Evening star., 1902-02-15
TRIBUTE TO JUDGE cox
University Officials and Stu
dents Pay Him Honor.
THEME OF ADDRESSES
HIS RETIREMENT FROM FACULTY
OF THE INSTITUTION.
Trustees, Professors, Members of the
Alumni Association and Others
Unite in Testim onial.

The farewell tribute to Judge Walter S.
Cox last evening by the faculty, students
and alumni of Columbian University, the
law school of which institution he was for
twenty eight years and until recently
dean, was an interesting occasion.
The exercises were held in the assembly
room OF the main building. Representatives
of the faculty.. the board of trustees, the
alumni association and students delivered
addresses, as did also DR.. Samuel 3
Greene, acting president of the university.
Judge Cox was unable to be present, being
detained at his home by illness.
The Rev DR. Alexander Mackay-Smith
opened the exercises with prayer, and was
followed by Acting President Greene. who
spoke in behalf of the university.
1T has been generally true in the past,
Dr. Greene said. that great institutions
have found their first dignity and success,
not i'll great endoWmentS btit IN great iHeii-
men whose breadth of culture, weight OF
clarac cter and genius for instruction made
them national leaders-martyrS, II need be,
in the cause of education with such royai
life Columbian University has been fortu-
nately endowed from its very beginning,
and in no one of it's schools more conspicu-
ously than in that of law. Behind the In
struction has stood the instructor, himSeif
the embodiment of the dignity. the honor
and the prestige of his high profession.
AS Professor and Dean.
I'VE are here tonight to honor one who
for twenty-eight years has been conspicu-
Gus in this kind of service, both as pro-
fessor and as dean Beginning with the
school in it's infancy he brought to it's SER
vices ability, character and enthusiasm
which has counted as no small share In it's
growth and in the reputation 1t now enjoys
We come tonight to lay our grate1ul ac-
acknowledgements at the feet of our dlstin-
guished colleague and friend. to congratu.
late him a magnificent service rendered
and on a high honor fairly Won
In his long and honorable service with
the law school of Columbian University,
both as professor and as dean, Judge cox
has won our approval and our admiration.
and it gives me pleasure now, in behalt or
the governing board and the facultles OF lts
several schools, to make TINS puDhc ana
grateful acknowledgment. l beneVe lne
great achievements of the past are TO De
more than balanced by those or the Iu-
ture but l am sure that into the future we
shall carry his name and his memory as
sacred. and inspiring trust.
Represented the Board.
Prof William F. Mattngly spoke In be-
half Of the board Of trustees OF the uni
yersity, his address in the main dealing
with the life of Judge Cox. He said the
occasion was impressive because of the
x
OF the university, and because of it's cause
the retirement Of Judge Cox. The speaker
said the friends and colleagues If the man
who had been so many years dean of the
law department had met 20 euloglze nm
not because of his accomplishments, which
were well known and appreciate. but be-
cause he possessed those traits of character
which made his accomplishments possible.
Prof. Mattingly praised highly Judge Cox
for all the good qualities FOR Whlch ne IS
noted and particularly for his ablllty as a
teacher of young men.
A Personal Sketch.
The speaker gave brief review of Judge
Cox's life, which has been an active one In
his profession The former dean. he said.
was a graduate of the Harvard Law School,
and that he was admittei to the bar in
1S47. He grew rapidly into a large prac-
tice and at an early ago acquired more
than local reputation. The law school Of
Columbian University was organized in 1860.
Judge Cox became one of it's professors IN
1874, when 1t had ninety-tive students. In
1873 it had $50 students and today 1t has
over 4CO. In 1879 Judge Cox vas placed on
the District bench. where one Of his first
duties was to preside over the trial OF Gui-
teau for the murder of Gar .ield. The
speaker said Judge Cox was the kind Of
man described by Bacon, who once wrote
that Judges ought TO interpret law, not
make or give law and Judges ought to
than plausible, and more advised than con-
fident'
Il desire to join as you all do, Prof. Mat
tngly said in closing his address, "in the
wishes and the belief of the board Of trus-
tees, that Judge Cox viii enjoy the age
that had its foundation laid in youth
In Behalf Of Law School.
Judge William A. Maury was the next
speaker. His association dates farther
back than that of any other person con-
nected with the Institution. He spoke in
behalf of the faculty of the law school.
Il have been In all parts of The country"
Judge Maury said. land have never failed
to find one or two graduates Of the law
school wherever have stopped. This is an
come woven into the life Of the nation In
no community where / have visited have l
failed to receive inquiry as to Judge
Cox. This consider ample proof Of the in
fiuence for good Judge Cox has had on the
young men who have passed from beneath
his Jurisdiction"
The advanced position Of the law school.
Judge Maury said, was due 10 the earnest
efforts of the former professor and dean,
who had given the best of his life for the
cause Of legal education. Judge Maury
complimented Judge Cox highly on his
ability to hold young men c,ose to the path
of study Judge Cox was thorough and ac-
curate In elementary knowledse-hs gen
tleness and patience won him the admira-
tlOn or all. "A characteristic or JuGge Cox
pointed out by the speaker is that in him
are combined happily the faculty to mpart
knowledge and well-stored mind which
do not always travel together.
Il have been closely associated with
Judge Cox for a great many years."
Judge Maury said in conclusion, land our
relations have never been anything but the
most pleasant. His character is such that
his success is the kind that follows, not
the kind that Is run after. Judge Cox is
a living example Of the fact that the only
way to have a good reputation is to de-
serve IT. Judge Cox always considered
himself "a debtor to his profession but /
believe, when you consider what he has
given the profession as "a practitioner, as
q judge, as an instructor and as a maker
Of laws, that he has paid the obligation"
Voiced Sentiments Of Bar.
Mr.. Chaplin Brown, a member Of the Dis
trict of Columbia bar. spoke in behalf of
the alumni Of the law school. He spoke
feeIingly of the warm place that Judge
Cox has In the hearts Of all the graduates