Attorney Donald Holbrook dies

Salt Lake attorney Donald B. Holbrook, 80, died Tuesday, March 1, 2005.

Mr. Holbrook was a founding member of the Salt Lake law firm, Jones Waldo Holbrook & McDonough, and was the former chairman of the Utah Board of Regents. In 1970, he was elected chairman of the Board of Regents. He was elected to the position two other times: 1974 and 1977.

When he retired from the Board of Regents in September 1989, he was the longest-standing regent, having served 20 years. He also chaired the Institutional Council of the University of Utah.

His retirement led the way to an appointment as executive vice president of legal affairs for American Stores Co.

Mr. Holbrook was also involved in the political arena, working as the campaign manager for Utah Gov. Calvin Rampton in the 1960s and running as a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1974.

He served as executive secretary in the Utah Democratic Party from 1955 to 1965.

In 1977, he served on the board of directors of Kearns-Tribune Corp., former owner of the Salt Lake Tribune.

He was born Jan. 5, 1925, in Salt Lake City and was graduated from East High School, where he was class president. In 1943, he entered the U.S. Marine Corps for two years.

Holbrook's law degree came from the University of Utah in 1952. That same year he was editor-in-chief of the Utah Law Review. In 1953, he was admitted to the bar and clerked for James A. Wolfe, chief justice of the Utah Supreme Court, from 1953 to 1955.

From 1955 to 1957, he was Salt Lake City's assistant city attorney.