A beloved fixture at the law school, Jegen joined the faculty in 1962 and became a full professor in 1966. He taught in the areas of civil and criminal law, but his expertise was in federal and state taxation, where he established himself as one of his generation’s top tax scholars.

IU McKinney dean Andrew Klein said Jegen leaves a strong legacy at the law school.

“It is hard to understate the impact that professor Jegen made on the lives of others during his remarkable 56-year career at our law school,” Klein said. “Using the word ‘legend’ might sound like hyperbole, but today it does not. The outpouring of affection that I have heard from generations of McKinney Law alumni is overwhelming.”

Jegen received the Thomas Hart Benton Mural Medallion, which is the highest award granted by Indiana University, in 1993 and in 2005. He was also honored with the IU President’s Distinguished Teaching Award in 1989, IU’s Teaching Excellence Recognition Award in 1997, and IU McKinney’s Black Cane Award for Most Outstanding Law Professor six times.

“This is a sad day for our law school family,” Klein said, “but also a moment to remember the incredible difference that a teacher can make. We will miss professor Jegen, but never forget him.”