By Diana L. Coleman
Art Rude will celebrate his ninetieth birthday on April 24, 2010.
Rude is somewhat of a legend in the Muskegon County trial attorney history books. He retired a few years ago from the firm of Parmenter O’Toole.
Rude was born in East Jordan, Michigan, and served on the school’s debate team that proceeded to the state quarterfinals. He started presenting and arguing his case at an early age and graduated second in his class in 1938.
Rude graduated from the University of Michigan in 1942 with honors in economics. While a senior at Michigan, he originated the Bomber Scholarship project. It was a fund established to assist returning war veterans at the University of Michigan. During his time on the project, $150,000 was raised for veterans’ scholarships.
In June 1942, following graduation from U of M, Rude entered the military service, serving four years in Army Ordnance and ending up on Okinawa. While a Second Lieutenant in the Army he married Vivian Maze from Muskegon on January 31, 1944. Their first child, David, was born August 5, 1945.
In September 1946, Rude was honorably discharged as a First Lieutenant from the Army, and he headed off to the University of Michigan Law School with Vivian and David in tow.
While in law school, Rude served on the Phoenix Project to develop a method for using atomic energy for peaceful purposes. He graduated from law school in February, 1949, passed the bar, and started practice with George Stribley in Muskegon.
In 1968, Rude joined the Parmenter & Forsythe law firm, which became the law firm of Parmenter, Forsythe & Rude. He practiced in that firm until the Parmenter firm joined with the O’Toole firm to become Parmenter O’Toole.
Rude was selected for membership in the American College of Trial Lawyers on August 1, 1970. This is a national organization of outstanding trial lawyers of very restricted membership, with its national headquarters in Irvine, California. There are only two Muskegon County Bar Association lawyers who are members of this elite organization: Arthur Rude and Joseph Van Leuven. The American College of Trial Lawyers is the only lawyer organization having all of the justices of the United States Supreme Court as members, along with most federal judges.
Rude served as Commissioner of the State Bar of Michigan for six years, succeeding Charles Latimer.
Locally, Rude has also been very active in many organizations. He served as President of the Muskegon County Bar Association, President of First Congregational Church, President of the Urban League of Greater Muskegon, Chairman of the Hackley Adult Mental Health Clinic, Chairman of the Muskegon County Employment Advisory Committee, and a member in other local organizations.
Mr. Rude retired from the practice of law with Parmenter O’Toole and he and his wife, Vivian, are enjoying retirement. The Rudes have three children who also took great interest in academia. Their son is a lawyer in St. Jose, California, their daughter is an artist in Taos, New Mexico, and their daughter in Kingston, Ontario is on the faculty of Queens University.
May you enjoy a very Happy Birthday April 24, and many, many more to come.
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