The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-10-22
Delivered at RntteIl Chapel Yesterdny ForenOom-XaIe Graduates Who Have Attained Prominence on the Bench, at the Bar and in Congress.


 and Wills in the Yale Law school, in-
 troduced MT. Thacher.
 Professor Baldwin spoke of the loved 1 and honored memory of the name I which the speaker has inherite ed, a 1 name which was among the dearest to | Yale men and most revered when he i was college boy. Of MT. Thacher's ! place in the world of justice and law
 he spoke in the highest terms, and of
 the fact that though the demands of his
 profession were strenuous, MT. Thach-
 CT has always found time to come back to Yale to aid the students of law in
 their study of the particular depart
 ment which he has made his speciality.
 Of MT. Thachers work for Yale and
 as true Yale man the speaker touch- ed briefly, calling attention to the new University club in New York of which MT. Thacher was one of the most ener- getic founders.
 MT Thacher spoke in part as fol- lows:
 We meet to read the tale of two cen tur.es of Yale life. to rejoice over Yale
 achievements, to refresh our sense of Yale character and to strengthen our love and inspire our zeal for Yale and for all that Yale stands for to-day.
 If to enjoy the pleasures of reminis- cerce and imagination were oud only purpose this gathering of the sons of Yale would find justification enough. The dragging chains which hold our spirits down, in the busy life of to-day, must yield, as we live again In memo ry onr own lives as Vale men and in imagination see the men and deeds making up the history of Yale during these two centuries. "Hoc est vivere bis, vita posse prlore frui." This is to live twice. to be able to enjoy the life that is past
 But there is a further purpose. We look back with pride. that we may go on with hope and zeal. Guidance and inspiration for the future of Yale. as ever in her history, come from the study of her past. As we pause to think what Yale has been and has done, of those who have labored for he and of those whose lives have given to the world the fruits of Yale training and Yale character, can we do less. and need wa do more, than to resolve and pledge ourselves to the resolution that the Yale of to- morrow shall fit the Yale of yesterday?
 The first Yale graduate who devoted himself to the law was William Smith of the class of 1719 He was the first graduate coming from New York. He quickly became leader of the bar in New York city.
 In the class of 1721 was Thomas Fitch, who aided consplcuously in the building up of the law in the colony of Connecticut, as codifer of the laws. as chief justice, deputy governor and gov ernor and who was said by the first President Dwight to be probably the most learned lawyer who had ever been an inhabitant of the colony" To him President Clap submitted for revision the new charaer of the college, the charaer of 1745.
 The class of 1724 supplied chief jus tice to Rhode Island, Joshua Babcock, and the class of 172S gave to New ter sey it's first college bred lawyer, David ogden, described as perhaps the first educated lawyer in the pro- vince" who for many years was lead CT of the bar, and became judge of the
 
 court.
 In the class of TAO was Sliphalet Dyer, judge of the superior court of Connecticut and for four years it's chief justice. The class of 1741 con- tained William Livingston. successful at the bar in New York. who removed l to New Jersey and was governor of | that state from 1776 to 1790. and dele | gate to the constitutional convention of | l7S7. In the class of 1744 was William | Samuel Johnson, for many years a | leading lawyer of Connecticut. for | some time judge of the superior court | If that colony. a prominent delegate to | the constitutional convention, and first United States senator from Connectl- | ut; also, president of Columbia col ege. In l145, was graduated William smith son of William Smith of 1719, partner with Livingston in the practice ,f law, who with him revised the laws # New York. In his later years he vas chief justice of Canada and was ,alled the father of the reformed judi ,iary of that province. It may be mo- iced in passing, that while William smith, the father, was one of the first rustees of Princeton, the son was an adviser of Wheelock as to the charter If Dartmouth Richard Morris chief justice of the supreme court of New York, was a graduate of the class of 74S. Tn the class of 1750 was Thomas rones, judge of the New York supreme ourt; and in the class of 1151 was l Thief Justice Richard Law of Connecti- ut.
 In the year 1763 there is scene which is within our theme and is in many ways too interesting to pass by. t is that of the contest before the assembly as to the right of hat body to interfere in the manage nent of the college. This contest was
 Yale contest In more respects than ne. The presiding officers of the two ouses of the assembly, and one-half | f the members of the upper house and ne-sixth of those of the lower were 'ale graduates. The counsel were Ja- ed Ingersoll of the class of 1742 and I William Samuel Johnson of the class of "A, on the one side, and the president f the college, President Clap, on the ther. Obviously the question was of ] ital importance and the victory of f. resident Clap which seems to have attled it forever, was not the least of !