Nov. 12--Henry Taylor Wickham enjoyed a long career as a lawyer in Richmond. It was a job he loved.

He spent more than 40 years practicing law in Virginia until retiring in 1988 as a partner at the firm Mays & Valentine, which merged with Troutman Sanders LLP in 2001.

"I think he was a very tenacious advocate for his clients," said his son, George Wickham of Richmond. "He was a loyal, devoted friend who inspired great affection from those around him."

Mr. Wickham, who began his law career in the late 1940s as an assistant attorney general in Virginia, died Monday at The Hermitage of declining health. He was 88.

A native of Richmond, Mr. Wickham had family ties to the area that ran deep. His grandfather and namesake, Henry T. Wickham, was a former state senator and helped raise Mr. Wickham, who lost his father at an early age.

The Valentine Museum features the Wickham House, a National Historic Landmark where Mr. Wickham's forebears lived.

Mr. Wickham cut his teeth as a lawyer working on significant cases. In the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education before the U.S. Supreme Court, he served as a special assistant to former Virginia Attorney General J. Lindsay Almond Jr. representing Virginia in an effort to preserve segregated public schools. That Supreme Court decision ended segregation in public schools.

In 1954, the year Brown v. Board of Education was decided, Mr. Wickham entered private practice with Mays & Valentine, where he spent the remainder of his career. Known as a strong negotiator and litigator, he also served as a mentor to young lawyers joining the firm.

For many years, Mr. Wickham was a one-man recruiter for the firm, traveling to law schools to get new graduates to join the firm. He relished his role in acquiring new talent and helping shape the firm into one of the largest in Richmond.

Mr. Wickham, who served on the destroyer USS Knight during World War II, didn't hesitate to give new lawyers a chance to take the lead on cases while he assisted.

One of them was James C. Roberts, now a partner with Troutman Sanders. "He wanted to make sure clients were well-represented and provide me an opportunity to grow," Roberts said.

Mr. Wickham and Roberts worked together on a case representing American Tobacco Co. in a civil lawsuit brought by a heavy smoker who was suffering from a smoking-related illness.

It was the first lawsuit of its kind in Richmond, Roberts said, and the court ruled in favor of American Tobacco on the basis that people should know what effects tobacco has on their lives.

After retiring, Mr. Wickham dedicated his time to such nonprofit organizations as the Valentine Museum, where he was a past chairman of the board. He also served on the board of the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities.

In addition to his son, Mr. Wickham's survivors include his wife of 61 years, Margaret Gearing Wickham of Richmond; three daughters, Wallis Raemer of Brookline, Mass., Lisa Haskell of Richmond and Mason Wickham of Brooklyn, N.Y.; seven grandchildren and five stepgrandchildren.

A memorial service will be held today, Wednesday, at St. James's Episcopal Church, 1205 W. Franklin St. in Richmond. Burial will be private.

-----

To see more of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.timesdispatch.com.

Copyright (c) 2008, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

A service of YellowBrix, Inc.