Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-20

4
was decided that law school should be
established at no distant day AS early
as 1922 a philosophical department was
suggested. and adopted in 1893.
1T will thus be seen that the promoters
| OF Columbian College had in mind. at the
| very outset, the idea of the university
although it was not until 1873 during the
administration of President yelling, that
Congress authorized the change from
college to university
| THE law school with which we are at
| this moment particularly concerned was
| organized on the Sd of February, 1876.
with William Cranch, Chief Justice Of the
| Circuit Court of the United States ana
William Carroll. who later became clerk
| of the Supreme Court of the United States.
as the professors in charge. 1t is said that
1 the attendance at the opening of this
! schooi was very satisfactory, but for rea-
sons which at this late date cannot be
| fully appreciated the school was discon-
tinued
Death of Justice Cranch.
"Chef Justice Cranch died on the LIST
day of September. 1853 in his eighty
seventh year The bench and bar of
Washington mourned the loss of this
great lawyer. who had the esteem and
confidence of the whole community. The
| Evening Star referred to him in the fol-
| lowing words: His fellow citzens feel
that no man ever possessed more the con-
| ndence OF his fellOW-citiZenS one and all
| having been for half a century looked up
to in the District of Columbia as the en-
| bodiment of legal learning practical sense
and stern integrity of purpose
such was the man who held the first
profesSorShip in the school of law of the
| George Washington University.
| 1t was not until the close of the war
| in 1865 that the law school was re-estab-
| lished with John c. Kennedy a promi-
I ont 1f<,y- <Nf 1D4r,
| tor of the Junior class and William NJ.
| Merrick, at that time a member of the
| old Circuit Court and later one of the
| justices of the Supreme Court of the Dis
trict of Columbia as instructor of the
senior class. The re-established and still
| the first law school of the city. commenc-
| ed its work in the old Columbian law
| building ; street (now replaced by the
! Columbian office building) and has con-
! tinued it's work uninterrupted and with
| brilliant success since that time. There
| have been graduated from the law school
since its organization approximately
4,1JO students. Graduates are today to
| be found in every state and territory,
many of them holding high positions on
| the bench and at the bar as we'll as posi-
tons or honor and trust in political and
! business circles.
My purpose in presenting this mar
rative is. if possible. to interest this
| body of students in the George Wash
ington University-not that interest which
| is in mind for the moment and then
passing away never to be remembered
! but that interest which will create, en-
| thuse and stimulate a permanent senti-
ment which will cement them for life
| to the institution which. in my Judg-
ment, is worthy. of the graduates respect
and esteem. no matter in what position in
life he may hereafter be.
Essentials of Law School.
Magnificent buildings. beautiful fres-
Goes and large libraries will not make a
law school, Two things are required
the teacher and the student A perfect
teacher is useless without an attentive
and painstaking student. The two so
hand in hand and no satisfactory result
can be obtained without the combined
this school we have a condition that is
eminently satisfactory. Our professors
are men of high standing in the legal
and educational world. and are devoted
not only to the school and its success
but to the welfare of the students, while
our distinguished dean is unceasing in
his efforts to maintain a standard OF
education which will be both ereditable
and successful.
THE most successful lawyer is the one
who has been literally and scientifically
educated. Yes, not only educated in the
law as an abstract study. but educated
in the ethics and common sense of the
subject. Law Is not synonymous with
litigation.
Lawyers Highest Duty.
1.-The highest duty of lawyer is to
discourage litigious contests by the use
of the best of all equipments-sound judg-
ment and common sense. and / am more
than pleased to observe that the tendency
of legal educators today is to instill the
minds of the students with practical ideas
rather than theories which can serve
only to lead the student into a maze of
philosophical controversies. losing sight
of the practical points involved
II wish in closing TO bring to you the
greetings of the board of trustees Of our
university. Here Is a body of men, many
of whom are of the alumni, who are de-
voted to the cause Of education. none
more so than our highly esteemed presi-
dent, who has made the sacrifice of his
life to turn the tide of financial embar-
rassment that there may be the conf
mencement of a new era in this univer-
sity.
Washington as Site.
1T would appear to one without much
reflection that of all the places in this
country the city of Washington would be
pre- eminently the location for univer-
sity of the people. Here where all the
appliances and instrumentalities for
higher education are at immediate COM
mand.
why is it that no one has yet taken
advantage of this wonderful opportunity
to establish in the nations capital a uni
versity for the people? Such a person is
not yet in sight. and We may not see it
in our day. but the time will surely come
when within the limits of this District
there will be established an institution
with the George Washington University as
it's foundation which will compare with
the greatest universities of the world"
Aims of the Alumni.
Charles Cowles Tucker described at
length the aims and work of the alumni
association of the law school
In the first graduating class of
the old Columbian Law School," said Mr..
Tucker after the law school was re-
esta blished, the class of 1866. were Will
lam A. Gordon and Judge /. G. Kimball.
Other living graduates Of early classes
are A. S. Worthington. 1867: J. H. Cor
don, 1868 and J. H. Callan. 1870
Mr.. Tucker spoke of the wide field in
which graduates of the school have made
their mark. They are scattered through
the forty-six states and in Alaska, Cuba,
the Canal Zone, Hawaii, Porto Rico,
Canada, China, Japan. Ecuador. France
and Germany. The objects of the asso-
citation, he said, were to promote higher
standards Of legal education; to aid the
members to keep in closer touch with
one another; to help the members profess
At 1,.,,