SPONSOR:	Sen. Blevins; Sens. Bonini, Booth, Bunting, Bushweller, Cloutier, Connor, DeLuca, Ennis, Hall-Long, Henry, Katz, Lawson, Marshall, McBride, McDowell, Peterson, Simpson, Sokola, Sorenson & Venables

DELAWARE STATE SENATE

146th GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 17

PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE WILLIAM BURTON CHANDLER III, OF DAGSBORO UPON HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE OFFICE OF CHANCELLOR OF THE DELAWARE COURT OF CHANCERY.

WHEREAS, the Honorable William Burton Chandler III, of Dagsboro, Sussex County, will retire on the 17th Day of June, 2011, from the office of Chancellor of the Delaware Court of Chancery, in which he has served ably and well since 1997, and

WHEREAS, Chancellor Chandler’s retirement marks the end of a long and distinguished career on the Delaware bench, beginning with his service as Resident Judge of the Superior Court of the State of Delaware in and for Sussex County, to which position he was appointed by then Governor Michael N. Castle in 1985; and

WHEREAS, in 1989, Judge Chandler was appointed, again by Governor Castle, to the office of Vice Chancellor, in which he served until his appointment by then Governor Thomas R. Carper to the office of Chancellor in 1997; and

WHEREAS, he was reappointed to a second 12-year term as Chancellor in 2009 by then Governor Ruth Ann Minner; and

WHEREAS, prior to his appointment to the judiciary, Chancellor Chandler was an associate with the law firm of Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell and had served as Legal Counsel to former Delaware Governor Pierre S. du Pont IV; and

WHEREAS, early in his legal career, Chancellor Chandler had taught commercial law, legislative process and remedies for several years at the University of Alabama School of Law, and continues to teach at several law schools across the country, including Vanderbilt, Ohio State, Georgia and Washington University; and

WHEREAS, Chancellor Chandler received his undergraduate degree from the University of Delaware, as have other members of his family, including his son, Will, and his daughter, Melody; and

WHEREAS, he went on to earn law degrees from the University of South Carolina School of Law and Yale Law School; and

WHEREAS, while the Delaware Court of Chancery has long been renowned throughout the United States and around the world for its great expertise in the area of corporation and business law, rarely has its reputation shown with such luster as during Judge Chandler’s tenure as chancellor; and

WHEREAS, as Delaware Chancellor, he has become one of the most widely respected jurists in the United States and has brought great honor upon himself, his court and his state; and

WHEREAS, Chancellor Chandler is especially beloved in his native Sussex County and his hometown of Dagsboro at the head of Pepper’s Creek, where the family of his late father, former Sussex County Councilman and Delaware Secretary of Agriculture William Burton Chandler, Jr., and that of his late mother, Mrs. Eva McCabe Chandler, have been resident for generations and where he and his wife, Gayle Lynch Chandler, have made their home and raised their children in a house at the center of the town built by his great-grandparents; and

WHEREAS, one of Chancellor Chandler’s great contributions to Delaware has been to demonstrate anew that the members of Delaware’s judiciary, however lofty their official positions, remain first and foremost citizens with a vital interest in the life of the community around them; and

WHEREAS, as such, even while serving in his public offices and traveling the world as a spokesman for the Delaware Court of Chancery, Chancellor Chandler has continued to take a strong and active interest in the life of his town and his native Sussex County, and has remained an important voice in support of such causes as the quality of education available to Sussex County’s young people and the importance of preserving Sussex County’s traditional quality of life in the face of the unprecedented development the area has experienced in recent decades; and

WHEREAS, as Chancellor Chandler prepares to embark on the next chapter of his life, the citizens of Delaware in general and those of Sussex County in particular will continue to welcome his wise counsel in matters of importance and his presence among us;

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the 146th General Assembly of the State of Delaware that the members do hereby laud and honor our good friend, Chancellor William Burton Chandler III of Dagsboro, and express to him our heartfelt thanks for his great contributions to the betterment of the First State over the course of his exemplary career as a member of Delaware’s judiciary.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members do hereby extend to Chancellor Chandler, his wife, Gayle, and the entire Chandler family all best wishes for a bright, happy and fulfilling future.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Senate Resolution be presented to Chancellor Chandler upon its passage during his visit to the Senate Chamber at Legislative Hall on this Second Day of June, 2011.