A Chronological History of South Texas College of Law

Pursuant to the YMCA's 1886 constitution, which called for the organization to engage in educational endeavors, the Houston YMCA considered opening a law school in Houston.

1915. H. D. "Guy" Burnett, Houston attorney and graduate of the YMCA Law School of Cincinnati, Ohio, began teaching YMCA evening law classes. The program sought to "provide an opportunity for men to take up the study of law without interfering with their daily work."

Gavin Ulmer, who would serve as associate dean at South Texas, and who taught at the YMCA, said that the idea of a law school came from several of his students. The program was interrupted in 1917 by World War I.

1923 -- Opening South Texas

March 31. The YMCA Educational Committee and the Board of Governors of the School of Technology jointly recommended that the YMCA Board of Directors establish a law school.

April 13. The South Texas School of Law was founded to provide working people with an opportunity to obtain a legal education in the evening or after working hours. The college became a part of the United YMCA Schools under the control of the Houston YMCA. Its offices and classrooms were housed in three rooms on the third floor of the YMCA building at the corner of Fannin and McKinney streets.

May 8. The Advisory Council met for the first time and unanimously named Judge Joseph C. Hutcheson, Jr., as dean of the law school. Judge Hutcheson was selected in recognition of his "leadership in great things."

September 24. The college opened its doors. South Texas began with seven part-time instructors, who represented some of the "most successful lawyers and ablest judges of the Houston Bar." The curriculum and other programs of the law school were modeled after those of the University of Texas. The only difference would be that South Texas would offer classes in the evening rather than only during the day, as conventional law schools, such as the University of Texas, did.

The first class consisted of 34 "freshman" students, five of whom were women. Only 11 of the original 34 students graduated from the four-year course. Addressing the newly formed South Texas community, Dean Hutcheson stated, "We will promise nothing now as to what we will fulfill, for we believe that we can do much more than we can now promise." Classes were held in only one room, which contained wooden fans suspended from the ceilings, and chairs with arms that served as desks.

About the college's opening ceremonies, O. O. Bennett, director of the YMCA's Educational Department, wrote in his October 12, 1923, "Educational Report":

"The opening of South Texas School of Law . . . was an occasion worthy of the attention of the educators of the state and members of the Bar Association particularly.

"No class in recent years has opened under more auspicious conditions as the Law School. The Board of Governors had complete charge of the opening program. Judge L. R. Bryan, Chairman of the Board, presided. In the absence of Judge Hutcheson, the Dean, who was in New York City at the time, Judge Sam Streetman made the opening address to the student body.

"The speaker and guest of the evening was Judge John C. Townes, former dean and now Professor of Law at the University of Texas. His masterly address and presence on that occasion gave the stamp of approval of the leading educational institution of the state to the South Texas School of Law."

1924 -- "A High Grade Night School"

South Texas promoted itself as a "high grade night law school." The tuition was $85 a semester, and students relied largely on the nearby Harris County Law Library. The law school, though, was developing its own library, mainly through donations, and had approximately six hundred volumes. South Texas also began offering dormitory rooms for out-of-town students.

1927 -- The First Alumni

June 1. South Texas graduated its first class -- 11 students who received the LL.B. degree. E. S. Morris wrote in the "Class History": "Our association with the school . . . has been . . . most beneficial, interesting, and enjoyable, and it seems that it was only yesterday since the beginning of our journey." Commencement was held in the Woodrow Wilson School Auditorium at Yupon and Maryland.

August 8. The Alumni Association was organized. Its officers were William K. Hall, president; Glenn M. Green, vice president; and E. S. Morris, secretary.

1928 -- "A Greater Law School for the Greater Houston"

The school library was enhanced with the addition of the Southwestern Reporter and Digests and the Vernon's Annotated Texas Statutes. South Texas now had what was considered a "good working library."

May 31. Ann Marie Hollenberg was the first woman to graduate from South Texas School of Law; eight men graduated with her. Commencement was held in the auditorium of the Taylor School, with C. S. Bradley, chairman of the Board of Directors for the State Bar of Texas, giving the commencement address. Foster Bean was valedictorian of the class.

November 21. South Texas received accreditation from the Supreme Court of Texas. The court said in part:

"With the above recognition, the South Texas School of Law enters a new era. It assumes new responsibilities, it is true, but no change of standards is required. The recognition is based upon its record of past performance. The Board of Governors, Faculty, and Officers saw to it at the very first, that the entrance requirements, curriculum, method of instruction, and student work required, were of such high standard as to deserve just the recognition that has naturally come to the school. The exemption from the bar examination is of little moment. The recognition of this grade of instruction offered, is all important."

