Before court began Wednesday afternoon, community members, family, judges and attorneys gathered in the courtroom of Judge John Atkins for a ceremony unveiling a memorial for longtime attorney Wendell Rorie, who passed away in 2020.
A chair will now bear his name in the Christian County Justice Center, which is fitting, as Rorie practiced law in Christian County for nearly 60 years, focused on civil defense cases. During that time, he served as the City Attorney for Hopkinsville from 1966 until 1982, served as president of the Christian County Car Association and as president of the Kentucky Municipal Attorney’s Association.
Judge John Atkins called Rorie a true gentleman and scholar, saying he was a great asset for the people of Christian County.
Attorney Lester Guier worked with Rorie for many years and says he learned innumerous things from him, and he will be forever missed.
Former Mayor Dan Kemp read a paper that Rorie once wrote about his time practicing law in Hopkinsville, saying he was glad they finally got to have this ceremony in memory of a great man.
The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Kentucky once congratulated Rorie on his dedication and commitment to the profession—when he was awarded Senior Counselor Status by the Kentucky Bar Association—and said, “As Sir Walter Scott once noted, a lawyer without history or literature is a mechanic, a working mason; if he possesses some knowledge of these, he may venture to call himself an architect. After 50 years of practicing law, you are certainly an architect of the legal profession in Kentucky.”