 2003-2004, and again from 2006-2015. Additionally, he was listed as a “Best Lawyer” by U.S. News & World Report from 1991-2016.

A long time member of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association, Umphrey was granted Board Emeritus status and received the TTLA’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015. He was also a Fellow of the International Society of Barristers, a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, and a member of American Board of Trial Advocates. These associations and memberships merely hint at the giant footprint that Umphrey’s long, illustrious legal career leaves behind.

However, Walter Umphrey’s story is far from complete. Just because he no longer actively practices law, his legacy of leadership and generosity will continue to serve the practice of law and all Texans for generations to come. Beyond his legal achievements, Walter has provided unwavering support to many important civic and community causes with a special philanthropic focus for both Baylor Law School and Lamar University.

The Dynamic Philanthropist

Beyond the practice of law, Walter has provided unwavering support to many important civic and community causes with a special focus in philanthropic support for both Baylor Law School and Lamar University.

Perhaps his boldest service as a benefactor to date has been the foundational support he and his wife provided to his alma mater, Baylor Law School. In 1998, they provided the lead financial support that resulted in the Sheila and Walter Umphrey Law Center, an impressive state of the art educational facility that runs along the Brazos River and now serves as home for the Baylor Law School. The Umphrey Law Center more than doubled Baylor’s capacity and helped to insure that Baylor Law School remains among the nation’s top law schools for generations to come.

In 2012, the Umphrey’s charity again enhanced the beauty of the Baylor University campus along the Brazos by funding the construction of a stunning pedestrian bridge that connects McLane Stadium to the campus. The Sheila and Walter Umphrey Pedestrian Bridge, which also runs alongside the Umphrey Law Center, expands Baylor’s campus north of the Brazos. Additionally, the Umphreys have also established The Walter Umphrey Endowed Courtroom Fund to provide scholarships for deserving Baylor Law School students.

Back in their hometown of Beaumont, Texas, the Umphrey’s have also provided support to Sheila’s alma mater Lamar University. In 2005, the Umphrey’s stepped up to provide a $5 million gift to construct a new multi-million dollar recreational facility appropriately named the Sheila Umphrey Recreational Sports Center, which opened in 2007 and was nicknamed “The Sheila” by the faculty and students who enter its doors year after year.

In 2008, prior to the resumption of Lamar’s long dormant football program, Walter and Sheila partnered with Provost Umphrey Law Firm in a $4 million grant to Lamar University, which then renamed its football facility, Provost Umphrey Stadium. In some ways, the gifts to Lamar University that support its sports programs bring Walter Umphrey’s life full circle, since he started his own college experience on a football scholarship.

While Walter’s financial generosity has reached extraordinary levels, he has also been generous with his time. For years, Walter served on the Southeast Texas – State Bar of Texas Grievance Committee helping resolve disputes between local attorneys and their clients. Walter also served as Director for the National Wildlife Association and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. While serving as a member of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission, Walter purchased land at Mesquite Point on Pleasure Island in Port Arthur that he then donated to Jefferson County. The land was used to establish what is now known as Walter Umphrey State Park.

In a lifetime of accomplishment and acclaim, so many people have benefited from Walter Umphrey being on their side that the whole story will likely never be fully known. While any one of his major individual achievements would serve almost anyone proudly, for Walter Umphrey what he is most proud of is very simple.

“What I enjoyed most was building the law firm and helping the people that we have,” Walter says. “We don’t represent the big corporations. We help individual people. That’s what I’m most proud of.”