The law school either met or exceeded the requirements set forth by the Carnegie Foundation on Legal Education, and exceeded state statutory requirements.

1932 -- New Requirements Imposed

The Supreme Court made a high school education or its equivalent mandatory, and all applicants were required to file a "written declaration of present intention to begin the study of law" at least two years before planning to take the bar examination.

1933 -- A New Deal and New Challenges

Spurgeon Bell became an adjunct professor as a substitute for his father, Judge Holland E. Bell, who was teaching at South Texas at the time.

November. Dean Streetman died unexpectedly. E. E. Townes, Sr., was installed as the new dean of the college.

1935 -- "A First in Continuing Education"

Dean E. E. Townes, Sr., established the Oil and Gas Lecture Series.

June. The Shingle Club, a student social organization, was established.

1937 -- The Challenge of New Standards

The YMCA began fund-raising to build a new central building.

July 1. The Texas Supreme Court abolished the diploma privilege, which had allowed graduates of several Texas law schools, including South Texas, an exemption from taking the state bar examination. Hereafter, all applicants to the bar were required to pass the bar examination.

1939 -- "Studying Law in a World on the Verge"

Professor Dick Hoskins Gregg began teaching at South Texas School of Law.

1941 -- The College Moves

South Texas accompanied the YMCA when the Y moved to its new building at 1600 Louisiana Street.

Professor William J. Williamson first began teaching at South Texas as an adjunct professor. Williamson taught Oil and Gas, and was also asked by Professor Spurgeon Bell to complete the course Bell had begun teaching, Federal Jurisdiction and Procedure. Professor Bell had been called to become an attorney with the Court of Criminal Appeals in Austin.

1942 -- War Years

The average class size during World War II was about 33 students.

1945 -- Name Change for a New Era

South Texas School of Law changed its name to South Texas College of Law.

South Texas began offering a "refresher" course for veterans whose legal education was interrupted by World War II.

Fall. South Texas enrolled 99 students, making it larger than the University of Texas School of Law for the first time.

1946 -- GI Law Students

The college was approved for training veterans under the GI Bill of Rights, which provided veterans a college education at government expense. The veterans also received a monthly subsistence wage if not working full-time.

South Texas began offering career placement services.

1947 -- The College's First Full-Time Instructor

John Hume, a graduate of Harvard Law School, became the first full-time instructor at South Texas.

1948 -- A Companion School

The YMCA opened the South Texas Junior College, a sister school to the law school that later became the University of Houston-Downtown.

1949 -- A Quarter-Century of Progress

The college established a more stringent prelaw requirement. Incoming students were required to have at least 60 semester hours from an accredited college or university on the baccalaureate level to enter South Texas.

The YMCA adopted a metropolitan form of organization. The law school became a branch of the Y.

Anthony F. Crapitto (1946) became president of the Ex-Students Association. Four hundred students attended South Texas College of Law in the spring semester.

June 4. A banquet was held to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the college. Mark Edwin Andrews (1935), former instructor and former assistant secretary of the Navy, addressed the gathering with a speech entitled "Pride -- The Essential Ingredient."

1950 -- Acknowledging Excellence in Scholarship

E. Virginia A. Barnett (1946) became president of the Ex-Students Association.

January. The Ex-Students Association offered the Valedictory Award to "recognize and commend excellence in scholarship among future members."

June 12. The Ex-Students Association became incorporated as a Texas corporation.

1951 -- Rice Institute President Speaks at South Texas

Luther E. Nisbet (1939) became president of the Ex-Students Association.

January 29. Val Jean McCoy, area training representative for Shell Oil Company, was the commencement speaker at winter graduation, which was held in the YMCA Assembly Hall.

June 4. Dr. W. V. Houston, president of the Rice Institute, was the commencement speaker at spring graduation, which was also held in the YMCA Assembly Hall.

1952 -- South Texas Grows in Size and Increases Its Standards

South Texas, in terms of enrollment, had become the second-largest law school in Texas.

E. R. Adam (1936) became president of the Ex-Students Association.

January 28. Senator Searcy Bracewell was the commencement speaker at winter graduation, which was held in the YMCA Assembly Hall.

June. Candidates for the LL.B. at South Texas were required to complete 80 semester hours of instruction (up from the previous 72 hours).

October 8. The Ex-Students Association of South Texas held its annual meeting, in which it elected officers. Assistant Dean Gavin Ulmer spoke briefly at the meeting.

