Law Alumnus John Toomey Celebrated for a Life of Service, Law, Business and BBQ

Aug. 26, 2026—The City of Houston honored University of Houston Law Center alumnus John Toomey (J.D. ’51) by declaring July 26 as John Toomey Day for his birthday. The proclamation recognized the life of the longtime Houston attorney and businessman — from studying in a converted Army barracks on the University of Houston campus to a career in law and business and, at 93, to the opening of J-Bar-M Barbecue in Houston’s EaDo neighborhood.

Toomey enrolled at the University of Houston in 1946 as a wave of veterans returned from World War II to pursue higher education. He became part of the second graduating class of what was then the University of Houston School of Law. His path to law began at home. Toomey shared that he was inspired by his father, who was a lawyer.

“Many students were veterans, and some classes were held in Army barracks,” he said. “With only 20 students, we had close contact with our professors and more opportunities to participate.”

One professor from those early years stayed with him. Newell Blakely, a guest professor who taught torts, would go on to become the Law Center’s second dean, serving from 1956 to 1965 and remaining on the faculty for decades. For Toomey, though, the memory is less institutional and more personal.

“Newell Blakely, a guest professor, made torts interesting and was a fine gentleman,” he said.

After graduating in 1951, Toomey built a legal career and eventually became part of a broader business life. He appreciates the practical connection between the education he received at the Law Center and the work that followed.

“My legal education was and is very helpful in my business,” he said. “It keeps me within legal boundaries and helps me operate the businesses.”

Toomey, who served in the Texas Air National Guard and the United States Air Force, also included lessons from those experiences in his working life.

“Military service keeps me on a set schedule and teaches me the proper way to organize and work with people,” he said.

Those principles remain consistent with the way Toomey describes his life at J-Bar-M, where he enjoys spending time with employees and customers. He opened the restaurant at 93, fulfilling a longtime dream. The name pays tribute in part to his late wife and high school sweetheart, Michelene.

“I enjoy working with my fellow employees, meeting customers, and seeing them enjoy the food,” he said.

His birthday proclamation was also a reminder of how much the city around him has changed.

“Houston was a wonderful place to grow up,” he said. “When I was a kid, I could ride my bicycle all over. The people who live here are nice to be around. It has a wonderful business climate with a lot of enjoyable things to do.

“I have seen Houston grow from a small city into a major city, and it has been enjoyable watching it grow,” he said.

He has also watched UH and the Law Center evolve. The school moved from the barracks to the basement of the M.D. Anderson Library in the fall of 1950. It later became the Bates College of Law in 1969 and the University of Houston Law Center in 1982. Today, the Law Center is housed in the award-winning John M. O’Quinn Law Building, which occupies a prominent place on campus.

“The University of Houston has played an important role in the city, growing from a small college in the 1940s into the distinguished institution it is today,” Toomey said. “Today, the university has one of the nation’s finest law buildings, and it makes me very proud to have gone to the University of Houston.”