Bill’s
Passing
William J. Augello passed away on the morning of
November 19, 2006 at his home in Marana, AZ. Bill was diagnosed earlier
in the fall with an aggressive form of neuroendocrine cancer. Bill’s
fascination with the law and his desire to share it with others
continued throughout his illness virtually until the day of his passing.
Bill’s Family
Bill is survived by his wife of 56 years, Elizabeth
(Betty) Augello, and six children; Tom, Pat and husband Tom, Chip and
wife Cheryl, Billy, Peg and husband Norman, and Jamie, and, four
grandchildren; Ryan, Nathan, Travis and Casey.
Scholarship Fund
Prior to Bill’s passing the University of Arizona Law
Center established a scholarship fund in Bill’s name which Bill learned
of with great pleasure and pride in his final days. Donations in memory
of Bill may be sent to:
Law College Association – William J. Augello Scholarship
for
Transportation and Commercial Law Studies
James E. Rogers College of Law
The University of Arizona
P.O. Box 210176
Tucson, AZ 85721-0176
Bill’s Last Interview
Shortly before the time of Bill’s passing he was
interviewed with the understanding that the interview would not be
released until after his passing. This interview may be listened to at
www.tranznews.com/otr_augello.html.
Bill’s Professional Accomplishments
An icon of the industry, Bill practiced transportation
and administrative law for 52 years. After “retiring” from the firm of
Augello, Pezold and Hirschmann of Huntington, New York, he continued to
consult with and present expert testimony for the transportation
industry and members of the bar from his office in Tucson, Arizona. Bill
remained active until his final days. At the time of his passing he was
an Adjunct Professor at the James E. Rogers College of Law at the
University of Arizona.
Bill received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in
Psychology at Dartmouth College and an LL.B at Fordham Law School. He
was also on the faculty of Denver University’s Intermodal Transportation
Institute and at the Institute of Logistical Management, having served
on both Boards of Directors. He was Coordinator for Transportation Law
Education at the National Law Center for Inter-American Free Trade in
Tucson, AZ, where he served as Co-Chairman of its Sub-Committee on
Uniform Liability Regime.
He also served as a member of the U.S. State
Department’s Advisory Committee on Private International Law. He was a
founder and member of the Board of the National Freight Transportation
Library, the Shippers National Freight Claim Council, the Transportation
Arbitration Board and the Certified Claims Professional Accreditation
Council.
Bill has been honored by Syracuse University (Harry E.
Saltzberg Honorary Medallion), the Delta Nu Alpha Transportation
Fraternity (National Transportation Man of the Year), Transportation
Lawyers Association (Distinguished Service Award) and the Colorado
Transportation Community’s Operation Stimulus (Outstanding Educator of
the Year).
Bill wrote extensively for several industry trade
publications, and at the time of his passing was a columnist for Parcel
Shipping and Distribution, Inbound Logistics, as well as Dun &
Bradstreet’s Exporters’ Encyclopedia. He argued before the United States
Supreme Court and numerous U.S. Courts of Appeals, testified before
Congressional Committees and appeared before governmental regulatory
agencies and carrier Classification Committees.
As Executive Director for 30 years of the Transportation
Logistics Council (TLC) and its predecessors, Bill provided continuing
education to thousands of students and practitioners in the
transportation and logistics fields through his many texts, seminars and
editorials in TransDigest, TLC’s monthly newsletter.
Bill’s Last Books
Bill’s text, Freight Claims in Plain English,
written in collaboration with George Pezold, continues to be the leading
text on carrier liability for loss, damage and delay. The Fourth Edition
was completed prior to the time of his passing and is scheduled to be
published in 2007.
In the final weeks of his life, Bill also completed his
last book, Legal Issues Affecting Shippers, Carriers and
Intermediaries which is also scheduled to be published in 2007.
Click here for information on Bill’s
other texts.
