Addeliar Dell Guy III

Addeliar Dell Guy III was a trailblazer in the Nevada legal community, recognized as the first African-American to practice law in the state and the first African-American to serve on its state court bench. Born and raised in Chicago, he earned his law degree from Loyola University School of Law there in 1957 and practiced both civil and criminal law in the city. At the urging of his friend Harold Washington - who would later become Chicago's first Black mayor - Guy attended a national convention of the Young Democrats in Las Vegas in 1964, where a meeting with then-District Attorney Ted Marshall led him to join the Clark County district attorney's office and, in doing so, to become the first Black attorney to practice law in Nevada.

Guy went on to serve as the first Black deputy district attorney in Clark County and the first chief deputy district attorney. When Department 11 of the Eighth Judicial District Court was created, Governor Mike O'Callaghan appointed him to the post on June 27, 1975, making him Nevada's first African-American judge. He served on the district court bench for two decades, retiring on January 12, 1996. Colleagues remembered him for his fairness, integrity, and compassion, and he was widely sought out for guidance on ethical questions; fellow jurists likened his pioneering role to that of Jackie Robinson.

Beyond the law, Guy was decorated for a distinguished military career, serving in the Coast Guard during World War II and on active duty with the Army during the Korean War. His honors included the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Award Medal, the Korean Service Medal with two Battle Stars, and the Combat Infantryman's Badge. An experience serving as counsel for a sergeant during his Army years first inspired his interest in the law. Throughout his career he remained devoted to the disadvantaged and to the welfare of young people, using his courtroom as a place to plant seeds of encouragement. In tribute to his legacy, a school, a Boys and Girls Club, a community center, and a veterans' hospital all bear his name.