1953 -- Launching a Journal

January 1. Margaret Walford (1948) became president of the Ex-Students Association.

June 1. John Ben Sheppard, Texas attorney general, was the commencement speaker at spring graduation, which was held in the Taylor School Auditorium, located at 1500 Louisiana Street.

Fall Semester. The South Texas Law Journal was established. The journal was the only standard law review in the United States that was edited entirely by the students of an evening law school. The first "sponsor" of the journal was Professor Herman Mead, and Clair Getty, Jr. (1956), was the first editor-in-chief. The journal was published quarterly.

September 1. William P. Hamblen (1930) became the first South Texas alumnus to serve as a state appellate court justice.

1954 -- The Accreditation Controversy

Hon. William A. Miller (1936) became president of the Ex-Students Association.

January 1. The Texas Supreme Court adopted a rule stating that law students must graduate from an ABA-accredited law school in order to take the Texas bar exam. All law schools were required to have ABA accreditation by January 1, 1956. Dean Townes led South Texas supporters in opposition to this rule.

February 1. The Texas Supreme Court rescinded its order requiring ABA accreditation, but subsequently issued a new set of rules governing law school accreditation, substantially the same as those of the ABA but enforced through the court's own inspectors. Dean Townes persuaded John E. Hickman of the Supreme Court to grant an extension to the college so that it could meet the new standards implemented by the court.

May 28. Hon. Roy C. Archer, chief justice of the Court of Civil Appeals of the Third Supreme Judicial District, was the commencement speaker at spring graduation, which was held in the Prudential Auditorium at 1100 Holcombe Boulevard. Archer's speech was entitled "Considered Decisions."

1955 -- A Growing Law School

The college's faculty included three full-time professors, which met the new standards of the Texas Supreme Court.

Edna McDonald became president of the Ex-Students Association.

1956 -- A New Fraternity Represents the College

By 1956, South Texas had met all of the ABA's library requirements.

July 29. The Edgar E. Townes Senate of Delta Theta Phi National Legal Fraternity was chartered.

South Texas had 335 students.

1957 -- The ABA Inspects the College

The SBA donated an air conditioner to the library's reading room, which accommodated 85 students.

Julie Mae Barnhart (1949) became president of the Ex-Students Association. The association held regular luncheon meetings each month in the Lamar Hotel mezzanine. The official publication of the Association was the South Texan.

June. John Hervey of the ABA inspected the college.

June 3. Newton Gresham was the commencement speaker at graduation, held at River Oaks Baptist Church.

July 5. South Texas hosted a breakfast at the annual convention of the State Bar of Texas to recognize lawyers who had practiced for 50 years or more.

October 9. Judge William P. Hamblen (1930), former chief justice of the First Texas Court of Civil Appeals, spoke on "The Legal Aspects of School Integration" at an alumni luncheon meeting.

November 22. The Ex-Students Association held its ninth annual homecoming at the Ben Milam Hotel's "Insurance Club." The homecoming event would eventually evolve into an annual event now known as the Spring Dinner Dance or, affectionately, as the "Prom."

1958 -- "Remaining the 'Downtown Law School' "

South Texas declined an attractive offer to move from downtown to the Schlumberger property at 2700 Leeland. The college declined the offer because it believed that South Texas had an ideal location for working students (which made up a majority of the student body at the time), and because it was within walking distance of the city, county, state, and federal courts in Houston.

The college offered a course in patent law for the first time.

Conway L. Wallace (1949) became president of the Ex-Students Association.

December 6. The annual South Texas Homecoming and Dance, which celebrated the 35th anniversary of the college, was held at the Ben Milam Hotel's "Insurance Club."

1959 -- South Texas Receives Provisional ABA Accreditation

Four full-time professors and 25 adjunct professors served on the faculty.

The South Texas Student Bar Association became the 125th affiliate of the American Law Students Association.

Felix M. Stanley (1949) became president of the Ex-Students Association.

February 25. South Texas unanimously received provisional accreditation from the ABA House of Delegates at the ABA's midyear meeting in Chicago.

May 30. The Samuel Houston Chapter of the Phi Alpha Delta National Legal Fraternity was chartered. Its founder and first justice, C. Raymond Judice (1961), would later serve as president of the Ex-Students Association.

November 13. The annual South Texas Homecoming Dinner Dance was held at the Houston Executive Club (the old Houston Country Club). Entertainment was provided by Tommy Joplin and his nine-piece orchestra.

