Obituaries

Milton R. Konvitz, a Cornell faculty member and authority on constitutional and labor law, and civil and human rights, died Sept. 5 at Monmouth Medical Center near his home in Oakhurst, N.J., at the age of 95. Konvitz was a professor in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations and Law School from 1946 until his retirement in 1973.

Konvitz is perhaps best known for his American Ideals course, which he taught to more than 8,000 students over the course of his career, never giving the same lecture twice. "I saw the U.S. Constitution as it has been interpreted as a magnificent depository of our ideals, both individual and social," he said. His course exposed students to the great intellectual thinkers and philosophers throughout history whose writings had shaped those ideals. They included Sophocles, whose play Antigone is Cornell's New Student Reading Project this year. One student he influenced was U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Cornell Class of 1954, who considers him a mentor. Another, Cornell trustee Harold Tanner '52, credited the two-semester course with "having a greater impact on my life than any course I took anywhere."

Active as a scholar and writer until his death, Konvitz wrote books and articles on American constitutional law that won him wide recognition and were cited in U.S. Supreme Court opinions. Among his nine books are Fundamental Liberties of a Free People: Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly, which was republished earlier this year with an expanded introduction by him; A Century of Civil Rights (1983); and Judaism and Human Rights (2nd ed. 2001). He also edited a dozen volumes, including two on Ralph Waldo Emerson. One Emersonian idea he absorbed was that readers give life to books, which Konvitz recast as follows: "It is in their hearing that students bring life to the words, the thoughts, the teacher."

In addition, Konvitz was a founder of Cornell's Department of Near Eastern Studies and Program of Jewish Studies. "I felt it was essential for a college interested in the humanities not to leave out Hebrew language and literature," he said. "And the knowledge of Jewish history, which began 4,000 years ago and has contributed to civilization no less than Greek, Roman or English history, is important to today's students -- Jewish and non-Jewish." He also helped start the first Kosher dining option at Cornell, Young Israel House.

For nearly 30 years at Cornell he directed the Liberian Codification Project, which drew up the official body of statutory laws that are still in force in the Republic of Liberia today, despite the current political upheaval there. He also edited the opinions of Liberia's Supreme Court and received the Grand Band of the Order of the Star of Africa, the highest award given to foreigners, and an honorary degree from the University of Liberia -- one of seven honorary degrees he received in his lifetime.

Konvitz earned a bachelor's degree in 1929 and a law degree in 1930 from New York University, and a Ph.D. in philosophy from Cornell in 1933. Before coming to Cornell, he was one of three assistant general counsels to Thurgood Marshall at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund for three years.

He is survived by his wife, Mary, a brother, Phillip, a son, Josef, and grandsons Eli and Ezra. Contributions in Konvitz's memory can be made to Cornell's Program of Jewish Studies, Olin Library's Judaica collection and the Kheel Center for Labor Management Documentation and Archives at the ILR School.

Nancy Kate Hare Cannata, who held staff positions with Cornell, died Aug. 8 at Hospicare of Tompkins County. She was 65.

Cannata was born in 1938 in Niagara Falls, N.Y. She earned an R.N. degree from the Sisters of Charity Hospital School of Nursing at Canisius College in Buffalo.

She was a staff nurse at St. Mary's Hospital in Niagara Falls and at Millard Fillmore Hospital and Roswell Park Memorial Institute. After her husband, Edward, died, she moved to Trumansburg in the late 1970s.

At Cornell Cannata was an office assistant at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County and in Public Affairs records. From 1999 until her death, she worked at Cornell Alumni Magazine as the researcher for Class Notes. Among her interests were writing, gardening, "crosswording," sports, politics and humanitarian causes.

She is survived by her father, several stepbrothers, stepsisters and cousins.

A memorial service, officiated by the Rev. Leo Reinhardt, will be held Monday, Sept. 22, at 11 a.m. at Sage Chapel. A reception will follow in the Memorial Room of Willard Straight Hall. A shuttle van will transport guests from the B Lot, off of Caldwell Road, and the Schoellkopf parking garage to and from Sage Chapel and Willard Straight Hall beginning at 10:15 a.m. Call 254-7103 if assistance is needed.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be directed to Hospicare of Tompkins County, 172 E. King Road, Ithaca, N.Y. 14850, or to the Tompkins County SPCA, 1640 Hanshaw Road, Ithaca, N.Y. 14850.