Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1895-08-02
Death or Prof. John B. Minor.

Death Of Prof. John B. Minor.
Prof. John Barbee Minor, for fifty years
Professor of Law at the University OF
Virginia, and of whom a majority OF the
members of the Staunton bar, even the
older ones. were pupils, died at the Uni
versity on Monday afternoon at O'Clock.
The Charlottesville Chronicle of that after
noon has portrait and long and inter-
esting sketch OF him from which we take
the following:
SHE was born on the second day OF June,
1873, in Louisa county, Va. Until his
seventeenth year his education was pursued
| in his native county, and then, for one ses-
sion. at Kenyon College Ohio. After
pedestrian tour to Niagara and through
New York, he entered the University OF
Virginia, where he studied for two and
half years, He graduated in several OF the
Academic Schools; then passing to the
Law School, under the tuition OF Mr.. Jno.
A. G. Davis, the Professor of Law, he was
graduated as Bachelor of Law in 1884.
ION leaving the University, Mr.. Minor
began the practice of law in Buchanan,
Botetourt county, Va, but removed in
1910 Charlottesville, where in partnership
with his elder brother. Mr.. Lucian Minor.
who afterwards became Professor of Law
in William and Mary College, he had a
successful practice.
sIn the year 1915 he was elected Professor
of Law in the University OF Virginia and
has occupied this chair continuously for
fifty years. During the first few years of
his professorship he had charge of the entire
School of Law. 1t was then divided, he
becoming Professor Of Common and Stat
ute Law. and other branches devOlving on
an associate. Throughout the troublous
years of 1861 '65, he, again alone, maintain
ed the Law School OF the University amid
many discouraging difficulties, but IN 1866
was again relieved of double duty by the
appointment of an additional professor.
The number of students attending this
school has steadily increased to a maxi
mum Of 151.
In the vacation of 1874 Mr.. Minor I'M
dertook course of summer law lectures,
extending over two months, with class of
twenty students. This course has been
maintained from year to year until now,
the attendance increasing constantly to a
maximum OF 121.
"For several years previous to 1875 SYN
optical IN otes' on his lectures were lith-
ographed for the benefit Of his classes. In
that year the first and second volumes Of
his institutes of Common and Statute
Law" were published. Their fourth edi-
lions appeared in 1891 and 80. In 1878
the first edition Of the fourth volume was
published ; it's third, in 1898, in two bound
books. The third volume was delayed, APP
pearing at first in an incomplete form !; but
has now, in 1895, been published, bound in
| two books, as ''second edition, revised
and corrected This colossal work is
now complete. Prepared primarily as a
text for his students. it is quoted as auth
GRITTY in all the courts, including the Fed
eral Supreme Court. Oft distinguished
lawyer and statesman recently said; "It
cannot be surpassed as vade mecum of the
of the law. 1t is like statue-solid, COM
pact. clear cut. Jefferson lamented that
Mathew Bacon adopted the alphabetical,
OF dictionary system, in his abridgment.
How scientific mind like this would have
Adopting the system OF analysis which was
delineated by Hale and ampliied by Black
stone, he built upon it those exp Ositions Of
common law principles and statutory
alterations which reveal the law to
| the minds eye as a Typographical
map of country cast in bas-relief.
1t has been said of Francis Bacon s
Essays that of all compost ions they con.
tanned the most matter in the fewest words.
Minors Institutes contains more law in
fewer words than any work with which l
am acquainted. The Roman Forum had
an empty place lacking Cato's figure
and a lawyers library without this work
has one also.'' In addition to the ''Instit-
utes,' there was published in 1894, in one
volume, Minors Exposition Of the Law
of Crimes and Punishments.
The personal life of Prof. Minor was
| beautiful, and to the day of his death he
taught Bible class every Sunday morning
He was very modest man, and at the re-
cent unwilling at the University of mar
BILE bust of himself, on the 50th anniversary
of his connection with the institution, he
absented himself.
Prof. Minor IS funeral took place on Wed
nesday afternoon at 5 O'Clock, and Hon
Marshall Hanger, Capt. 7. D. Ransom. A
F. Robertson, J. Baldwin Ransom, w. H
Landes and others Of this city went over tt
it. MI. A. C. Gordon of the Board Of Wis
i itors. was one OF the pail bearers.