1960 -- Dean Jackson Assumes the Helm

Saying the "school is in good shape," Dean Townes retired and was elected dean emeritus. John C. Jackson became the first full-time dean of the college. Jackson came to South Texas upon retiring after 25 years of service as general counsel of the Texas Company (now Texaco, Inc.). Dean Jackson had also previously lectured on oil and gas law at South Texas.

South Texas competed in the Texas State Moot Court Competition for the first time. The college placed second and won the award for the best written brief.

The Law School Board of Regents voted to incorporate the law school separately from the YMCA.

Carl T. Denson, Jr. (1953), became president of the Ex-Students Association.

May 30. Dr. George S. Benson, president of Harding College, was the commencement speaker at graduation, held in the auditorium of Second Baptist Church.

October 29. The annual South Texas Homecoming Dinner Dance was held at the Sagewood Country Club.

1961 -- Forming a Foundation

The South Texas College of Law Foundation was created.

September. The Florida Law Students Association was founded by Karl Adler (1962), Tom Speer (1962), and E. J. Salcines, Jr. (1963).

September 1. Garland R. Walker became assistant dean.

1962 -- End of the Townes Era

Dean Emeritus E. E. Townes, Sr., died.

Paul D. Filer, Jr. (1959), became president of the Ex-Students Association.

1963 -- LSAT Comes to South Texas

Paul E. Delcourt became president of the Ex-Students Association.

September. The LSAT became an entrance requirement at South Texas for the first time.

1964 -- Under Our Own Roof

South Texas had a faculty of three full-time professors, including the dean, and had 419 students.

Arthur Lee Forbes III (1959) became president of the Ex-Students Association.

February. South Texas moved to its present location, leasing the first floor of what was then called the J. Robert Neal Building, at 1220 Polk Avenue. The college initially shared the building, which had previously housed a car dealership and later an insurance agency, with such businesses as a drapery firm.

September. The Order of the Lytae was established as the college's honorary legal fraternity. It was organized by Dr. Charles D. Reed (1965).

1965 -- The First J.D. Degrees in Texas!

Fall Semester. South Texas became the first law school in Texas to award the J.D. degree to its graduates.

Fall Semester. South Texas became the first law school in Texas to adopt the policy that only students who had earned a baccalaureate degree would be considered for admission. All other Texas law schools followed suit.

Hon. C. Raymond Judice (1961) became president of the Ex-Students Association.

1966 -- The Law School Incorporates

William Shead (1959) became president of the Ex-Students Association.

May. The Alpha Zeta Chapter of Iota Tau International Legal Sorority was chartered and held its first meeting.

September. The YMCA's Metropolitan Board unanimously approved the termination of South Texas College of Law's affiliation with the YMCA effective January 1967.

December 12. The college filed articles of incorporation with the secretary of state's office.

1967 -- South Texas Achieves "Freestanding" Status

William A. Miller, Jr. (1936), was named the first Distinguished Alumnus of the Year.

The college initiated an advocacy program.

January 1. South Texas ended its association with the YMCA and the South Texas Junior College. It became, and remains, a private, nonprofit educational corporation. The school was not affiliated with any other educational institution until 1998, when it became affiliated with Texas A&M University.

Fall. Renowned defense attorney Percy Foreman addressed a meeting of the South Texas Wives Club.

Fall. South Texas formed a moot court team and offered academic credit for participation in moot court.

Fall. South Texas ranked 35th in size among all ABA-accredited law schools.

1968 -- Dean Walker Takes Charge

John C. Jackson retired as dean and became president of the law school. Garland Walker, who had become a professor at South Texas in 1959 and an associate dean in 1960, succeeded Jackson as dean.

The SBA sponsored a ride-along program with the Houston Police Department so that students could learn how the police do their work.

Joseph M. Guarino (1949) became president of the Ex-Students Association.

Fall. A student/faculty committee was created to study the implementation of a faculty evaluation program, which was scheduled to be implemented in January 1969.

December 12. Congressman and future president George Bush spoke at South Texas about the incoming Nixon administration.

December 15. A reception in honor of the faculty was held at the Houston Garden Center at Hermann Park. The reception was sponsored by the SBA, Delta Theta Phi, Phi Alpha Delta, and Iota Tau Tau.

1969 -- Full Accreditation

Annotations, the student newspaper, began publication on a regular basis. In previous years, the paper had appeared occasionally as a publication of the SBA.

January 28. The college became fully accredited by the ABA.

December. South Texas purchased the entire Neal building with cash, achieving ownership of its facilities for the first time.

1970 -- South Texas Offers Seminars for the First Time

South Texas offered its first seminars on the topics of Criminal Justice and Juveniles and the Law.

