A Foundation to Lead: the Auburn Law Society

Ground zero for the Civil Rights Movement, it saw Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. preach at Dexter Avenue Church in Montgomery, Freedom Riders encounter deadly resistance to integration and Governor George Wallace’s infamous “Stand in the Schoolhouse Door” to block the University of Alabama’s integration.

The students who arrived at Auburn during this time had a heightened awareness not only of justice, equality and the practical applications of government power, but daily news of international political revolutions and movements.

In 1964 a group of likeminded students established the Auburn Law Society to encourage interest in politics and bring prominent public officials to campus. Some of their founding members went on to important careers around the world.

Future Alabama Lt. Gov. George McMillan ’66; current Governor Kay Ivey ’67; Yellawood President and CEO Jimmy Rane ’67; SunSouth LLC Chairman Lester Killebrew ’68; Alabama Cattleman’s Association Executive Vice President Billy Powell ’66; and Retired Chairman and CEO of American National Bankshares Inc., Charles Majors ’67 all helped start the society.

The Law Society did more than cement personal friendships. All members were active in student organizations and supported each other in their own personal endeavors—a trend that would continue throughout their lives.

When McMillan was elected Student Government Association president in 1965, Law Society members were instrumental to his campaign. Kay Ivey served as student body secretary and would be the first Auburn woman elected SGA vice president the following year. The two later worked together as volunteers on Lurleen B. Wallace’s successful gubernatorial campaign.

“George was a year older than me but always had time to encourage me and others around him,” said Gov. Ivey. “He was truly an outstanding student body president. George motivated people and increased interest and participation in the SGA. All of us looked up to him and frequently sought his wise counsel.”

Promise Cut Short

In a 1965 column she decried the lack of autonomy coeds had—from compulsory dining plans of ill-prepared meals to mandatory curfews for any number of antiquated offenses.

“If she breaks any of these ‘little’ regulations, then this same Auburn ‘woman’ will be locked in her room at 7:30 p.m. and be allowed to reenter society only after having her hand slapped for wearing slacks in the lobby, or her date talking too loud as he brought her in the door,” wrote Whitley. “In effect, these restrictions upon a woman’s freedom weaken rather than strengthen her.”

Whitley’s election as Plainsman Editor in 1965 was widely praised on campus and across the region. A year later, on Feb. 17, 1966, she introduced John Strohmeyer for a discussion on “Communist Subversion in the Press in Africa” for the 1966 ACOIA Conference.

Tragically, the following night she and Auburn Spade Jeff Stein would perish in a car collision outside Pachuta, Miss. as they headed to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. Auburn experienced a high number of auto fatalities then, but their deaths hit particularly hard.

“I am saddened at the loss to our State of Mary Whitley,” wrote Governor Wallace to the Plainsman, calling her a personal friend. “She was an outstanding young leader. It is tragic that her promising life was cut short in this manner.”

McMillan, in one of his first official acts as chairman of the Award Fund Committee and the Publications Board, helped establish the Mary Whitley Award, a scholarship that is still presented annually to an outstanding junior in journalism.

“Mary was a journalist of tremendous promise, and we are establishing the ‘Mary Whitley Award’ in her honor and memory,” said McMillan. “Its establishment reflects the high degree of admiration and respect which Auburn students feel, and will forever preserve the memory of Mary’s efforts on behalf of Auburn University.”

Auburn and Beyond

Though they were only on campus together for a short time, the legacy of the Auburn Law Society is reflected in the ways members continued to support each other.

George McMillan enjoyed a long career of public service in Alabama as senator and lieutenant governor and later created the world-class music festival City Stages that spearheaded downtown Birmingham’s booming development.

Lester Killebrew turned farm-equipment business SunSouth LLC into one of the largest in the country, and brought the first personal computers to Alabama companies, universities and banks through CCS Technology Centers. Killebrew received Auburn’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024.

Kay Ivey served as assistant director of the Alabama Development Office, director of government affairs and communications for the Alabama Commission on High Education and as state treasurer for more than a decade. Sworn in as governor in 2017, in 2025 she became the longest-tenured female governor in United States history.

Before becoming the president and CEO of Great Southern Wood Preserving, Inc., Jimmy Rane followed his original career path—practicing law—and credits his experiences as a student with helping guide his life. In January 2026, the Auburn Alumni Association announced that Rane had been selected as a 2026 recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award.

“Being a first-generation law student is challenging,” said Camdyn Neal ’20, who earned a bachelor’s in political science and master’s in public administration. Thanks to the Pre-Law Scholars program, she had already been accepted to law school by the time she graduated. “Finding people who are also going through the law school application process with you is super important.”

By Derek Herscovici ’14