Law School Mourns the Passing of Curtis L. Roy ’50

Curtis L. Roy ’50, a partner at Minneapolis-based Dorsey & Whitney for nearly 40 years and a longtime benefactor of the Law School, passed away Jan. 27 in Bloomington, Minn. He was 93.

A native of Duluth, Roy served in the U.S. Marine Corps in the Pacific Theater during World War II. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota in 1948. After graduating from the Law School, he joined the firm that eventually became Dorsey & Whitney and was made a partner in 1957. As head of the firm’s labor and employment group, he became one of the region’s leading practitioners in that specialty. Roy was a former member of the Law School Board of Visitors and a board member of the Law School Alumni Association.

Apart from the law, Roy’s passion was history, particularly the history of the fur trade and the Civil War. He was a very active member of the Minnesota Historical Society, serving on its executive committee from 1967 to 1992 and as its board president from 1980 to 1983. In the latter role, he led the process to determine the site of the landmark Minnesota History Center, which opened near the Minnesota Capitol and the Cathedral of St. Paul in 1992.

Roy’s wife of 66 years, Joanie, passed away last February. He is survived by four children, 11 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren. Services were held Feb. 10.