Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on March 5, 1971.
Honor Tilton, 93
By ROLLIE BERNHART
Ira C. Tilton, 93, lawyer, author, lecturer and teacher, was honored by the Porter County Bar Association Thursday for 57 years of dedicated service to the legal profession.
Atty. Herb Douglas, member of the association’s honors committee, presented the dean of Porter County lawyers with a gavel plaque in his study at 405 Garfield.
Tilton fought back tears of gratitude as Douglas read the inscription, “In recognition of 57 years of service to the citizens of Porter County in active practice of law and Jurisprudence in Porter County in active practice of law and Jurisprudence in Porter County, Ind., by Ira C. Tilton. Presented by the Porter County Bar Association, March 4, 1971.”
Douglas made the presentation on behalf of Honors Committee chairman Quentin Blachly, who was out of the city.
A letter was read from Porter Superior Court Judge Russell Nixon, also unable to attend because of business reasons, who went back a “respectable distance” in local history to reminisce about Tilton and other members of the legal profession.
“My happy memories of those days,” Nixon wrote, “include many conversations and discussions with you, and down through the years that followed, my contact with you was always pleasant, even when adversary. We are members of a great profession. To have performed well in it is indeed an honor, and worthy of any tribute. I add my good wishes to those of your many friends.”
Tilton also received a congratulatory telegram from 2nd District Congressman Earl F. Landgrebe.
On hand to honor Tilton and listen to him reminisce about his family tree and the county legal profession after he was admitted to practice on Jan. 14, 1914 were Bar Association members George Douglas, Eng Zimmerman Jr., Circuit Court Judge Alfred J. Pvarnik, Superior Court Judge Russell Willis, James W. Chester, Raymond Kickbush; Mrs. Avery Weaver, Tilton’s daughter and law partner, Mr. Weaver, and Rollie Bernhart (who also goes back a respectable distance) of The Vidette-Messenger.
The hour spent with Tilton resulted in a remarkable demonstration of a keen and analytical mind despite advanced years. Tilton will have a 94th birthday in December.
Coming to Valparaiso from Kansas, Tilton graduated from Valparaiso University in 1909. In the years following admittance to practice law, Tilton served as city attorney, county attorney, deputy prosecutor, Circuit Court Judge, Democratic county chairman for 10 years, member of the Valparaiso School Board, and was the organizer of the PTA in Porter County.
For Service
Atty. Ira C. Tilton holds gavel plaque presented him Thursday by Atty. Herb Douglas on behalf of Porter County Bar Association in tribute to 93-year-old lawyer’s 57 years of legal service to citizens if Porter County
