Pasley came to Princeton University from Regis High School in New York City. At Princeton he served as circulation manager of The Daily Princetonian, belonged to Arbor Inn, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1933. His subsequent legal career combined private practice, military and government service, and academic teaching.
Pasley earned a Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University in 1933 and a Bachelor of Laws from Cornell Law School in 1936. At Cornell he served on the law review and was elected to the Order of the Coif. His education established the foundation for a career that combined legal practice, public service, and teaching and scholarship in law.
Pasley began his legal career in 1936 as an associate at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft in New York City. In 1942 he entered the United States Army as a private and was sent to the Judge Advocate General's Officer Candidate School. He served in Europe as a Judge Advocate General's Corps officer until the end of World War II. After the war he continued in government legal service with the Department of the Navy, including work with the Office of Naval Reserve and later as an assistant to the department's general counsel, while also teaching law at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. In 1954 he joined Cornell University as a professor of law. He held the Frank B. Ingersoll Professorship and remained on the Cornell faculty until retiring in 1976. At Cornell he taught a wide range of subjects, contributed to law reviews, participated in comparative-law and international legal research, and served as a visiting professor at several leading law schools.
Served as the first holder of Cornell University's Frank B. Ingersoll Professorship of Law and contributed to the development of scholarship and teaching in government contracts, comparative law, equity, and public law.
Served in Europe as a Judge Advocate General's Corps officer during World War II and later provided legal counsel to the Department of the Navy.
Contributed to an international legal research project on general principles of law recognized by civilized nations, including methodological research and preparation of working papers.
(Co-authored with John W. Whelan; published by Foundation ...)
1975(French-language study of equity in Anglo-American law, ba...)
1961Patent Rights and Technical Information in the Military Assistance Program
(Co-authored with John Teselle and published in Law and Co...)
1964The Interpretation of Government Contracts: A Plea for Better Understanding
(Law review article addressing the interpretation of gover...)
1956The Nondiscrimination Clause in Government Contracts
(Article published in volume 43 of the Virginia Law Review...)
1957(Article published in volume 40 of the Cornell Law Review,...)
1955(Article published in the Catholic University Law Review.)
1955Pasley was elected to the Order of the Coif while a student at Cornell Law School and graduated from Princeton as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. His professional and academic affiliations included Cornell University, the Cornell Law School faculty, and the advisory community associated with the Judge Advocate General's School.
Pasley was married to Mary Pasley. They had two daughters, Nancy and Mary, and a son, Robert Stephen Pasley Jr. His grandchildren included Virginia and Heather.
