Board of Trustees

Hargrove BioJohn R. Hargrove

John R. Hargrove '69 earned his bachelor of science in business administration from Butler and received his juris doctorate from Indiana University in 1972, graduating magna cum laude. Hargrove practices law in south Florida.

Hargrove is listed in "The Best Lawyers of America" in three categories - appellate law, commercial litigation and First Amendment law - and is board-certified in appellate law by the Florida Bar. In 2009, Mr. Hargrove was also honored by Florida Super Lawyers for his appellate work.

He also is listed in "Who's Who in America," Florida's Elite Lawyers and Florida's Super Lawyers.

Hargrove devotes a substantial amount of his practice to media law, appeals and commercial litigation. He appears routinely as an advocate in state and federal courts throughout Florida and is a nationally respected First Amendment advocate, having represented print and broadcast media throughout Florida. He has been counsel of record before the U.S. Supreme Court and has argued dozens of appeals in the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the Florida Supreme Court and the intermediate appellate courts throughout Florida.

His civic activities include the Board of Visitors, Indiana University School of Law, Indianapolis; Board of Directors, United Way of Broward County, Florida. He is a member of the American Bar Association, Federal Bar Association (Past President, Broward County, Florida Chapter), the Florida Bar and the Indiana State Bar Association.

Among the gifts John and his wife, Mary Cheryl, have given Butler is the Hargrove Family Scholarship Endowed Scholarship. Mary Cheryl is part of a Butler family legacy dating back to 1917 when her grandfather, John L.H. Fuller, graduated from the University. The Hargroves' son John A. Hargrove graduated from Butler in 1998.