Tributes and Memories of Bill
As word spread of Bill’s illness he received many, many
e-mails and letters from friends and colleagues in the transportation
industry and we would like to share with the readers just a few of
these. These letters reflect the fact that in addition to being a highly
skilled attorney Bill also served as a mentor, provided encouragement,
and otherwise touched the lives and careers of many people.
“I write you to thank you for your gigantic contribution
to an industry to which I have dedicated my life and have served more
proficiently because of your teaching. You have taught me prudence in
this business and respect for the structure of agreements and the hidden
perils in statutes and regulations that may lay sleeping until a
calamity awakes them.
***
Your caveats, issued frequently to those of us drunk on
the wine of free markets, were wise and saved many of us from leaving
the framework of contracts. When even senior management folks in several
industries believed deregulation meant that there were no more rules you
held fast in your position that disputes will be decided by one or
another rule or statute; anarchy cannot function in a commercial
environment.”
***
“I know of few others who were so selfless as you in
this business, Bill. You were the sage who counseled our green recruits
and advised them to be fastidious in their approach to agreements with
both shippers and carriers. I am fortunate to have made your
acquaintance and to have enjoyed the benefit of your advice. Your legacy
will be long and your reputation will be remembered by many of us as one
of a shrewd and tireless man who recognized not only justice but the
dangers in laws that are intended to achieve a benefit but expose
businesses to harm. God bless you for your stalwart service to an
industry that is not glamorous but is critical to all industries.”
***
“For those of you who know Bill, you know that this
industry has lost a great champion and spokesperson. And, for those of
you that did not have the privilege of knowing Bill, suffice it to say
that if your company ships or receives anything, then your company
benefited from the activity that Bill conducted on behalf of all
shippers located in this country.”
***
“You have always been a friend to me especially when I
was on the carrier side, you would listen to me and you never singled
out my company in a negative way without first talking to me to get the
other side of the story. I have enjoyed our discussions, debates and
friendly chats as well as our golf.”
***
“I am truly saddened by the passing of a "Giant" in the
Transportation Industry. Bill Augello made an impact on every one of us
in the Transportation Field. I wonder now, where and in what direction
this whole "Undercharge" fiasco would have gone without his counsel and
leadership. I know here at our company that Bill took on what seemed to
me at the time to be an overwhelming challenge. With Bill’s help, we
successfully defeated the Carrier's Undercharge Trustees efforts to
collect anything. Bill will always be a Champion in my mind. We will
miss him and I know up there somewhere he is still fighting for us
Shippers.”
***
“We have always enjoyed your leadership and
participation at the TCPC conferences. I still remember your
encouragement on our web application over 7 years ago. Thank you for
everything you have done for us. We will keep you in our prayers.”
***
“You are a true teacher and gentleman and I have been
blessed to know you.”
***
“No one could have asked to have a better person than
you in the position of leadership within transportation law and
education you have held over the years. I always appreciated your
friendly demeanor and how freely you shared your opinions.”
***
“I’m in the process of writing letters to those that
have contributed to my many successes over the years, as I plan to
retire at the end of the year. This seems like an appropriate time to
acknowledge the one person who is most responsible for those successes
and that would be you. Every penny recovered from freight claims, and
every dollar saved as a result of a billing error or any variety of cost
avoidance that I have encountered can be traced right to you and the
guidance you have provided over the years.”
***
“I have long admired your work in the transportation
industry, and greatly appreciate your help and wisdom.”
***
“As I hope you know, you have been a great inspiration
to many in the transportation community. I often remember the chance
meeting we had in the hallway at one of the Conferences where you said
to me, ‘fighting for justice in a commercial context is still an
important form of fighting for justice.’”
***
“I have always admired your style. You are a zealous
advocate for your positions; a tenacious adversary; a dedicated teacher;
and one heck of a lawyer. All that having been said, you are one of the
few attorneys in our era that is truly unique. You perceived a vacuum in
the industry and you proceeded to fill it with the force of your
personality. You created something that was not there before and
something that will exist far into the future.”
