We are saddened by the passing of one of Utah's greatest civil libertarians, Adam "Mickey" Duncan. As an attorney and two-term Utah state senator, Duncan worked tirelessly to protect minorities from injustice, advocated for separation of church and state, fought for abolition of the death penalty and proposed legislation to make it illegal for public accommodations to refuse service based on gender, race or religion.
In 1953, Duncan founded the Utah Affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union. In 1995, the ACLU established an award in his name to honor those attorneys who share Duncan's commitment to civil liberties. His life encourages all of us to remain vigilant in the protection of individual freedoms.
While the world is unquestionably a sadder place without Mickey Duncan, it is also a better place because he was here.
Carol Gnade
ACLU of Utah
Salt Lake City