BLOOMINGTON — Val Nolan Jr., eminent ornithologist and Indiana University Professor Emeritus of Biology and of Law, died March 27, 2008, in Bloomington, IN. He was born April 28, 1920, in Evansville, IN, to Val and Jeanette (Covert) Nolan. His father would later become United Sates Attorney for the southern district of Indiana and a trustee of Indiana University; his mother, an acclaimed author of children's books.

Nolan graduated from Indiana University in 1941 (BA, highest honors) where he studied history. After graduation, he served first as a Deputy US Marshall and then as a member of the Secret Service on the White House detail, protecting President Franklin D. Roosevelt. During World War II, he served in the US Navy and was among the first to enroll in the Navy's Japanese Language School (1944, valedictorian). He later served in Navy Intelligence in the Pacific, where his unusual ability for languages contributed to the war effort.

Following his father into the law, he earned his JD from the Indiana University School of Law in 1949 (highest distinction) and was a member of the IU Law faculty during 5 decades (1949 to 1985). He served as Acting Dean of the Law School in 1976 and again in 1980, when he helped persuade the Indiana Legislature to expand the Law Building. He was recognized as an outstanding teacher of property law by generations of law students.

Val Nolan Jr. also pursued his deep interest in the ecology, evolution, and behavior of birds. In 1965, he joined the faculty of the Department of Zoology (subsequently Biology), and held a joint appointment in Law and Biology until his retirement. Indiana University supported his unusual combination of interests, thus allowing him to satisfy the curiosity that fueled his devotion to research.

His detailed 20-year study of the life history of a warbler species (Ecology and Behavior of the Prairie Warbler Dendroica discolor) is an achievement unlikely to be replicated. He worked almost entirely with free-living birds in the field and understood the enormous value of following the lives of marked individuals in order to learn how bird populations adapt to changing environments. He advised 20 Ph.D. students who continue to add new knowledge about birds and their behavior, and he founded a tradition of bird study at Indiana University that thrives today.

His scholarly honors include Guggenheim Fellow; Vice-President, American Ornithologists' Union; Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and two lifetime achievement awards from scholarly ornithological societies. He received the Indiana University Distinguished Alumni Service Award and was a member of the Indiana University Academy of Law Alumni Fellows.

He was the loving father of three children whom he raised with his first wife, Susanne Nolan: elder son Val Nolan III and wife, Lynn, of Bloomington, daughter Ann Nolan of Bloomington, and younger son William A. Nolan and wife, Alicia Nolan, of Powell, OH. He was the loving grandfather of four: Val Nolan IV of Los Angeles, CA, Jenny Nolan of Bloomington, and Thomas and Christopher Nolan of Powell. He also leaves his brother, Alan T. Nolan (wife Jane Nolan), and his sister, Kay Nolan Lobley (husband Alan Lobley), of Indianapolis. He was married for 28 years to his second wife, Ellen D. Ketterson, a Distinguished Professor at IU, with whom he shared research and life.

Val Nolan Jr. was a man of the highest integrity who was relied upon by many for his sound judgment and humane way of solving problems. He was a courteous, fair-minded, self-sufficient man with an extraordinary mind. He was frequently an inspiration to young people seeking to find their own way in the world. He was also a good Democrat, and a man who loved the natural world.

A memorial service will be held at a later time. Contributions in his name may be made to the Sycamore Land Trust or the IU School of Law.

Day Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

The Herald-Times, March 30, 2008

BLOOMINGTON — Val Nolan Jr., eminent ornithologist and Indiana University Professor Emeritus of Biology and of Law, died March 27, 2008, in Bloomington, IN. He was born April 28, 1920, in Evansville, IN, to Val and Jeanette (Covert) Nolan. His father would later become United Sates Attorney for the southern district of Indiana and a trustee of Indiana University; his mother, an acclaimed author of children's books.

Nolan graduated from Indiana University in 1941 (BA, highest honors) where he studied history. After graduation, he served first as a Deputy US Marshall and then as a member of the Secret Service on the White House detail, protecting President Franklin D. Roosevelt. During World War II, he served in the US Navy and was among the first to enroll in the Navy's Japanese Language School (1944, valedictorian). He later served in Navy Intelligence in the Pacific, where his unusual ability for languages contributed to the war effort.

Following his father into the law, he earned his JD from the Indiana University School of Law in 1949 (highest distinction) and was a member of the IU Law faculty during 5 decades (1949 to 1985). He served as Acting Dean of the Law School in 1976 and again in 1980, when he helped persuade the Indiana Legislature to expand the Law Building. He was recognized as an outstanding teacher of property law by generations of law students.

Val Nolan Jr. also pursued his deep interest in the ecology, evolution, and behavior of birds. In 1965, he joined the faculty of the Department of Zoology (subsequently Biology), and held a joint appointment in Law and Biology until his retirement. Indiana University supported his unusual combination of interests, thus allowing him to satisfy the curiosity that fueled his devotion to research.

His detailed 20-year study of the life history of a warbler species (Ecology and Behavior of the Prairie Warbler Dendroica discolor) is an achievement unlikely to be replicated. He worked almost entirely with free-living birds in the field and understood the enormous value of following the lives of marked individuals in order to learn how bird populations adapt to changing environments. He advised 20 Ph.D. students who continue to add new knowledge about birds and their behavior, and he founded a tradition of bird study at Indiana University that thrives today.

His scholarly honors include Guggenheim Fellow; Vice-President, American Ornithologists' Union; Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and two lifetime achievement awards from scholarly ornithological societies. He received the Indiana University Distinguished Alumni Service Award and was a member of the Indiana University Academy of Law Alumni Fellows.

He was the loving father of three children whom he raised with his first wife, Susanne Nolan: elder son Val Nolan III and wife, Lynn, of Bloomington, daughter Ann Nolan of Bloomington, and younger son William A. Nolan and wife, Alicia Nolan, of Powell, OH. He was the loving grandfather of four: Val Nolan IV of Los Angeles, CA, Jenny Nolan of Bloomington, and Thomas and Christopher Nolan of Powell. He also leaves his brother, Alan T. Nolan (wife Jane Nolan), and his sister, Kay Nolan Lobley (husband Alan Lobley), of Indianapolis. He was married for 28 years to his second wife, Ellen D. Ketterson, a Distinguished Professor at IU, with whom he shared research and life.

Val Nolan Jr. was a man of the highest integrity who was relied upon by many for his sound judgment and humane way of solving problems. He was a courteous, fair-minded, self-sufficient man with an extraordinary mind. He was frequently an inspiration to young people seeking to find their own way in the world. He was also a good Democrat, and a man who loved the natural world.

A memorial service will be held at a later time. Contributions in his name may be made to the Sycamore Land Trust or the IU School of Law.

Day Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

The Herald-Times, March 30, 2008