GEORGE WILLIAM ANDREWS, III On April 24, 2019, Alabama lost a wonderful raconteur and defender of the accused, George William Andrews, III. George was the son of two United States Representatives to Congress from Alabama, Congressman George William Andrews, Jr., and his widow who succeeded him, Elizabeth Bullock Andrews. He was born on October 12, 1946, in Montgomery, Alabama, and grew up commuting between the family home in Union Springs, Alabama, and Washington, D.C. George had an unusual education, being one of the limited number of people who graduated from the Capitol Page High School at the United States Capitol, where he served as a Congressional Page for his four years there. One of his most vivid memories was serving as an usher at the entrance to the Capitol Rotunda where President John F. Kennedy's body lay in State. He was a graduate of Emory University where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity and, like his father and grandfather before him, the University of Alabama Law School. After serving his country in the United States Navy JAG Corps, George practiced law in Jefferson County, Alabama, for over 45 years. He began as an Assistant District Attorney in the Bessemer Division of the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office, and later in the Birmingham Division. He joined his friend, Judge O. L. "Pete" Johnson in private practice where they represented defendants in criminal cases. He continued to practice as a criminal defense attorney in both State and Federal courts and was a founding partner in White, Arnold, Andrews and Dowd. The onset of Parkinson's disease led to his retirement from criminal defense work and George represented clients in Jefferson County Family Court when his health allowed. George completed his autobiographical manuscript, "Carefully Taught," in 2017. In it, he chronicles the experience of one son of white privilege in the South who fought for the rights of the accused, and particularly African American defendants. George was a southern gentleman, a tenacious and successful attorney, and had a vision for all persons to be treated equally and afforded the same opportunities. He was a member of the Alabama Bar, the Birmingham Bar and the Advent Episcopal Church. George is survived by the love of his life & best friend, Gail Lindley Andrews of Birmingham and step-son William Carter Johnson (Ashley), as well as loyal canine companions Lizzie and Murphy.
Published in The Birmingham News on May 5, 2019