298
THE GREEN BAG
Harvard Law School of those days was an The date commonly given for the begin ning of the 'Harvard Law School is 1817. experiment, not yet showing much growth, In that year another professorship of law and certainly not needing large accommoda was added, and simultaneously came techni tions. Hence it found a temporary home cal instruction in law, genuine law students — in a building not designed for its purposes. none of them college undergraduates, — and This was a wooden structure called Second separate accommodations for law work. College House, occupying part of the site That was, however, a day of small things. of the College House of the present time. In the first twelve years, ending in 1829, Second College House typified the Harvard only one hundred and six students left the Law School of the days of Isaac Parker and law school. In other words, there were on Asahel Stearns, and it was identified with the average not more than ten students those professors. annually. Many of these entries were for In 1829 came a great change, beginning only a short time. Before 1830 there were with an entirely new faculty. Parker had only twenty-six graduates in law. The resigned in 1827, and thereupon the attend explanation is that law students still pre ance, always small, had distinctly diminished. ferred the private law schools, of which the In 1828-29 the students numbered six. one at Litchfield was the largest and most Stearns resigned in 1829. Both professor famous. Yet even in those early days the ships being vacant, Joseph Story and John Harvard Law School deserved to be treated Hooker Ashmun were appointed in June, with respect. Its two professors, Isaac 1829. Story was already of national import Parker and- Asahel Stearns, were lawyers ance by reason of his being an eminent of high local repute; and Stearns was the justice of the Supreme Court of the United author of a work on Real Actions, the earliest States, but as his judicial duties kept him law book produced at Harvard. The stu away from Cambridge for a substantial part dents were well fitted to. procure profes of the year, it was requisite that there sional study. Of the one hundred and six should be some other professor always on who left the school before 1830, seventy-six the ground, and hence the appointment of were college graduates before entrance. Ashmun, a young man who had already Only twenty-six took the degree in law, and taught in the private law school at North of these the college graduates numbered ampton, was a matter of great consequence. twenty-two — all of them being college The membership of the school immediately graduates of at least three, years' standing. increased with rapidity. In 1829-30 the Among those who took the degree, the one students numbered twenty-four. It is inter best known to-day was Luther S. Gushing, esting to notice that among the students the author of several books,. among them a leaving the school in 1830 were B. R. Curtis, large work entitled the Law and Practice O. W. Holmes, Theodore Sedgwick, and of Legislative Assemblies, and a still more Timothy Walker. The school held its widely circulated Manual of Parliamentary growth, but for almost ten years it con Practice. Of those who did not take the tinued to be the practice not to take the degree the best known were Caleb Gushing, law degree. At the same time the per Rufus Choate, Emory Washburn, and Francis centage of college graduates fell to about Hilliard — the last being the author of many sixty-six. The attendance being, from 1829 books once used by practitioners, including to 1832, about thirty annually,_ a permanent one which is said to be the earliest treatise on home become necessary. In 1832 Dane Hall Torts. Notwithstanding the merits of the was built. Its name honored Nathan Dane, instructors — merits which attracted stu who founded the Dane professorship for dents from both north and south — the Joseph Story, on the basis of the profits from
