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Fred E. Inbau, 89, of Chicago, John Henry Wigmore Professor of Law Emeritus, died May 25 [1998] at North-western Memorial Hospital.
Mr. Inbau was a prolific criminal law scholar who was instrumental in the development of modern forensic sciences, including becoming president of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (1955-56). He began his legal career by helping to establish one of the nation's first criminal law laboratories (1933) at the Law School. His specialty was the then new polygraph machine.
"Fred Inbau was a kind and humble soul, who towered over generations of criminal law scholars," said J. William Elwin, associate dean for external affairs. "He was an extraordinary innovator who profoundly influenced the development of a system of criminal justice, criminology and the forensic sciences."
"Fred held deeply rooted beliefs about the criminal justice system and was unusual in that he championed the fundamental rights of both criminal suspects and victims of crime," said David E. Van Zandt, dean of the School of Law. "He straddled the worlds of academia and of law enforcement, and was highly respected by all."
Mr. Inbau taught criminal law for 32 years at Northwestern before his retirement in 1977 and remained active in the field long afterward. His pioneering work in criminal law, criminology, evidence and police science has been frequently cited by the courts and media. For many years, "Criminal Interrogations and Confessions," a book that he co-authored, was considered a bible for law enforcement officers.
That work led to his widely known criticism of the Miranda Supreme Court decision. An article in a 1988 California Western Law Review that he co-authored concludes that an inordinate amount of judiciary effort was wasted on a law that hampers police investigation.
He was the author or co-author of 18 books and more than 50 articles.
After obtaining bachelor's and law degrees from Tulane University in 1932, Mr. Inbau completed work for a master of laws at Northwestern in 1933. He became research assistant for the Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory, founded in association with the Law School in 1929.
Mr. Inbau held a joint appointment on the law faculty during these years while working on the development of scientific methods of crime detection, including use of the polygraph. In 1938, he became director of the laboratory and when the institution was transferred to the Chicago Police Department that year, Inbau continued as its director until 1941. He left to engage in several years of trial practice and was appointed to the Law School's full- time faculty immediately after World War II.
The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, of which Mr. Inbau was the editor-in-chief from 1965 to 1971, commemorated his retirement, capturing the affection of former students who also went on to become leaders in their careers. "Trying to imagine my alma mater without Fred is like trying to imagine Chicago without Lake Michigan: it just cannot be done," wrote former Gov. James R. Thompson.
He is survived by his daughter Louise Bartine; three grandchildren, Cliff Inbau, Brenda Kinsey and Stacey Wheelock; five great grandchildren; two brothers, Edward and Perrin; and one sister, Mary Guepet.
A memorial service was held June 2 at the School of Law. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the School of Law.
