JAMES N. CASTLEBERRY JR. was born on December 28, 1921, to James and Nellie Castleberry of Chatom, Alabama. [1]Department of Health, Vermont Certificate of Death, 25 June 2008, Ancestry.com  In 1939 he enrolled for pre-law studies at the University of Alabama, and in 1941 he left school to join the U.S. military.[2]Barrister News volume 4, Number 3, page 6, Meet the Faculty, Summer 1956 Joining the Alabama National Guard first, he served for the U.S. Army as an infantry man. Then in 1942, he transferred to the Army Air Corps, becoming a commissioned officer and earning his wings as an aircraft pilot.[3]Barrister News volume 4, Number 1, page 3, Fall 1955 During World War II, Castleberry flew many missions over the European theater, including the Berlin Airlift and the Korean conflict.[4]Pope, Jack, A Tribute to James N. Castleberry Jr, St Mary’s Law Journal, Vol.21, No. 4, 1990 On February 12, 1944, he married Mary Ann Blocker from Big Wells Texas, and together they had six children.[5]Barrister News volume 4, Number 3, page 6, Meet the Faculty, Summer 1956; Ancestry.com, Mary Ann Blocker 1924-1995, Castleberry Family Tree

While serving in the U.S. Military, Captain Castleberry served as a flight instructor and taught military law at the United States Air Force Candidate School.[6]Walker, Orville C., A Tribute to James N. Castleberry Jr, St Mary’s Law Journal, Vol.21, No. 4, 1990 With a completed undergraduate degree and stationed at Lackland Air Force Base, he arrived at St. Mary’s University, six weeks late, with no transcript. Yet, he was granted enrollment into the St. Mary’s School of Law.[7]Raba, Ernest A., St. Mary’s University School of Law: A Personal History, 1983 In 1952, Captain James Castleberry graduated from St. Mary’s Law School, magna cum laude, and one year later resigned from the United States Air Force.[8]Raba, Ernest A., A Tribute to James N. Castleberry Jr, St Mary’s Law Journal, Vol.21, No. 4, 1990 In 1953, Castleberry began his law career as Assistant Attorney General of Texas. He assisted many cases that attracted national attention, including a Communist-dominant labor union forced to discontinue is labor organizing in Texas, and challenging over twenty insurance companies for malpractice.[9]Barrister News, Volume 4, issue 3, Summer 1956 pg. 6; The Witten Volume 5, Number 6, Pg. 4, January 1978  Having only been licensed for two years, he was not eligible to practice before the Supreme Court, but was granted pro hac vice by the opposing council and former Secretary of State, Dean Acheson, in order to continue arguing in lieu of co-counsel being ill.[10]Barrister News, Volume 4, issue 1, Fall 1955 pg. 3, 6 While still working with the State of Texas, Ernest Raba, Dean of St. Mary’s School of Law, approached Castleberry and recruited him to the law faculty in 1955. 

Individual Class Photo | Dean Castleberry in Leather Flyers Jacket, Flyers Scarf, Leather Flyers Helmet, and Flyers Goggles resting on forehead | Individual Class Photo | Air Force Aviation School | Stamford Field Texas 1942
Air Force Aviation School | Class of 42-K | Stamford Field Texas | The Plane Wrangler 1942

Black and White Faculty Photo | Dean Castleberry | Coat and Tie, mid 30's with mustache | 1955
Barrister News Article | Three New Professors at St. Mary’s | Fall 1955

Professor Castleberry was a founding member of the Law School’s international legal fraternity, Phi Delta Phi Tarlton Inn. He served as Vice-President and eventually became the thirty-sixth President of Phi Delta Phi from 1977-1979. Continuing his leadership within Phi Delt Phi, he contributed to the establishment of the Escuela Libre De Derecho chapter in Mexico City and at the School of Law at the University of Monterey.[11]Pope, Jack, A Tribute to James N. Castleberry Jr, St Mary’s Law Journal, Vol.21, No. 4, 1990



In 1985 he received a Distinguished Law Alumnus Award from St. Mary’s University and helped create the Sarita Kenedy East Law Library at St. Mary’s University. This new development doubled the floor space for the Law School, providing new educational opportunities for students and faculty.[12]Cantu, Charles E., Tributes, Reflections on James N. Castleberry Jr., St Mary’s Law Journal, 2008, Vol 40, Num 1 Castleberry created an editorial board scholarship program to compensate editors of the St. Mary’s Law Journal not being able to work outside of the law school.[13]Cantu, Charles E., An Oral History of St. Mary’s University School of Law (1961-2018), St Mary’s Law Journal, Vol 50, Num1, Art 4, pg. 328 In 1986, he also co-founded the St. Mary’s University Institute on World Legal Problems in Innsbruck Austria, a study abroad program on international and comparative law. This successful program subsequently offered a summer seminar for students from across the country and recruited many supreme court justices to be guest educators.[14]75 Years of Legal Education, LawNotes, St Mary’s University School of Law Newsletter, 2002, pg6


