Longtime research librarians Dwight King and Warren Rees announce retirements

Dwight B. King Jr. joined the Kresge Law Library faculty in 1986 as a research librarian and became head of research services in 1990. Warren Rees joined as a research librarian in 1997. After decades of exemplary service to Notre Dame Law students, faculty, and alumni, both King and Rees announced their retirements in 2020.

“For generations of Notre Dame lawyers, Dwight King and Warren Rees are the people they remember most about their Law School experience,” said G. Marcus Cole, the Joseph A. Matson Dean and Professor of Law at Notre Dame Law School. “Dwight and Warren imparted skills, competence, and unparalleled confidence on our students, who have in turn impressed employers and clients alike with the quality of their training. They also served as invaluable resources for one of the nation’s leading research faculties. Their retirement leaves us all with a deep sense of gratitude for all that they have done for Notre Dame Law School. They will be sorely missed.”

King, the associate director for patron services, joined the library staff in 1986 to supervise the research-and-teaching team, which teaches legal research classes and supports the research efforts of students and faculty. He later assumed responsibility for supervising the patron-support team at the circulation desk.

King earned his bachelor’s degree, juris doctor, and master’s of library science at the University of Michigan. An accomplished wood carver and artist, his work has been exhibited by the Buchanan Art Center and South Bend Museum of Art.

In retirement, King says, he hopes to do volunteer work in the community and continue his hobbies of bike riding and woodcarving. Once the pandemic subsides, he and his wife, Mary Hendriksen, the assistant director of Notre Dame’s Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies, also look forward to visiting their four children and their families in New York and Chicago.

Rees joined the library in 1997 after working as assistant and associate librarian at the University of Minnesota (1986-90), assistant director of the law library at Willamette University (1990-93), associate director of the law library at Gonzaga University (1993-94) and research librarian at Valparaiso University (1994-96). He earned a J.D. from Southern Illinois University in 1985, was admitted to the Wisconsin Bar the same year, and then earned an A.M.L.S. from the University of Michigan in 1986. His areas of academic interest included legal research and wine law and policy.

He is a long-distance runner and cyclist, a wine expert and collector, and a licensed pilot.

“It has been a pleasure to work with the excellent faculty, staff, and students at Notre Dame Law School,” Rees said. “My life was enriched by the experience and I am grateful for the opportunity.

“I currently enjoy reading and accomplishing various other projects around the house. I hope to add new experiences, such as working in a winery, in the near future. In the next couple years, we plan to relocate to the area around Portland, Oregon, where there is a thriving wine industry which will provide many opportunities for this type of work.”

Thomas Mills, associate dean and director of the library, said, “Both Dwight and Warren leave a lasting legacy at the Kresge Law Library. During his 36 years, Dwight played a formative role in the development of the Law School’s introductory legal research class as it moved from print-based instruction to electronic, and Warren took the lead in developing advanced legal research courses, often infusing them with his personal interests that made the courses both interesting and relevant.”