James
F. Neal came to the University of Wyoming to play football for Bowden Wyatt and
graduated with a B.S. in physical education. After attending UW, Neal served in
the U.S. Marine Corps from 1952-54. He returned to school to earn his law
degree from Vanderbilt University in 1957 and a master's degree in taxation
from Georgetown University in 1960.
Neal was appointed and served as U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of
Tennessee from 1964-66. From 1965-74, he lectured about law at Vanderbilt
University and also was a special assistant to the U.S. Attorney General. He
served as the associate special prosecutor on the Watergate Special Prosecution
Force from 1973-74. In 1978, Neal declined nomination for FBI chief. He was
appointed chief counsel on the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Undercover
Operations in 1982.
During his career, Neal worked on such cases as the indictment of Jimmy Hoffa
in 1964, the prosecution of H.R. Haldeman and John Erlichman during the
Watergate trial, the defense of Elvis Presley's personal physician in the 1980s
and the defense of Exxon in its trial related to the Valdez oil spill in 1994.
Photo courtesy of Dianne F. Neal.
