614
The Green Bag
fessor Williston either has been or now
is a member of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the ‘I’ B K (hon
orary), the Newport Reading Room, the University Club of Boston, the Varsity
sity of California. At the death of Dean Ames in 1909, he was appointed to act as Dean of the Law School; but as he did
not dare risk the permanent addition to his regular work of this exigent duty, he
asked to be relieved of further service in
Club of Cambridge and the Oakley
this position. The Harvard Corporation
Country Club. His amusements are miscellaneous reading, playing the pian
in accepting his decision took sion to confer upon him the LL.D., in recognition of his as a teacher of law. A very important part of Williston's work during the
ola, billiards and golf. In 1899 he began the practice of law
in Boston as managing clerk for Hyde, Dickinson & Howe. Within a year he was made an assistant professor in the Harvard Law School, but he still con
this occa degree of eminence Professor past few
years has been in the field of codifica
tion. He was employed in 1902 by the Conference of Commissioners for Uni
tinued to give more than half of his time to the office of Hyde, Dickinson 8: Howe. The strain of double work proved too
should codify the American Law of
severe; and in 1895, soon after his ap
Sales. In 1903 the first draft of such
pointment as full professor, his health gave away completely. For three years
widely distributed for criticism, and We
he traveled in search of it, and he found practically all of it ultimately. Since 1898 he has been teaching at the Law
considered by the Conference at its 811 suing annual meeting. The same course was sented adopted to the Conference with a second in 1904,3th1fd draft Pie‘
form State Laws to draw an act which
an act, with some
annotations, W5
School; and he has of late years also resumed practice, chiefly in the way of trusts, consultations and opinions. He has thus always kept in touch with prac tice, and with the work of the bar. He
draft presented to the Conference 11‘ 1905, and a final draft presented to the Conference in 1906, which was fiflalll' adopted and recommended for Passage
has been a prominent member of the
in that year.
American Bar Association, and was at
one time a bar examiner for Sufi'olk County.
In drawing the Sales Act, great use was made of the English Act. On "my topics, however, the American law of
But, of course, his work as a professor
Sales differs from the English law. and
of law has been first with him. He was taken into the faculty of the Harvard
ity followed. was not Though slavishly the weight adheredofto author‘ up"n
Law School as an assistant professor in 1890, without any probationary service as an instructor. In 1895 he was ap pointed a full professor; and in 1903 he
doubtful questions, nevertheless it was used as a guide unless strong reasons 0 principle or policy required a differ?“t
was transferred to the higher dignity of the Weld Professorship. In 1903 he taught as a visiting professor in the Summer Quarter of the Law School of
the University of Chicago; and in 1909 he gave a course in the summer session
of the Law Department of the Univer
in such matters the American law was
rule. The final draft of the act contams a number of sections relating to trans.fer of property by documents of title Whlch
were not contained in the original draft’ and which are not in the English Act' These sections are intended to embodif the modern commercial understandingol
