Evening star., 1938-07-24
BAR WILL INSTALL
HOGAN ON FRIDAY
Many From D. c. Plan to
Attend Dinner Fete on
Tuesday Night.


Frank j. Hogan, the "sundown law.
yer" who made good, will be honoret
this week with the highest award the
legal profession can bestow-the pres
idency OF the American Bar Associa-
ton.
Sixty-one years old, Mr.. Hogan will
be installed as president of the asso.
cation in Cleveland at noon Friday
thereby becoming the first Washing
ton lawyer to hold the position.
Some 800 members of the local bar
will be in Cleveland for the installa-
ton ceremonies, marking the culmi-
nation Of the associations annual
meeting. This group also has planned
testimonial dinner for Mr.. Hogan
Tuesday night at the Hotel Cleve.
land
As president of the bar associa
tion, Mr.. Hogans name will be added
10 long list of distinguished lawyers
who have held that post-men like
Alton B. Parker, Chief Justice
Hughes, William Howard Taft. Frank
B. Kellogg and Elihu Root, to men,
.tion = few.
Lacks Formal Education.
Curiously enough, however, Mr.. Ho-
gan would not be eligible to practice
law If he were starting his career
anew. Under the rule recently adopt
ed by the Court of Appeals, he would
be denied admission to the bar be-
cause he lacks the formal educational
requirements that will become ef1ec-
tive in 1943.
Mr.. Hogan's formal education ended
At the age Of II, when he went to
work for 50 week In a Charleston
IS, c. clothing shop. Born in Brook
lyn, his father died when he was S
years old and it soon became neces-
sary for the boy to go to work to help
support the family
The lack OF schooling proved no
serious handicap to the ambitious
voungster however. and Mr.. Hogan
today is considered one of the most
scholarly members of the bar in the
Capital.
Coming to washington in 1899 as
"secretary to the auartermaster gen.
eral OF the Army. Mr.. Hogan enrolled
in Georgetown University night law
school in 1900. At that time the law
school had no particular requirements
for admission. prospective students be-
ing interviewed by the secretary and
enrolled if able to impress him suf-
flciently with the extent of their gen.
eral educational background
Read Many Books.
That task was easy for young Ho-
. gan, for in his spare time he had read
widely and intelligently. and WAS
familiar with the works Of such au-
thors as Shakespeare, Macaulay,
Byron and Tennyson
Mr.. Hogan completed the three
year law course in two and half
years. graduating at the top Of his
class. Incidentally. he passed the bar
examination on his first attempt.
despite widely circulated stories that
he failed from two to five times
After being admitted to the bar, he
started practice, but, having a wife
and child, did not dare give up his
Government job. That meant that
he had to use a day of his annual
leave whenever it was necessary to
be in court to try a case That type
OF practice placed him in the category
Of "sundown" lawyers-those without
regular Offices or hours.
In 1904 he resigned from the War
Department and opened his law ONCE.
His first big case came during the
Wilson administration when he de-
tended officers of the Riggs National
Bank. who had been indicted after
dispute with the Treasury Depart
ment, He won that case in record
time after calling Theodore Roosevelt
and william Howard Taft as character
witnesses for the defendants.
Defended Doheny.
Mr.. Hogan came into national prom
inence with his defense Of Edward L.
Doheny. the oil man, who was indicted
after the Elk Hills and Teapot Dome
investigation. Mr.. Doheny was found
not guilty Of giving q bribe to Secre-
tary of Interior Fall, although Mr.
Fall later was convicted Of accepting
bribe. 1t was one of those SEEM
ingiy irreconcilable legal situations,
the Doheny jury finding ne intended
the money to be a loan to an old
friend, while the Fall jury decided he
sought and accepted it as bribe.
1t was reported that MI Hogan's
fee in that case was S1,0O0,0O0 al
though he has never confirmed that
figure
Grown slightly deaf in recent years.
Mr.. Hogan has lost none OF his ability
as trial lawyer despite that handi-
cap. That was demonstrated re-
Gently when he successfully defended
the late Andrew Mellon on a charge
Of defrauding the Government OF in
come taxes.
Careful in Planning Trials.
Although gifted with an unerring
memory, Mr.. Hogan overlooks no de-
tail in preparing for the trial of q
case. He once told a group of young
lawyers that his formula for success
WAS to prepare his own case as care
fully as possible and then try to an
ticipate and meet every move his op-
ponent might make.
Among the District lawyers who
will be in Cleveland for the insta liz :