R. T. SHANNON, 71, AUTHOR OF LEGAL CODE, DIES HERE

Veteran Attorney Had Suffered Stroke Year Ago.

AIDED LAWYERS

Perry County Native Completed First Volume in 1896.

Robert T. Shannon, whose monumental work for the past 30 years in compiling the laws of Tennessee in Shannon's Code, made his name famous throughout the state among lawyers and linrarians, died at 10 o'clock Sudnay morning at his home, 521 Thirty-second avenue, south, after an illness of about six months.

Worn by his long years of work, poring over legal volumes and the tedious labor involved in compiling the various books which bear his name, the 71 year-old attorney and student suffered a stroke of paralysis about a year ago and for many months had been confined to his home.

Mr. Shannon's final illness came soon after he resigned from the code commission, authorized by the legislature of 1929 to compile an official code of Tennessee laws. Appointed by Chief Justice Grafton Green to represent Middle Tennessee on the commission, Mr. Shannon served with Judge Samuel Williams of Johnson City and Judge George Harsh of Memphis to compile this last work. It was presented for approval to the 1931 legislature and is now ready to be printed. His last labor over, Mr. Shannon resigned from the commission in January.

Perry Countain.

Born May 5, 1860, Robert T. Shannon was the oldest of the 13 children of Joe Shannon and Nancy Young Shannon of Perry County. Soon after he was born, his father left to serve with the Confederate army. He grew up on the farm settled by his father's people in the early days of the state and, when still a boy, was sent to Cloverdale academy in Dickson county. about six miles from Charlotte, Tenn.

After finishing the academy he attended Vanderbilt University, taking academic work, and studied law at Cumberland University.

After finishing the university law school he located at waverly where for several years he was engaged in law practive with H. M. McAdoo. Soon discovering that his taste and talent ran more to the study of law and the history of statutes of his native state and that active practice was earing on him both physically and nervously, Mr. Shannon began while in Waverly the research which resulted in his first supplement to the Tennessee code.

More than 30 years ago Mr. Shannon moved to Nashville and though he opened law offices, he engaged in very little practice and none in recent years. His entire time he devoted to his study of the Tennessee code, compiling and editing them.

Down through the years this resulted in the publication by him of many volumes of legal work. Which form the central unit of any library for Tennessee lawyers, in 1896 Mr. Shannon completed his first edition of Shannon's Code of Tennessee, a supplement to this being finished in 1904. The 1898 edition was a one-volume book.

The second edition of Shannon's Code appeared in 1921 and has since appeard in various types of editions. The county edition appeared in one volume while an india paper edition requered five volumes.

In addition to these works Mr. Shannon wrote "Shannon's Annotated Constitution of Tennessee" and "Annotated Cases of Tennessee". This latter book was finsihed a little more than a year ago, being a six-volume work which lists every case in Tennessee and which cities how and when these cases were used and interpreted by the courts.

Office Lawyers' Mecca

Mr. Shannon in recent years had offices in the Exchange building and his offices became mecca for lawyers, young and old, who sought his aid in legal work. His generosity in giving advice to the hundreds who sought him was said by friends to have greatly impaired his time and own work. But he never was too busy with the most tedious research in his chosen field to help another lawyer.

Visitors to Mr. Shannon's office could not fail to be impressed by the small, gray-haired man working away in its veritable cave of books and papers. On the walls, on the floors, on tables, in chairs were books and papers, references on Tennessee's legal past from which he patiently compiled the data for his books. And there in the midst of this legal lore was the small smiling helful man, conscious of the fact that his hands and brain could only accomplish a part of the monumental task.

Mr. Shannon was twice married, his first wife, being Miss Nanny Agnes Bell of Cloverdale where he first attended school. She died while they lived at Waverly.

He is survived by his second wife, Mrs. Florence B. Shannon, one son, William M. Shannon of Nashville; two daughters, Mrs. A. R. Gray of Detroit and Miss Nancy Shannon of Nashville; one brother, John Shannon of Waverly and two sisters, Mrs. Nora Hopkins of Parsons, Tenn., and Mrs. Lula Ledbetter of Polk, Tenn.

Absorbed in Work.

Mr. Shannon made his vocation his avocation as well, having few interests outside the legal research which had absorbed his time and energies for 40 years.

He was a member of the Vine Street Christian Church.

Funeral services will be held at the Combs Funeral establishment at Centennial Park at 2:30 o'clock Monday afternoon, conducted by the Rev. Roger T. Nooe and Micah S. Combs, the latter his life-long friend. Burial will be in Spring Hill Cemetery.

Honorary pallbearers will be: John A. Bell, Louis Leftwich, Robert Goodlett, Judge A. G. Rutherford, Judge Samuel C. Williams and Judge George Harsh.

Active pallbearers will be: J. E. Daniel, W. L. Fuqua, J. H. Marshall, Joe Shannon, Enloe Shannon and Rascoe Bond.

The Tennessean (Nashville, Tennessee)
07 Sept. 1931, Mon. PG 2