Areeda, Phillip E. (Phillip Elias), 1930-1995

Phillip Elias Areeda (January 28, 1930 – December 24, 1995) was born in Detroit, Michigan. He was of Lebanese ancestry. Areeda was an authority in antitrust law, and was often called upon to lend his expertise to academics and judiciaries. He was admitted to the Michigan Bar in 1954 after graduating from Harvard University. After law school, Areeda served in the U.S. Air Force for two years. In 1956, he became assistant special counsel to President Dwight D. Eisenhower, later joining the staff of Harvard University in 1961. His work at Harvard spanned more than three decades. Becoming professor of law in 1963, he was named the Langdell Professor of Law in 1981 and served in that capacity until his death. Areeda also briefly served as counsel to President Gerald R. Ford in the mid-1970s. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1983. Areeda died of leukemia in 1995 in Cambridge, Massachusetts aged 65. A building at Harvard Law, Areeda Hall, is named in his honor.