William Dudley “Billy” Melton left his life on the 10th of October. 10. 2023.He passed away at the home at Evergreen, Conecuh County, Alabama. He was born in the Stabler Clinic in Greenville, Butler County, Alabama on June 30 1943. He was a descendant of one of the early pioneer families that settled the western Butler as well as Eastern Wilcox Counties in the community of Friendship that later became Pine Apple, Alabama. He was preceded by both his parents Thomas Plowden Melton, Jr. and Eulynne Brantley Melton.
He was born living in Evergreen and attended school system that was public. His graduation from Evergreen High School with the class of 1961. At the time of his high school graduation, he was an all-star in three sports, and was an all-state footballer. It was an honors student and the President of the Senior Class. In his time, he served as State Chairman for Alabama Beta Clubs, State President of the Alabama Beta Clubs as well as the Lieutenant Governor for Boy’s State and Attorney General of Boy’s Nation.
He accepted on a football scholarship at Auburn University and played on the 1961 freshman team. While at Auburn the player was a part of Squires which was a sophomore men’s honor fraternity and member of the Nu Chapter from Kappa Alpha. Kappa Alpha Order. HTML1He completed his degree in 1964. He was a lifetime participant in Auburn Alumni Association. Auburn Alumni Association.
He enrolled in at the University of Alabama Law School in the fall of 1963, and was graduated in January of 1966. At the Law School he was President of the Student Bar Association. HTML1After his graduation at Law School, he was employed by the Office of the Attorney General.
The spring of the year 1966 his name was entered into in the Democratic Primary to seek election to the 2nd District of District 34 of the Alabama House of Representatives. HTML0He was elected and was unopposed during the General Election. He was on the Judiciary as well as on Inter Governmental Committees.
He opted not to run for his second term in the House and was elected for Senate Senate from the State Democratic Committee to fill the vacancy within the District 19. He was admitted to the Senate on the 26th of March 1973, and was a member of the Judiciary and Insurance Committee. The Judiciary and Insurance Committee was created in theHe was a supporter of the Judicial Article, among others, and defended the Judicial Article. He did not run for public elected post again.
The lawyer was accepted into the Alabama Bar Association on April 22nd the 22nd of April, 1966. He was a trial lawyer for more than 50 many years. He was an AV Bar Register lawyer at when he was 29 years old, and was a member until his passing. He was active in the Alabama Bar most of his professional career.
He was one of the following organizations and was active in the capacities listed below such as., Conecuh County Bar Association; Alabama State Bar (Member: Grievance Committee; Character & Fitness Committee; Alabama Rules of Appellate Procedure Committee; Advisory Committee on the Alabama Rules of Evidence; Disciplinary Commission; Board of Bar Examiners Advisory Committee; Chairperson, Supreme Court Liaison Committee Vice President; Chairman and Member, Alabama Board of Disciplinary Appeals and Member of the Leadership Forum Standing Committee; Batson Task Force; Federal Judiciary Liaison Committee; Board of Governors; American Board of Trial Advocates (Member, National Executive Committee); and also a Member of the National Executive Committee.Life fellow in the Alabama Law Foundation.
He also wrote “Uninsured Motorist Protection: A Major decision,” 32 Alabama Lawyer 185, 1970.He was an active participant in The International Society of Barristers. He served on the Editorial Boards of Alabama Trial Lawyers Journal and The Alabama Lawyer. HTML1He served as the Commissioner of Bar for the 35th Judicial Circuit, 1986-1996 as well as the Alabama Pattern Jury Charges Committee.
He was an Judiciary Judge for the Alabama Court of the Judiciary for many years.
He was certified to practice before The State of Alabama, U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth and Eleventh Circuits and Poarch Band of Creek Indians Tribal Court.
He was a fan for his school, the University of Alabama Law School. He was awarded his 2007 Sam W. Pipes Farrah Law Alumni Association Award. He was Vice-Chairman and Chairman of the Farrah Law Society; a participant on the Law School “Campaign for Alabama” Steering Committee and a member of the of the Board of Directors the Vice-President, Secretary and President of the Foundation for theUniversity of Alabama Law School Foundation. The Foundation was established in 2007.He was a member of as the University of Alabama School of Law as a member of the Law School Foundation Executive Committee.
His interest was in the study of historical subjects. The historian was also a director and member of the Alabama Historical Association, Friends of Alabama Archives, Archives Foundation and Alabama Bench and Bar Historical Society. He was an active part of both the Wilcox County Historical Society and the Butler County Historical and Genealogical Society. He was a member of the The Board of Directors of The Alabama Heritage Foundation.
He was a member with Sons of American Revolution, Sons of Confederate Veterans, Alabama Genealogical Society and First Families of Alabama.
He was baptized into The Evergreen Baptist Church congregation in The Evergreen Baptist Church on January 17, 1954, and became a lifetime member. He taught Sunday School for a number of years, and was deacon for many years. He edited and co-authored “The Histories of The Evergreen Baptist Church.” He served as a Trustee over many years. He also was on the The Board of Directors of The Alabama Baptist.
He was an active part of the Board of Directors of Eastern Sleep Products, Inc. located in Richmond, Virginia for many years.
When he was not in school during his school days working at Max Kahn Curtain Corporation, Flexible Southern Company and with the Conecuh County Road Department.
His beloved wife, Nancy Miller Melton, and their two children: Nancy Dudley Melton (Tyler) Berry of Franklin, Tennessee and Richard Plowden (Jennifer) Melton of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and five grandchildren: Lathram Olivia Berry, Tyler Rieves (Tori) Berry, V, Mary Dudley Berry, Lee Miller Melton and Virginia Catherine Melton.
The memorial ceremony will take place on the 13th of October 2023 at 12 noon in the Evergreen Baptist Church, with an hour of visitation before ceremony. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Nancy Melton Memorial Scholarship to girls by mail to Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes, Post Office Box 361767, Birmingham, Alabama 35236-1767.
Cope-Keahey Funeral Home the one to handle funeral arrangements.
The story William Dudley ‘Billy’ Melton was first published in The Andalusia Star-News.
