WVU College of Law celebrates alum’s legal legacy with portrait unveiling, scholarship surprise

News Release
April 14, 2025

WVU College of Law unveiled a portrait honoring Judge Robert King while his sister, former WVU dean Mary Ellen Mazey, launched a scholarship fund in his name to support West Virginia law students.

West Virginia University students at the WVU College of Law and the WVU Eberly College of Arts and Sciences will benefit from a WVU alumna’s efforts to honor her brother’s legal legacy and promote education in the Mountain State through scholarships.

The College of Law celebrated the career of Judge Robert B. King, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, on Friday (April 4) with a portrait unveiling and a surprise. His sister, former WVU Eberly College Dean Mary Ellen Mazey, is spearheading fundraising efforts to establish a scholarship in his honor with support from King’s former law clerks, other colleagues and friends.

The Judge Robert Bruce King Law Scholarship will be awarded to law students from West Virginia, with first preference for WVU Eberly College graduates.

“Judge King’s legacy in the legal field is profound, and we are honored to celebrate his impact with this scholarship,” Amelia Smith Rinehart, William J. Maier, Jr. Dean and professor of law, said. “His career exemplifies the highest standards of integrity, service and dedication to justice — values we strive to instill in our students at the WVU College of Law. Thanks to the generosity of Dr. Mazey and Judge King’s colleagues, this scholarship will help shape the next generation of lawyers and leaders from West Virginia.”

King was appointed by President Bill Clinton in June 1998 and continues to serve as a federal judge nearly 27 years later. He is a two-time graduate of WVU, earning his bachelor’s degree in political science in 1961 and his law degree in 1968.

King’s law career includes a term as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia. He also worked in private practice in Lewisburg and Charleston, where he founded the law firm King Betts & Allen, now Thomas Combs & Spann.

Mazey said her brother has always been her role model. They grew up — along with another brother, now deceased — in Greenbrier County, where their mother encouraged them to work hard and pursue education. After their father died, she supported the family by working in the kitchen at The Greenbrier for over 30 years.

King attended a four-room schoolhouse through eighth grade and graduated from Greenbrier High School in Ronceverte. After earning his bachelor’s degree with support from the ROTC program, he served in the U.S. Air Force and briefly worked as a teacher in Renick — a small town in Greenbrier County where he met his wife of nearly 60 years, Julia — before attending law school.

“My brother thought ‘I can go to West Virginia University and get an education,’ and look where he’s turned out in life,” Mazey said. “I’m just very proud of him. He’s had a prominent role in the legal field for many years, writing notable opinions and handling important cases. All the people he’s worked with have such a great respect for my brother.”

Mazey is also honoring her brother’s legacy with a joint scholarship at the WVU Eberly College. Her gift will establish the Judge Robert Bruce King and Dr. Mary Ellen Mazey Scholarship, which will benefit WVU Eberly College undergraduate students from West Virginia.

“Judge King’s legacy is a testament to the life-changing power of education and public service,” WVU Eberly College Dean Greg Dunaway said. “We are grateful to Dr. Mazey for her generosity in establishing scholarships that will provide vital support for our students. It is an inspiring example of how one family’s dedication to WVU and its mission can help shape the future of Eberly College students for generations to come.”

Mazey, of West Chester, Ohio, understands the impact of scholarships both personally and professionally. She received scholarships and assistantships that covered the cost of her education, including bachelor’s and master’s degrees from WVU and a doctorate from the University of Cincinnati.

Mazey worked at Wright State University for 26 years before returning to WVU in 2005 as dean of the WVU Eberly College. She later served as provost at Auburn University and president of Bowling Green State University before retiring in 2017.

“Fundraising is a passion of mine,” Mazey said. “If you’ve been in academia, which I was for 40 years, you understand the impact of it, especially today because college is so expensive. I hope these scholarships help a young person from West Virginia come to WVU and go into the legal field. They may say, ‘I can’t afford to go to college as a West Virginia resident because it costs too much,’ and a scholarship gives them the inspiration that they can do it.”

Mazey and her brother previously established the Gladys Hoylman King Scholarship in honor of their mother. The scholarship goes to a WVU Eberly College undergraduate student from Greenbrier County.

Mazey’s initial intention was to make another gift to her mother’s scholarship. But a message of gratitude from one of the scholarship recipients — a neuroscience major from Renick — motivated her to honor her brother.

“If Mother were here today, she would say, ‘Don’t put any more money in my scholarship. Do something for your brother,’” Mazey said.

All scholarship gifts are made through the WVU Foundation, the nonprofit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the University.