Calvin A. Behle, prominent lawyer, civic leader, Mason and Colonel (J.A.G.C.) died in Salt Lake City on September 29, 1999 at the age of 92. He was born on March 16, 1907, the son of Dr. Augustus C. and Daisy Harroun Behle. He attended the Oquirrh, Bryant and East High schools. The A.B. degree was obtained from Stanford University in 1928 and the J.D. from the University of Utah Law School in 1931 where he affiliated with Phi Alpha Delta law fraternity, was president of the Barristers Club, graduated with high honors and was elected to the scholastic society Phi Kappa Phi. He was later elected to the Order of Coif and received the Law School's Distinguished Alumni Award.
He practiced law with the firms of Wilson and Moyle (1931-32), Stephens, Brayton and Lowe (1932-1937), Utah Power and Light (1937-1942), Dickson, Ellis, Parsons and McCrea (1947-1972) which was changed to Parsons, Behle and Latimer when he became a Senior and Managing Partner in 1958. He was a founder of the Junior Bar Section of the Utah State Bar and served as its first chairman. He was founding member of the Salt Lake County Bar Association and was its first President 1940-42. As a member of the Utah Bar Association, he was Chairman of the Editorial Board and served as the first editor of the Utah Bar Bulletin. He was a founder of the Utah Bar Foundation and served as its President in 1940-41. He received the Distinguished Emeritus Award for 1985-86 from the Utah Bar Association. In 1942, prior to his volunteering for active duty, the Utah Bar selected him as its delegate to the American Bar Association. He was later reelected to the House of Delegates for six years before being elected to the Board of Governors for which he served as Chairman of the Operations (Steering) Committee. He was made a Fellow of the American Bar Association and served as Secretary of the Fellows, and chaired the American Bar Foundation. He was also a member of the American Society of International Law.In his law practice, Calvin specialized in Corporate and Mining law. He was president of the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation in 1956. He was a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He served several years as a member of the prestigious Rules Committee of the Utah Supreme Court and that of the Tenth Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. He retired from the active practice of law in 1972.
During World War II Calvin served on the faculty of the U.S. Army Industrial College in Washington, D.C. and then was transferred to the Judge Advocate General Corps. He was sent to England as one of the U.S. representatives on the International Military Tribunal and United Nations War Crimes Commission, which formulated procedures for the War Crime trials to be held in Nuremberg, Germany. Later he was transferred to Nuremberg from which base he led a team gathering evidence throughout Europe on war atrocities and those responsible, the information to be used in the war trials. A special assignment was searching for Hitler and his deputy Martin Borman. Calvin rose to the rank of Colonel, received several commendations from the U.S. Army and was decorated by the Czechoslovakian Government.
Calvin was long active in Masonry, starting as a charter member of the Order of De Molay in Utah in 1924. He became a Master Mason, Mount Moriah Lodge No. 2 in 1932. He was active in nearly every branch of Masonry, ascending to the top of both the Scottish and York Rites. For the former he received the honorary 33-degree and for the latter was General Grand High Priest, General Grand Chapter, Royal Arch Masons International, an honor conferred on no other person from Utah.
Calvin Behle's civic activities were numerous. He was Chairman of the Salt Lake County Red Cross (1937-39); a member of the Salt Lake Junior Chamber of Commerce from which he received its Distinguished Service Award (man of the year) in 1942; founding member of the Young Republicans of Utah; member of the Salt Lake City Service Commission (1948-1957); Utah State Board of Corrections (1953-1958); Board of Trustees, Salt Lake Council, Boy Scouts of America; Tracy Aviary Commission (1928-1937); Director, Legal Aid Society; Director Salt Lake Community Chest; Board of Trustees YMCA; Board of Trustees Westminster College for which he was Vice-Chairman in 1970; Chancellor of the Episcopal Church in Utah; long-time member of the Salt Lake City Chamber of Commerce for which he was Chairman of the Advisory Council in 1966, member of its Board of Governors in 1967 and Second Vice President in 1969; Citizens Advisory Committee to the Salt Lake City Government, serving as co-chairman of the Revenue Subcommittee (1967-69); Honorary member, University of Utah Health Service
Council.
He served as President of the Salt Lake Kiwanis Club, the University Club, the Alta Club, Utah Chapter Sons of the American Revolution. He was on the Board of Directors of the Carbon County Railroad Company, Tracy-Collins Bank and Trust and Dunn Oil Company. He was managing Trustee of the C. Comstock Clayton Foundation. Socially, he was a member of the Willow Creek Country Club in Salt Lake City and the Ogden Country Club.
Calvin married Grace Young Clayton on August 18, 1934. She died on August 18, 1970. Calvin married Hope Fox Eccles and changed his residence to Ogden, Utah. After her death in 1995, he returned to Salt Lake to live. Survived by his two daughters, Marilyn Behle Graham, Seattle, Washington and Marcia B. Daneman, Columbus, Ohio; five grandchildren, Katherine Clarke (Andrew Hoover), Tokyo; Michael L. Clarke, Kaohsiung; Elizabeth Graham Inghram (Paul), Seattle; Stephen P. Graham (Emily), Seattle; Jennifer L. Graham, Seattle; two great-grandchildren, a brother William H. Behle, Ph.D. (Dorothy) of Salt Lake; stepson, Spencer F. Eccles (Cleone), Salt Lake and stepdaughter Nancy E. Hayward (Homer), Carmel Valley, California. Preceded in death by another brother Charles F. Behle, M.D. (Susan).
Graveside services will be held at Salt Lake City Cemetery at 12 noon, Saturday, October 2, 1999. Evans and Early Funeral Directors.
The family suggests contributions to the Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children, Fairfax Road at Virginia Street, Salt lake City, Utah 84103 or St. Joseph's Villa, 451 Bishop Federal Lane, Salt Lake City, Utah 84115 or University of Utah Medical Center, 50 North Medical Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah.
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