John Marshall Kernochan

John Marshall Kernochan (August 3, 1919 – October 29, 2007) was a law professor, composer and music publisher who founded Columbia Law School's Kernochan Center for Law, Media and the Arts. His pioneering work in intellectual property law helped spur stronger protections for artists. Early life Kernochan was born August 3, 1919, the only child of Marshall R. Kernochan (1880–1955) and Caroline Rigney (née Hatch) Kernochan, a World War I nurse. His father studied music in Frankfurt, Germany with Ivan Knorr and with Percy Goetschius at the Institute of Musical Art (predecessor to Juilliard School) and later served as president of the Galaxy Music Corporation. Kernochan prepared at St. Mark's School in Southborough, Massachusetts. There, for the school's yearbook, he produced memorable verses on that year's graduates, which kicked off a lifelong pastime of writing doggerel verse and bawdy limericks. He also composed religious music. After a year at Princeton University, he dropped out to devote himself to composing. He studied under Howard Brockway, and spent a year visiting Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. Kernochan composed several choral and orchestral compositions, which were later recorded. He transferred to Harvard University, graduated in 1942. His paternal grandparents were Louise Marshall (née Pollock) Kernochan and John Adams Kernochan, a brother of J. Frederic Kernochan and James Powell Kernochan.