Francis Beytagh

Francis X. Beytagh served as Dean of The Ohio State University College of Law from 1985 to 1993. He received a B.A. magna cum laude from the University of Notre Dame in 1956 and a J.D., graduating first in his class, from the University of Michigan Law School in 1963. Commissioned as a U.S. Navy officer following his undergraduate studies, Beytagh served active duty aboard the U.S.S. Borie and U.S.S. Picuda and later retired as a Captain in the Naval Reserves after more than 20 years of service. Beytagh clerked as senior law clerk to Chief Justice Earl Warren during the 1963-1964 Supreme Court term, contributing to landmark decisions including Reynolds v. Sims (1964), which famously stated that 'Legislators represent people, not trees or acres. Legislators are elected by voters, not farms or cities or economic interests.' He also assisted Solicitor General Thurgood Marshall.

Beytagh's distinguished academic career included faculty appointments at the University of Virginia School of Law, University of Notre Dame Law School (professor in 1974), University of Michigan Law School, University of Houston Law Center, and Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. Prior to Ohio State, he was Dean of the University of Toledo College of Law. Later, he served as President of Florida Coastal School of Law, holding the Founders Chair. A leading scholar in constitutional law, Beytagh co-authored the prominent casebook Constitutional Law: Cases and Materials with Paul G. Kauper, including the fifth edition published in 1980. Additional publications include 'Mr. Justice Stevens and the Burger Court's Uncertain Trumpet,' 51 Notre Dame Lawyer 946 (1976). His leadership and scholarship significantly influenced legal education and constitutional jurisprudence.