Login | April 27, 2025
Remembering Goodyear patent attorney Richard Haas
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: April 1, 2021
A patent lawyer, pilot, flight instructor, educator and dedicated family man, attorney Richard “Dick” Harry Haas never shied away from learning a new skill or taking on a challenging issue, said his oldest child Susan Haas.
“My father had a wide range of interests,” said Susan, a retired physician and visiting scholar at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “He wasn’t afraid to fight for what he believed was right. He took on gender discrimination at the local country clubs, especially Silver Lake, where my mother couldn’t get tee time on Saturdays. He got a lot of pushback, but eventually the club granted full rights to women.
“He did a lot of pro bono work for other women’s groups around the country,” said Susan. “When he retired, he took over the cooking duties for my mother for the next 40 years. He had a lot of respect for women and their unique burdens.”
On Jan. 26 the Hudson, Ohio resident passed away at the age of 100.
“He was a good dad, who helped his children with whatever they needed,” said Susan. “He enjoyed his work, but he didn’t talk a lot about it. But whenever he had lessons to teach his children, he did so like a lawyer, logically and methodically, arguing his case if you will.”
Born in Buffalo, New York on Jan. 3, 1921, he was the youngest of Harry and Beatrice (nee Cambage) Haas’ three children.
After graduating from Niagara Falls High School in 1939, he attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
During his time at MIT, Haas completed pilot flight training under a government program. When he received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 1943, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps.
Upon getting his wings, he served as a pilot flight instructor during the rest of World War II and was assigned to B-29 flight training for Pacific duty when the war ended.
His next stop was Harvard Law School, where he was introduced to and later married his wife Betty, prior to obtaining his juris doctorate in June 1948.
“My parents met on a blind date,” said Susan. “My mom had graduated from Wellesley College and was working in Philadelphia as a mycologist at the time.
“After my dad graduated from law school, they went to Grenoble, France for the summer to study French.”
When they returned to the United States in the fall, Haas began practicing intellectual property law in New York City. Subsequent professional moves took him to Louisiana and Texas and back to New York.
“Each of we three children was born in one of those states,” said Susan.
In 1960, the family came to Akron, where Haas joined The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.
Goodyear patent attorney Alvin Rockhill worked with Haas from 1981 to 1985.
“Dick was Goodyear’s International Patent Counsel,” said Rockhill. “In that capacity, he managed and oversaw Goodyear’s massive international patent portfolio, making decisions as to which countries the company should pursue foreign patent protection. He worked extensively with foreign patent law firms, and Goodyear’s foreign patent agents, including Goodyear’s patent agents in Luxemburg.
“He also was responsible for legal compliance with FDA-related issues and many administrative matters within the patent department, including personnel.”
From World War II until his retirement in 1985, Haas continued to fly both as an Air Force reservist and with Goodyear’s Wingfoot Fliers Club, serving as the corporate secretary and chief flight instructor for the club during his time at the company.
“Dick was my flight instructor and he did an outstanding job in teaching me to fly a Beechcraft Bonanza,” said Rockhill.
“My dad loved flying and he taught regularly,” said Susan. “He was responsive to what people needed. Most of his students were men, and he developed what he called a ‘white knuckles’ course for their wives to be able to fly the plane in case their husbands needed help.
“When my dad retired from Goodyear, we flew to Montana in a Goodyear plane, where we joined a flying tour with about ten other planes. Dad had a deal with Goodyear that for every hour he flew he could earn time to use the plane for free and he had saved up many hours. Dad and I flew from Akron to Montana to Alaska and back to Ohio. It was a fabulous trip with many exciting landings in remote airports.”
After he retired, Haas, who was licensed to practice in Ohio and New York arbitrated hundreds of disputes in Ohio and federal courts for the American Arbitration Association and various stock exchanges.
In the mid-90s, then-Akron Law Dean (now Dean Emeritus) Richard L. Aynes said the faculty voted to establish a center for intellectual property law.
“The plan was put into motion and Richard Haas was hired as a consultant to help the school accomplish this goal,” said Aynes. “With some insight from others, Richard identified approximately 14 law schools that were considered to have leading Intellectual Property law programs. He then personally visited those programs, met with their directors and inventoried their course offerings.
“The faculty and the university approved the plan he submitted but concluded that it would not be ready to implement such a program until the following year,” said Aynes. “Rather than let a whole year pass before hiring a director, we persuaded Richard Haas to accept the position as part-time director of the new program.
“He did a superb job in getting the program started,” said Aynes. “He then helped with the search for a permanent director, which led to the faculty hiring Jeff Samuels who had been director of trademarks for the Patent & Trademark Office.
“Richard Haas was an intelligent and thoughtful person, with whom it was easy to work. He was a good friend to many and will be missed.”
Haas hired Rockhill to serve as an adjunct faculty member for Akron Law’s IP program in 1997.
“I’ve continued to teach at the law school since then,” said Rockhill. “I think Dick enjoyed being involved with the university and getting the program up and running. I certainly appreciate him bringing me into it.”
In addition to his legal practice and efforts at the law school, Haas served on the Akron City Hospital Research and Ethics Committee and Institutional Review Board for 15 years.
A golfer since age 12, Haas was an avid participant and a low-handicap player.
He and his wife Betty both played golf at Silver Lake Country Club, where he first shot his age at 73, had two sub-par rounds and a sole hole-in-one.
“When my parents got older they moved to the Laurel Lake Retirement Community in Hudson,” said Susan. “Dad won the Laurel Lake golf tournament in his age range, which was 85 plus, several times.
My parents also played squash and tennis,” said Susan. “After retiring, they re-engaged their lifelong activity of bridge and played sufficient tournament bridge to become Life Masters.”
Haas will be laid to rest with his wife Betty at Arlington National Cemetery.
A celebration of life will be held at Laurel Lake Retirement Community at a later date.
Haas is survived by his daughters Dr. Susan (Donald Fisher) Haas and Becky (Frank, III) Ramsey; son Mark (Phyllis Levinson) Haas; grandchildren William and Charles Natoli, C. David (Phoebe) and Eric (Joanna) Ramsey, Danielle and Ethan (Kristen) Haas and four great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife Betty (nee Vadner) Haas, sisters Mary Ellen (John) Claydon and Irene (Richard) Rooker and his parents, Harry and Beatrice (nee Cambage) Haas.