Charles Judson Harwood Jr

Dear Rebecca,
...
In 1960 when stationed in England my family was invited for lunch in Juddy's London home with his family. That was the time of Juddy beginning his early rise to his peak of taxation respect by the international community of accountants & attorneys.
...
Juddy's most noteworthy business achievement was the international success of his quarterly publication "Taxes International". When I took a year off in 1982 to procure another Masters (this time in Accounting) I was proud to find that Juddy's publication was taught by the University of Tennessee Tax Department as the essential "Bible" for any research on either other Nation's taxation or International tax research. When Juddy either gave up or sold this publication I do not know. I do know that I always received his lengthy & thick loose leaf notebook publication similar to CCH & other tax research authorities.
...
When we visited London in 1993 I had Juddy meet us at Simpsons on the Strand for roast beef & Yorkshire Pudding. Juddy was not much different than in 1959 -- 61 when I was stationed in England. However, Juddy was no longer publishing "Taxes International", but rather as I recall writing esoteric articles on the environment & political issues of the time.
...
Juddy's "strong suit" was his scholarly intellect quite obviously inherited from his most studious Mother & his Father a brilliant attorney.
...
In the years I knew him from just after his birth to the last time I saw him at his Father's funeral I never felt uncomfortable around him. Juddy was friendly & pleasant to be with.
...
W H Jr

I was so sorry to hear about Jud's death. He and I, being first cousins, were playmates from an early age. I have a good photo of Jud at what I think was my tenth birthday party, and I'll try to get it copied and forward it wherever it needs to go. As far back as I can remember, Jud was extremely outgoing, friendly, and confident. We went to different high schools (he went to  high school at MBA) and colleges (he went to Vanderbilt and also Vanderbilt Law School), and I spent a 4-year tour in the Air Force, so we didn't see much of each other after childhood until about 1974. At that time I had met my future wife, Carol, and she lived a few blocks away from where Jud and Christy lived near Estes Blvd (I can't remember the street name). We would periodically stop by his house for chats with him and Christy, and we were fascinated by what he was doing--installing numerous recessed lights and completely re-wiring the electrical system on the main floor of their home. He had torn out the sheetrock, and had installed many complex sets of dimmers and switches. It was as if the total focus of his attention had shifted away from his ordinary legal work toward learning the details of electrical wiring. 

My memories of our conversations at that time are vague, but it was my impression that he felt stifled by his role in a conservative law office, and had become something of a "rebel without a cause." I know that he began riding a motorcycle to work, and that was not considered an appropriate form of transportation for a young upcoming lawyer in Nashville at that time. It was as if his life had followed "a standard track" up to a certain point (ie. go to good schools, make good grades, get married, buy a house, have children, establish a career, become successful, etc), and then he felt the need to break free from the consensus reality and "find himself."

My other impression, which may or may not be accurate, is that much of his rebellion was caused by his perception that his father did not accept him as he was. His father, like most other conservative southern aristocratic gentlemen, could only accept and respect what he understood, and Jud lost interest in meeting those kinds of expectations. I think Jud was saying, in essence, "Love me the way I am and not according to any set of socially-acceptable set of ideas." I don;t think Uncle Judson was able to do that, and I suspect that Jud's direction "off the beaten track" was due to (1) boredom with "the standard track" and (2) the need to discover who he was and "become his own person." 

It was always obvious that Jud was brilliant, and his intensity of focus was amazing. He and his daughters visited Carol and me in 1976 on our isolated farm near Monterey, TN., and they spent a delightful day with us. He rode horses with me, and he was so confident of his abilities that he was like a force of nature. We didn't know if our two new horses were fully safe to ride, but that didn't stop Jud for a second. He jumped on the larger horse, took off at a gallop, and I hoped that the horse would realize what it was dealing with and not get too rambunctious. ha ha! 

Some time in the 1980's I heard that Jud had moved to England, was studying tax law, and had started writing a tax advisory publication. At one point he sent me some of his newsletters, but I had no money and virtually no income at that time, so I didn't have to worry about tax issues! ha ha.

A few years later, he called me from England because he had become fixated on Ronald Reagan, and wanted to get him impeached. He wanted me to join him in his crusade and sign a petition for impeachment, but I literally laughed out loud at this request. I told him that I was apolitical and only interested in spirituality. It was a very funny conversation! Subsequently, I got a call from the Secret Service asking me about Jud, and I assumed that his animosity toward Reagan's presidency had come to their attention. This may have occurred during the time of the Iran-Contra scandal.

The last time I spent any time with Jud was when he returned to the states for the funeral of his father. At that time he was just as friendly and outgoing as ever, and I had the impression that he was a happy English eccentric. He had long since sold his tax newsletter, and he told us that he was then living on welfare. He asked about our lives and family, and seemed genuinely interested in everything that everyone was doing. He mentioned owning chickens and various other odd bits of information about his life. One of his classmates from many years earlier offered to give him some land in Tennessee where he could come live, but it was obvious to me that he was happy in England and was unlikely to leave.

You asked about heart disease. There is heart disease in the family, but whether someone has a bad blood profile or not is a matter of genetic luck. Jud's Dad lived to the age of 92. My dad had congestive heart failure, but he still lived to 90. Aunt Julia also lived to 90. Victor Harwood's father, (Victor was a third cousin), died of heart failure in his 50's. Victor (also a lawyer like his father and sister), ran marathons and went to great lengths to stay healthy (because he knew that heart disease was present in his family), but he died of a heart attack at about the age of 63. Victor checked his cholesterol level and triglycerides, but I don't think he knew about "small molecule LDL's" and the importance of keeping that number low via statins or Niaspan, and also the importance of limiting carbohydrate intake.

