Gordon Wishard. Source: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/indianapolis-in/gordon-wishard-13030016
Williams College. Photo: Daderot, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Williams_College_-_Griffin_Hall.JPG)
Indiana University. Photo: jdfrens, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SampleGates_IUBloomington.jpg)
Williams College. Photo: Daderot, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Williams_College_-_Griffin_Hall.JPG)
Indiana University. Photo: jdfrens, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SampleGates_IUBloomington.jpg)
Gordon Davis Wishard was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1945 to William Niles Wishard Jr. and Caroline Louise Davis Wishard. His father was a physician and urologist, and the Wishard family was connected with Indianapolis's medical and civic history. Gordon was one of three children born to William and Caroline in Indianapolis.
Wishard received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Williams College in 1966. Williams, founded in 1793 in Williamstown, Massachusetts, is a liberal-arts college with a long residential undergraduate tradition; during Wishard's student years it was undergoing significant social and institutional change associated with the 1960s.
He earned a Juris Doctor from Indiana University in 1969. The university's legal education tradition dated to the nineteenth century, while its Indianapolis law program had become part of Indiana University in 1944 and developed as a major institution for legal education in the state. His legal training preceded admission to the Indiana bar in 1969.
Wishard began practicing law in Indianapolis after completing his Juris Doctor and was a partner at Smith Morgan & Ryan from 1971 to 1989. His practice covered probate, trusts, estates, real property, taxation, business and commercial matters, litigation, governmental and regulatory issues, and related areas of law.
In 1989 he joined Ice Miller Donadio & Ryan, later Ice Miller LLP, where he became a partner and practiced in Indianapolis. Ice Miller traces its origins to 1910, when the firm was established as Henley Matson & Gates, and became one of the longstanding law firms serving Indiana businesses, institutions, and individuals. Wishard's principal practice included probate, trust and estate planning, real property, taxation, guardianship, and related litigation. He was later identified as a partner emeritus or retired partner of Ice Miller.
Wishard was admitted to practice in Indiana in 1969 and before the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana in the same year. He was admitted to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in 1974, the Supreme Court of the United States in 1980, and the United States Tax Court in the 1980s. His appellate and probate work included representation in Indiana guardianship litigation, including a published 2010 Court of Appeals of Indiana matter.
Wishard belonged to the Indianapolis Bar Association, the Indiana State Bar Association, and the American Bar Association. He was a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and chaired its Indiana state organization from 1990 to 1995.
His professional service also included chairing the Probate, Trust and Real Property Section of the Indianapolis Bar Association in 1994 and serving on the board of the Indiana Trust and Estate Specialty Board in 2008–2009. He was associated with the Contemporary Club of Indianapolis and served as its president during 1988–1989. These organizations provided professional, educational, civic, and social forums in Indianapolis and the broader legal community.
Chair, Probate, Trust and Real Property Section, 1994.
Indianapolis Bar Association , United States
Indiana State Bar Association , United States
American Bar Association , United States
Fellow and Indiana state chair.
American College of Trust and Estate Counsel , United States
1990 - 1995
Served on the board.
Indiana Trust and Estate Specialty Board , United States
2008 - 2009
President, 1988–1989.
Contemporary Club of Indianapolis , United States
1988 - 1989
Quotes from others about the person
In 1991, while discussing Marion County Judge Victor S. Pfau, Wishard described Pfau as a dedicated judge who worked hard to keep the probate court operating smoothly and expected comparable dedication from lawyers appearing before him. Wishard also recalled Pfau's concern that citizens understand court proceedings.
Wishard married Anne Emison. They had two children, Claire Clark Wishard and Gordon Davis Wishard. His parents were William Niles Wishard Jr., a physician and urologist, and Caroline Louise Davis Wishard.
