Denis J. Hauptly ’68
Denis J. Hauptly, Minneapolis, MN, died November 23, 2024.
He grew up in Jersey City, NJ. His 1951 report card states that for every marking period he “kept an untidy desk.” Denis liked to say that he maintained that standard throughout the rest of his life.
He was educated at Don Bosco Preparatory High School before coming to Saint Michael’s as an undergraduate majoring in American studies and went on to graduate from the University of Notre Dame Law School in 1972.
He developed a love for the theater as a young man and performed in many college, community, and professional summer theater programs. He was known and revered for his portrayals of pompous authority figures, which Denis liked to joke, is referred to as “type casting.”
Denis clerked for the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He also worked at the U.S. Attorney General’s office on policy regarding criminal law and appellate courts, served as the senior staff attorney of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, as a Special Master of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and as the Reporter of the Federal Courts Study Committee.
As Legislative Counsel for the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts Denis achieved the repeal of the Supreme Court Mandatory Jurisdiction provision, the most significant change to Supreme Court jurisdiction in the last century.
In 1994 he joined West Publishing and led the development of the next generation of West’s flagship product, Westlaw.com. Denis lived and worked in Switzerland for five years as Chief Innovation Officer for Thomson Reuters Legal & Regulatory. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the American Arbitration Association and served as its chair.
Denis published six books, including four history books for adolescents, a book on innovation, and a monograph on the differences between arbitration and litigation. Something Really New: Three Simple Steps to Creating Truly Innovative Products has been translated into Korean and Chinese.
Denis took great pleasure and pride in being responsible for the mailing list and maintaining connections for his classmates at Saint Michael’s, and he was a President’s Medallion supporter of the College. He was Reunion Chair for his Class in 2023, and donated 14 framed vintage theatrical posters of Broadway plays to the College in November 2010. In keeping with Denis’ love of education and for the College, his family would welcome donations in Denis’ honor to the Class of 1968 Scholarship Fund at Saint Michael’s.
Denis survived by his wife, constant companion, and love of his life Kay Knapp, a son, a daughter, two brothers and extended family.
A party to remember and gently roast Denis will be held at a future time.