TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The University of Alabama School of Law has received a donation of $175,000 from Liberty National Life Insurance Co./Torchmark Corp. to establish the Michael A. Figures Endowed Scholarship.
The scholarship honors Figures’ stellar service to the state of Alabama as well as his legal counsel to Liberty National.
Figures was among the first African-Americans to be admitted to the UA Law School. He graduated in 1972 and became a successful Mobile attorney.
Figures was elected to the state senate in 1978, was re-elected four times and rose to become the president pro tempore in 1994. Figures was preparing to run for lieutenant governor of Alabama when a brain aneurysm lead to his death in 1996.
In the 1980s, Figures was the attorney in a lawsuit against two Ku Klux Klan members convicted of a race-related lynching. In that case, the jury returned a $7 million judgment that bankrupted the United Klans of America.
He was known to follow his 3 B’s: Be prepared, Be there and Be on time. He believed that most leaders become leaders through a commitment to personal growth that includes building strength of character, embracing high moral values and acquiring knowledge through education. With that vision, Figures worked to involve the African-American community in the political process.
Contact
Ian Turnipseed or Linda Hill, UA Public Relations, 205/348-8325, lhill@ur.ua.edu