I contacted Dr. Sam Glasgow, a former classmate of Jud's, who lives here in Cookeville, and Sam said that he would forward your letter and the notice of Jud's death to his other classmates. Some of those people, such as Pete Moss and other friends, may have additional information to share. I will also go through my files of photographs, and forward any that I can find.

Cousin Bob Harwood

Rebecca,

               Your second cousin Bob has the same brilliance and intensity of focus as Jud. Jud was indeed friendly and lovable, and intent on doing his own thing his own way. Yes, I agree he was also eccentric.

               I also witnessed Jud’s super focus on entirely rewiring the house he and Christy lived in on, I think, Sneed Road in Green Hills section of Nashville, near where I live now.

               Concerning when Jud was here and stayed with Mary Ann and me for a few days when his Dad died, his friend Pete Moss did offer him to come live on his farm in Columbia, Maury County, TN. His MBA classmate Willie Hardison, my neighbor, let him pull a small living trailer to the farm for that purpose. Jud was contemplating moving back to live there, but once back in London abandoned that plan. One impediment was the 6 month quarantined time for his at that time 2 parrots and move costs. Willie took Jud to THE Belle Meade Country Club to meet several of their MBA classmates. One was Dr. Bill Frist, heart surgeon and former Senate Majority Leader. Jud had extensively researched some medical problems he had experienced and was self-medicating. Willie told me that Bill Frist was fascinated with the great depth of understanding and knowledge of these medical issues that Jud had.  I’ve emailed Willie Hardison, who is also lovable, and good and loyal friend. He also will notify other MBA and Vanderbilt classmates. In high school Jud won the “Best Blocker” award one year on the football team.

It was while Jud was here for his Dad’s funeral that he and I went on the road trip to Louisville, KY to inspect the truck terminal that I administered as trustee of Judson, Sr.’s trust. We had a good time. As I mentioned, on the way we bought bags of Krystal and White Castle burgers and for a long time discussed their various similarities and differences, trying to decide which we liked best.           

Bob is correct about Jud’s rebellion in early career at prestigious Nashville “Waller, Landsden, Dortch and Davis”. The senior members were friends of Judson Sr.  Dick Landsden in particular was intolerant of Jud riding his motorcycle to work. Rosemary and/or Christie will of course have more memories of Jud’s time in law school at Vandy and his early career in Nashville. Christie of course knows of Jud taking her (and children?) to Saudi Arabia to work with a Nashville chum’s company building HCA hospitals I think (???). That friendship did not last, and then the move to London and the Tax Journal.

Jud was certainly a great researcher/scholar. In later post tax journal years he did indeed live “on the dole” in London. He told me he rescued a computer he used from a junk yard, and collected rain water using a boat sail. He would use the internet for research, and spend long hours at the libraries in London studying what he was interested in.  I can’t imagine it and would have loved to have seen him in his Gipsy Hill apartment and neighborhood. I am sure he was a well-known and loved American expatriate to his friends, as you’ve been told.

               Concerning Jud’s passion for political causes that Bob mentioned, in the years I communicated with him while tending to his Dad’s trust and truck terminal, he would send me long research papers. I think he had a blog?? One long extensively researched paper and opinion piece criticized George Bush for going into Iraq. His premise was that the U.S. was primarily interested in controlling Iraqi  oil. The paper revealed a great knowledge of U.S. military weapons and spending. Yes, I believe he was on a Secret Service watch list, perhaps due to his public articles criticizing Republican Presidential decisions.

               Jud’s many Hale cousins from his and my mothers’ family were all fond of Jud as a young man. We would have liked to have had more communication with him in his last decades in London, as I’m sure you and his other children, in particular, would have liked.  

Blessings,

    Tad         

Tad

Dear Rebecca,

 Your father C J was a wonderful and special person.

 He had very few friends here in London. His closest friend was my sister Cheryl. Cheryl too has few friends and lives on her own next to C J. 

My sister has not been keeping well and C J took such good care of her.

 I have so much news to give you but I am just about to take my sister to hospital.

 I think Cheryl and I would love to have a church service for C J. It would be wonderful if you and a few family members could attend. I could get you accommodation in a hotel near by for about £ 25.00 per person. It is only a three star hotel but quite comfortable.

 We were in any case planning to have a party for C J after the church service in a pub just down the road from his house. How wonderful if you could attend.

 I am sending you a movie I made where your father speaks to my mother's sister Pearl ,83 years old, who visited London from Australia two years ago, C J and Pearl got on like a house on fire. In the movie C J has just lost one of his dear parrots and is heartbroken although he never showed it. However, in this movie his sadness shows through.

 You see also my sister and me.

 Kind regards,

 Charles

C J WAS VERY FIT AND WELL BEFORE HE PASSED AWAY. 

 HE HAS BEEN LIVING IN GYPSY HILL FOR MORE THAN THIRTY YEARS. I HAVE KNOWN HIM FOR MANY YEARS. HE WAS VERY CLEVER AND VERY GOOD WITH COMPUTERS.

 HE HAD A RECORDING STUDIO IN HIS FLAT. ABOUT 20 TV SCREENS. HE USE TO RECORD ALL THE NEWS PROGRAM MES FROM AROUND THE WORLD TWENTY FOUR HOURS A DAY. 

 THEN WRITE TO NEWS ORIGINATION'S SUCH AS CNN AND THE BBC ACCUSING THEM OF NOT TELLING THE TRUTH. HE ALWAYS TOLD US THE CIA WERE AFTER HIM. THAT IS WHY HE CHANGED HIS E MAIL ADDRESS TO ONE WHERE BY THE CIA COULD NOT READ HIS E MAILS.