Three Men in suites wearing white hard hats, sharing a short shovel on a part of the StMU Lawn for the Law Library | Fr. Dave Paul on left, Dean Castleberry in Center, Judge Lytton on right.
Fr. Dave Paul on left, Dean Castleberry in Center, Judge Lytton on right | Breaking ground for the St Mary’s Law Library.

Dean Castleberry surrounded by 22 Students the were part of the first group to attend Law School at the University of Innsbruck Austria
Dean Castleberry with the first group of students to attend the Innsbruck program in Austria | 1986

Throughout his career between 1955 and 1992, Professor Castleberry taught courses in real estate and personal property, land use planning, oil and gas, water rights, and comparative law. In 1970, Professor Castleberry co-authored Waters and Water Rights, a seven-volume treatise on water rights in the United States and wrote numerous articles in legal periodicals.[15]Walker, Orville C., A Tribute to James N. Castleberry Jr, St Mary’s Law Journal, Vol.21, No. 4, 1990

In 1978, Castleberry succeeded Raba and served as Dean for the St. Mary’s School of Law until 1989. Fora few summers, Castleberry served as a Visiting Professor of Law at Texas Tech’s University School of Law in 1979 and 1984, Southwestern University School of Law in 1981, and the University of Alabama School of Law in 1982. Additionally, he served as director of summer programs in international and comparative law at St. Mary’s University School of Law from 1986-1989, the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in 1987, and as Dean Emeritus at St. Mary’s in 1989. 



During his career as a lawyer, Professor Castleberry served as a member of the Editorial Board of Community Property Journal from 1974-1979, on the Senior Advisory Board of the Texas Lyceum Association from 1982-1989, and executive director for the Texas Center for Legal Ethics and Professionalism from 1990-1992. Additionally, Professor Castleberry was a member of the State Bar of Texas, San Antonio Bar Association, American Bar Association, San Antonio Bar Foundation, trustee of the Texas Supreme Court Historical Society, and served on the board of directors of Preservation Texas in 1996. [16]James Castleberry, San Antonio Express-News, 29 June 2008, Legacy.com


Dean Castleberry in Coat and Tie | Individual Faculty Photo | the Witan 1978
AND NOW, Here’s President Castleberry | The Witan 1978

Black and White Photo| Elder Dean Castleberry in Coat and Tie |
Dean Emeritus James N. Castleberry 1921-2008 Courtesy of Law Notes 2008

References

References
1 Department of Health, Vermont Certificate of Death, 25 June 2008, Ancestry.com
2 Barrister News volume 4, Number 3, page 6, Meet the Faculty, Summer 1956
3 Barrister News volume 4, Number 1, page 3, Fall 1955
4, 11 Pope, Jack, A Tribute to James N. Castleberry Jr, St Mary’s Law Journal, Vol.21, No. 4, 1990
5 Barrister News volume 4, Number 3, page 6, Meet the Faculty, Summer 1956; Ancestry.com, Mary Ann Blocker 1924-1995, Castleberry Family Tree
6, 15 Walker, Orville C., A Tribute to James N. Castleberry Jr, St Mary’s Law Journal, Vol.21, No. 4, 1990
7 Raba, Ernest A., St. Mary’s University School of Law: A Personal History, 1983
8 Raba, Ernest A., A Tribute to James N. Castleberry Jr, St Mary’s Law Journal, Vol.21, No. 4, 1990
9 Barrister News, Volume 4, issue 3, Summer 1956 pg. 6; The Witten Volume 5, Number 6, Pg. 4, January 1978
10 Barrister News, Volume 4, issue 1, Fall 1955 pg. 3, 6
12 Cantu, Charles E., Tributes, Reflections on James N. Castleberry Jr., St Mary’s Law Journal, 2008, Vol 40, Num 1
13 Cantu, Charles E., An Oral History of St. Mary’s University School of Law (1961-2018), St Mary’s Law Journal, Vol 50, Num1, Art 4, pg. 328
14 75 Years of Legal Education, LawNotes, St Mary’s University School of Law Newsletter, 2002, pg6
16 James Castleberry, San Antonio Express-News, 29 June 2008, Legacy.com