I had not been mentioned in a eulogy until last night.

The memorial mass was for Charles Hamilton Houston, Jr.

His father, Charles Hamilton Houston, Sr., was the dean of Howard Law School and the legal mentor of Thurgood Marshall.

The eulogist was Professor Jose Anderson.

We met as adjunct Legal Writing teachers at the University of Baltimore more than 20 years ago.

Jose is writing a biography of Houston Sr.

After reading that in the son’s obituary, I called Jose and told him this story.

Houston Sr. and I both graduated from Amherst College.

I was on the campus the day that I learned that the effort to put the death penalty repeal legislation on referendum had failed. I sponsored that bill in the House.

I walked to Johnson Chapel, where the portraits of the College’s presidents are hung. So is that of Houston.

I touched the frame of his portrait, to make a connection between Houston’s legal work and mine.

Last night, Jose told the mourners of that moment.