Vernon died Monday at University Hospitals at the age of 76 of pneumonia, which he suffered while battling cancer.

Intelligent, respected and humorous -- he once titled a scholarly article, "A Week to Remember: Of Pregnant Cows, Slipped Horses, Sterile Bulls, Chickens, Heifers, and the Human Animal" -- Vernon left a legacy of service to the UI.

The consummate university citizen, UI President Mary Sue Coleman called him. "Perhaps what I admired most about David was his enthusiasm for what universities mean in our society and his active engagement until the very end of his life," she said.

A native of Boston who graduated from both the Harvard and New York University law schools after serving on a Navy PT boat in World War II, Vernon joined the UI in 1966 as professor and dean of the College of Law.

He said he only wanted to be dean for five years and kept his promise but remained with the faculty.

However, this eclectic reader and writer who conceded he loved reading junk detective novels was a valued adviser for UI -presidents, starting with Howard Bowen in 1966.

"David was a person of integrity and high standards," former UI President Willard "Sandy" Boyd Jr. said Tuesday.

Vernon helped Boyd get through the Vietnam War protest years of the late 1960s and early 1970s. "There was sympathy for the anti-war movement," Vernon said in a 1997 Gazette interview, "but we couldn't figure out quite why they were taking out their anger about that with the university, which didn't have much to do with it. We just tried to hold the place together."

Vernon twice served as acting vice president for academic affairs, the position now held by the provost. In 1989, he was called upon to lead a three-member committee assigned to cleaning up academics in UI athletics.

That was after testimony at the trial of two sports agents indicated that two former UI football players took courses such as billiards and bowling to remain eligible for the team.

Vernon was retired and had been receiving chemotherapy but continued to be vigorous and teach at the Law College.

Vernon is survived by his wife, Rhoda, whom he met in grade school, two children and three grandchildren; and two sisters. His funeral is scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday at Agudas Achim Congregation.   A memorial for the law school will be held at 4 p.m. Friday in the Boyd Law Building's Levitt Auditorium.