Professor Nicholas Triffin, the former Director of the Pace University School of Law Library, died on April 8, 2000 after a long and valiant battle against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease). Although his colleagues and students could see the toll this illness took on Nick's body, they could also sense that his will to survive, his dedication to his students, and his love of the study of the law were undiminished. He continued to fulfill his personal and professional obligations with grace and dignity, and taught his last class a few days before his death.
Nick was the Director of the Pace Law School Library from 1984-1998. After retiring as library director, Nick taught international law and advanced legal research. Prior to coming to Pace, Nick served as the Assistant Law Librarian at the University of Connecticut School of Law, and as the Director of the Law Library at Hamline University School of Law. During Nick's tenure as library director at Pace, he built the fine collection that is his legacy to the law school community. He was always a visionary, and invested in technology years before other librarians recognized the role which computers would play in legal research. He inculcated in his staff a service mentality and a genuine desire to help library patrons. Nick was well known as the editor of Law Books in Print. His knowledge of legal bibliography, legal publishing, and rare law books was legendary, and often called upon by colleagues both in the United States and abroad.
Nick's goodness, intelligence, and wit will be greatly missed by all who knew him.
Marie Stefanini Newman
Pace University School of Law