A colorful figure in Vermont history has passed away. Anthony Doria’s legacy includes founding the Vermont Law School and renovating several of the buildings around town.
But he was also a controversial public figure. Dick Drysdale, editor of the Herald of Randolph has written about Doria’s passing and spoke with VPR’s Mitch Wertlieb.
Doria arrived in Vermont from Philadelphia in the 1960s. He was born in Italy with some noble lineage, which Drysdale says Doria, “always made the most of.”
“Out-sized personality,” is a good term to describe Doria.
“In fact he was a crook in many ways, he only spent time for one of his crimes, but he was in trouble all the time,” Drysdale said, and the secrecy around Doria’s death is not surprising.
He died on May 23rd, and Drysdale says it was totally hush hush, and he only was able to confirm it recently, as one family member was opposed to talking about Doria’s passing.
Drysdale says Doria was only dean of the law school for about a year and a half, and his legal troubles meant that he was not held in high esteem by the school’s administration.
The story goes that a law student found out that Doria had been convicted for fraud in Philadelphia, and that lead to Doria’s departure from the school. Others say it was because of the school’s financial troubles.
Drysdale says Doria also left a legacy of unpaid taxes, debts and foreclosures, but also left the town of South Royalton with a tremendous asset, one of the best small law schools in the country.
