The Washington herald., 1913-02-23

| advanced in life when he became Kent
professor In the college. but he brought
10 MS lectures upon constitutional law a
wealth OF experience gained through
| long public service and familiarity with
the practical application of constitutional
principles. He must have presented a
picturesque appearance with his high.
bell-crowned hat, blue dress coat with
gold buttons, yellow waistcoat, white
muslin cravat OF many folds, knee
| breches. and yellow-topped Hessian boots
| (which he used to lend around for occa-
| sions of state)-all in keeping with his
Federalist ideas. He always wore his hair
powdered, and with his erect bearing and
large frame, presented a most imposing
aspect.
His wit and humor were unfailing and
his anecdotes and odd comparisons raised
| roars Of laughter in the classroom. One
OF his sayings was that You might as
we'll try to raise sunbeams from cucum-
bers as to make II lawyer out of n boy
who had no legal tastes" One of his IA
vorite stories was ABOUT a man who was
caught playing n violin most wretchedly
on top of the roof and called down all
| sorts Of threats of vengeance from the
apprieved passers-by. Another story Of
his was about a man who heated a poker
red-hot and when man into whom he
, was about TO run the iron protested, the
owner asked il he could not poke il in a
quarter of an inch just to save his in
tured feelings and in payment to him for
heating the poker. The old man. for
Judge DaGgett WAS an old man before
he finished teaching in 1877, being then
over eighty, was quite fond of writing in
autograph albums and many a Yale grad
carried with him the following Dagyett
aphorism: 'Summuma jus est summa in
Juria. Toward the close of his course as
Kent professor the boys took advantage
or his good nature to indulge in a good
many classroom pranks. which they af-
terward deeply regretted He died at the
age of eishty-seven. after having enjoyed
forty-four years of public service. He
cherished the deepest regard for Yale.
and left the law school his law library
of several hundred volumes
Was Connecticut Go,ern,r.
The successor to Judge DaGgett in the
Kent professorship was Clark Bissell.
LII d. who was Governor of Connectt-
cut when elected to fill the chair, acting
as chief executive from 1919 \ Gov.
Blssell was of the class OF 1906, Yale
seldom did ever any boy work harder
Tor a college education than did Bisssn.
VINO had no advantages whatever. and
after earning a little money doing Jobs
nome, went TO Yale. wearing a suit OF
clothes dyed with buttermilk and made
from the fleece by his mothers hand
one OF his classmates in Yale was John
Z. Calhoun, also of the class of lSs
After an honorable four years course, |
young Bissell taught school, studying law
between whiles and paying up his college |
debts of 500. lie entered the law Office
of Roger NJ Sherman in Fairfield. and |
IN har II
he rose TO be judge of the Superior Court |
and the Supreme Court of Errors 1t |
was worthy OF observation that Gov
BtsselIs lectures before the senior class
in Yale Were considered to be of the |
highest order. He Iectured the third !
term and on ''kent's Commentaries" and |
the Constitution of the United States. !
As showing the probity of the man. il |
was said of him that he would never |
knowingly prosecute any unjust cause. /
Like Judge Daggett. Gov Bissell was |
gifted with a ready wit and a great fund |
OF anecdotes that made him most /
agreeable companion. One great secret
OF his success everywhere and in every
thing was his unflagging industry Com
PEELED by ill health. he resigned in 1855,
and died in Norwalk September i. 1857.
Was Noted Jurist.
Gov. Henry Dutton, who succeeded him
as Kent professor. was jurist who had
Few equals in his day, and his fame as
an able lawyer does not diminish by
time. He held the Kent chair fourteen
years. from 1855 to 1859 This second
Governor of Connecticut to hold the Kent
was also a Yale man, hav-
ing graduated in the class of 1878 with
the highest honors that the college could
oestow. His career was very similar TO
that of Gov. Bissell for nc also was
poor, had to work his way
through college, studied law with Roger
NJ Sherman, and rose TO he Supreme
Court judge and Governor OF his native
State. He instituted several new proce-
1ures in the State, one of which was
the passage Of the law allowing parties
to suit to testify in civil cases Gov
Dutton always stood very close to Yale,