Harold J. Gallagher is a native of Clinton and a past president of the American Bar Association. Since 1940, he has been with the New York law firm of Willkie, Owen, Farr, Gallagher, and Walton, of which he is now the senior partner. At the UI centennial celebration in 1946, he was one of 99 persons selected from 40,000 living alumni to receive a citation of special recognition for his distinguished career in his profession. Mr. Gallagher received the bachelor of laws degree from the UI in 1916 and was admitted to the Iowa Bar the same year. In 1917, he attended Harvard Law School and the following year was admitted to the New York Bar. In 1954, Mr. Gallagher received the LL.D. degree from St. John's University in New York.
Since 1963, the University of Iowa has annually recognized accomplished alumni and friends with Distinguished Alumni Awards. Awards are presented in seven categories: Achievement, Service, Hickerson Recognition, Faculty, Staff, Recent Graduate, and Friend of the University.