The Brief (The Summer 1978 Alumni Magazine)
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Southern Methodist University SMU Scholar The Brief (Law Alumni Magazine), 1965-2002 Law School History and Archives Summer 1978 The Brief (The Summer 1978 Alumni Magazine) Southern Methodist University, School of Law Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.smu.edu/brief Recommended Citation Southern Methodist University, School of Law, "The Brief (The Summer 1978 Alumni Magazine)" (1978). The Brief (Law Alumni Magazine), 1965-2002. 31. https://scholar.smu.edu/brief/31 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Law School History and Archives at SMU Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Brief (Law Alumni Magazine), 1965-2002 by an authorized administrator of SMU Scholar. For more information, please visit http://digitalrepository.smu.edu. t e rie OF" THE SCHOOL OF" LAW SUMMER, 1978 SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY VOL, 11 No. 2 - HONORING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY Of' THE CLASS Of' 1928 THE F'IRST GRADUATING CLASS Of' THE SCHOOL Of' LAW, the brief OF THE SCHOOL OF LAW SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY SCHOOL Of" LAW SUMMER, 1978 Cover, The Closs of 1928 Pictured left to right- top row: Paul L. Williams, James F. Gray, Edgar H. Selec man, and John W. Randall; middle row: Hubert 0. Wills, DeWitt Horry, Erin Bain Jones, Harry S. Pollard, and J. Harold Goode; bottom row: Ellis P. House, Euell Moseley, W. Autry Norton, and Ely Straus (photo courtesy of J. Harold Goode) Reminiscences of the Dean 3 A Short History of the School of Law 4 Professor Joseph W. McKnight Fifty Classes 6 Michael H. Hoffman International Friend 6 Continuing Legal Education 7 Ted Reiner CLE Program Schedule 8 News Briefs 9 Title History of the SMU Law Quadrangle 10 Professor Lennart V. Larson Faculty Notes 11 The SBA: A Year of Accomplishment 12 David M. Prichard Roy R. Ray Lecture 13 Gift Honoring Paul Carrington 14 Alumni Milestones 15 President, Law Alumni Association 77-78 William D. Powell Dean Charles 0. Galvin Assistant Dean Edward 0. Coultas Director of the Law School Fund James I. Soule Editor Michael H. Hoffman A publication of the SMU Law Alumni Association. SMU School of Law, Storey Hall, Doi/as, Texas 75275. The Early Years of the School of Law Reminiscences of the Dean My recollections of the School of school was located in the east wing In going over some old papers of Law go back many years. From of the third floor of Dallas Hall and Dean Potts of the middle 1930's, it 1929 to 1946, when I married, I lived from 1925 until the late 1930's, the was interesting to read his letters to on McFarlin Boulevard,just a short entire library, all offices and class then SMU President Selecman urg distance from the University. At room facilities were accommo ing an increase in support for the that time, many of the University dated in that area. One of the School of Law. The total student faculty lived on University legends is that law students would body, of course, was considerably Boulevard, McFarlin Boulevard stand around the balcony of the less than 100, including the day and and Haynie A venue. These were rotunda on the third floor of Dallas evening divisions. Dean Potts was members of the original faculty or Hall and heat coins with a match, proposing a budget of approxi those who came shortly after the throwing them down on the floor to mately $25,000 to support full-time University was founded and pur watch unsuspecting victims pick up professors, library, the dean, the chased property around the Univer hot coins from the floor. dean's office and incidental ex sity even before the city of Univer When Fondren Library was com penses necessary for the operation sity Park was incorporated. Dean pleted in the late 1930's the School of the school. Today, the direct ex Potts, who was Dean of the School of Law was moved and the east penses are approximately $2 mil of Law from 1927 to 1947, lived on wing of the basement of Dallas Hall lion. Haynie and Professor William became the library with faculty I graduated from SMU with a Alexander Rhea lived on McFarlin. offices at the extreme east end of the Bachelor of Science in Commerce I knew the Potts family well and library in the small semicircular degree in 1940 and was awarded a spoke to Dean Potts when I was in area. The main floor of the east wing fellowship to Northwestern Uni high school about the SMU School of Dallas Hall was divided by a cor versity to obtain a Master of Busi of Law. ridor. The School of Business Ad ness Administration degree, which I I came to know Judge William ministration