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01 March 2003
noted playwright or supreme court reporter?
When we announced Wallace's arrival in our home, several people asked if we named him after George Wallace, the former governor of Alabama.
"No, no, no, no, no," we said, as quickly and breathlessly as possible. Governor Wallace hadn't even entered our minds, and even if he had, we wouldn't have named our little guy after him.
When we originally decided on the name Wallace, our first thought was of Wallace Shawn, the actor, playwright, and son of noted New Yorker editor William Shawn. What does our Wallace have in common with Mr. Shawn? Wallace hasn't been to Harvard or Oxford, and he'd probably sleep through My Dinner with André, but he's short and smart, two adjectives often used to describe Mr. Shawn. (An online biography of Mr. Shawn can be found here.)
Only after Lisa started law school did we remember that our little guy had a wonderful legal legacy: Wallace was the name of the Supreme Court reporter from 1863 through 1874. Should we find any mates for Wallace, we only have to look as far as the list of reporters for other names: Black (unlikely unless we find a sable corgi), Howard, Peters, Wheaton, Cranch (my choice), and Dallas.