Dr. Cord was my Constitutional Law professor during my senior year at NU, and in all of my years of schooling, right through graduate school, he was by far the best teacher that I ever had. He made it his mission to ensure that all of his students were fully engaged, learning, and truly understood the course materials.
One particular class stands out, because several students were not fully prepared and could not contribute to the discussion when they were called upon. At that point, Dr. Cord gathered all of his belongings and informed the class that he was leaving (and would be down in the cafeteria) and would not be back until the entire class got up to speed and was fully prepared! The class responded promptly and unanimously, and the learning continued.
But Bob’s impact and influence extended well beyond the classroom for me. While in his class, I sustained a major knee injury playing basketball. The college infirmary was backed up at that time for appointments with the orthopedic doctor. Bob interceded on my behalf to ensure that I received timely, appropriate treatment for my injury. That simple, voluntary, generous act kicked off a lifelong friendship with Bob, that continued until his recent death.
I truly miss our regular conversations about the political news of the day, which would often be filled with witty, insightful “sidebars.” Bob was a bright, highly intelligent, and very accomplished professional in his chosen field. His book on the First Amendment was cited in a Supreme Court justice’s ruling on a case. But what always stood out to me most about Bob Cord was how compassionate he was, and how he was always so willing to help others out.
He will be missed by many, many people, I’m sure.