offices were on the accomplished by the spring of 1941. Alexander Rhea who joined Dean north side while the classroom Because of the imminence of being Potts when the School of Law was facilities on the south side were drafted, I returned to Dallas and just starting. Indeed, it was largely shared by the School of Law and the began law school in the fall of 1941 because of the intense respect for School of Business Administration. with professors whose names are scholarship and research on the part The School of Business Ad still familiar around the school of both Dean Potts and Judge Rhea ministration had been for many Professors Clyde Emery and Roy R. that the SMU Law Library is as years housed in a shack (quite liter Ray. good a library as it is today. They ally a shack) which had been built With the declaration of war in believed in a good library and good during World War I and remained December of 1941, people began to facilities and urged lawyers in the just north of Dallas Hall to accom withdraw from the school for vari community to support the law lib modate what was then called the ous training programs so that when rary from the very beginning. School of Commerce. Another the war was fully underway the total When the School of Law first shack accommodated the Art De number of law students was proba opened in 1925, a dean was not ap partment. During the 1920's and bly well under fifty. During this time pointed. Instead, Mr. Joseph E. 1930's these were affectionately re professors left for various govern Cockrell was designated as the ferred to as the '' Art Shack'' and the ment agency appointments leaving Chairman of the Faculty. The "Commerce Shack." (continued on page 9) 3 A Short History of the School of Law by Joseph W. McKnight Professor of Law Introduction - In the fall of 1978 sociation, the State Bar of Texas, Faculty minutes of those early Southern Methodist University will and SMU, the representatives of the days are replete with instances of embark upon its sixty-fourth groups concerned agreed that the the serious concern for scholarship academic year, and the School of University would operate an even and the quality of professional train Law will begin its fifty-fourth. The ing division on the campus and that ing. In this regard what now may School of Law was established by all unapproved law schools would seem an amusing incident is re resolution of the University's Board cease operation. By the time of the corded in the minutes of November of Trustees in February 1925 and scheduled amalgamation only one 2, 1931, in which the Law Students was essentially the realization of the such school remained, the Dallas Association, represented by four vision of Judge Joseph E. Cockrell, School of Law, which met in the students who went on to become who served as Chairman of the YMCA. It was merged with the distinguished members of the bench Board of Trustees of the University SMU School of Law in 1938 with and bar, formally apologized to the in 1925 and was a past-President of the understanding that classes faculty for their unprofessional the Dallas Bar Association. Judge would continue to be held at the conduct in declaring a holiday on Cockrell convinced the Board that YMCA for two years; and after that Saturday, October 31, 1931, begin no university could attain first rank period, all classes would be held on ning at eleven o'clock and extend without a school of law. the SMU campus. Phasing out of ing through the balance of the day in The Formative Years - When these substandard schools resulted anticipation of the SMU-Texas the first law school class enrolled in in a marked upgrading of the quality football game (N. B. - Classes were the fall of 1925, Judge Cockrell was of legal education in Dallas, for at then held on Saturday until 1:00 serving as Chairman of the Faculty SMU the same standards were p.m. - the game results were and continued in this role until maintained for day and evening stu SMU-9; Texas-7). Charles Shirley Potts assumed the dents and both divisions were Following the Depression came deanship in 1927. Much of the work taught by full-time faculty. the onset of World War II, and again of organization of the school was Potts's deanship was a period of the School of Law was dealt a se accomplished by William Alexan establishing a new and struggling vere blow. Although Potts was 70 in der Rhea, who was the first Profes law school. Budgets were tight dur 1942, he agreed to stay on for the sor of Law, having come- to SMU ing the Great Depression, and stu difficult years of the war while from the faculty of the University of dents were hard pressed to afford awaiting the appointment of his Texas.