February. One hundred fifty-five students were registered at South Texas, making it the second-largest law school in Texas.

Spring. The SBA proposed an objective grading plan (anonymous grading).

Fall. New seminars on Appellate Courts, Criminal Corrections, and Theology were offered by the college.

Fall. South Texas changed its schedule to a trimester system.

1971 -- South Texas Offers New Internships

Joe M. Green, Jr. (1938), was named Distinguished Alumnus of the Year.

The Calvin Alpha Moot Court Award was offered for the first time to the national moot court team representing South Texas College of Law.

The Continental Bank Award was offered for the first time as a monetary award to each student who was a member of the team representing the law school in the annual State Bar of Texas moot court competition.

January. The college initiated the first criminal law internship in Texas, with the cooperation of the Harris County District Attorney's Office and two Houston defense attorneys. Professor Ray Moses directed the criminal internship program for the college. South Texas also initiated civil practice internships under the direction of Professor John Ensle.

1972 -- Planning for a Landmark Anniversary

In 1972, South Texas had 773 currently enrolled students. By 1972, more than 7,000 students had received all or part of their legal education at South Texas. Also, approximately 500 lawyers in the 3,000-member Houston Bar Association had attended South Texas.

E. J. Salcines (1963) was named Distinguished Alumnus of the Year.

The South Texas College of Law Quarterly began publication.

The Law Professor and Prosecutor Exchange Project, a cooperative venture of South Texas College of Law and the Harris County District Attorney's Office, began.

The college unveiled a new logo.

March 23. The Ex-Students Association, led by its temporary chair, Judge Joseph Guarino (1949), was reorganized and changed its name to the South Texas Alumni Association. Philip G. Warner (1965) was elected president of the association.

April 22. South Texas students held their annual awards banquet at the Shamrock Hilton Hotel.

June 3. Senfronia Thompson, a South Texas student, was elected state representative from District 89. Rep. Bob Gammage, a South Texas professor, won the Democratic primary for state senator in District 7, and Rep. Gene Jones (1968), an assistant dean, won that party's primary for state senator in District 97.

Fall. South Texas announced its 50th Anniversary Development Campaign, with Searcy Bracewell, a board member, being named to chair the campaign committee. The campaign sought to raise $1.75 million for the construction of a new three-story building, immediately adjacent to the existing Neal Building, that would double the space available to the college.

November 11. Women law students sponsored a seminar entitled "Remedies after Divorce."

December. A $25,000 grant for the law school's building and expansion program was presented by Joe M. Green, Jr. (1938), trustee of Rockwell Fund, Inc., and also a member of the college's Board of Trustees. Henry M. Rockwell, vice president of the Rockwell Fund, presented an additional gift of $5,000 from the Rockwell Brothers Endowment, Inc., in honor of Green.

1973 -- South Texas Observes Its Golden Anniversary

Philip G. Warner (1965) was named Distinguished Alumnus of the Year.

Richard P. Hogan (1961) became president of the Alumni Association.

Judge Spurgeon Bell retired as chief justice of the First Court of Appeals and resigned from the college's Board of Trustees to be a full-time faculty member.

Annotations became a self-supporting publication, financed solely by outside advertising.

A memorial award was established to honor David Donnelly, an outstanding South Texas student who met an untimely death. The first recipient of the award was Jerry Weinstein (1973).

January 31. The faculty approved a voluntary teacher evaluation to begin in the spring.

Spring. Houston Endowment Inc. donated approximately $750,000 to the South Texas building campaign, which was raising funds to construct the college's three-story addition.

April 7. South Texas celebrated its 50th anniversary with a "Salute to South Texas College of Law" dinner at the Shamrock Hilton Hotel. The dinner, attended by one thousand people, featured an address by Price Daniel, Jr., speaker of the Texas House of Representatives.

May. The Board of Barristers, with the cooperation of Professor Ensle and Dean Walker, was organized with the purpose of helping to promote, organize, and run the competition for the right to represent South Texas College of Law in interschool moot court competitions.

August. An accelerated Legal Research and Writing course was offered for the first time.

Fall. Media Law was taught for the first time by Professor Paul van Slyke.

Fall. Houston mayoral candidates Fred Hofheinz, Tree Johnson, Bud Hadfield, and Dick Gottlieb spoke on campus.

September. Because the demand for lawyers was so high, the Career Placement Service was restructured to provide new services such as a weekly placement bulletin.

October 11. Dean Jackson retired as president of the college. He was succeeded by Searcy Bracewell, a partner in the Houston law firm of Bracewell & Patterson. Bracewell previously served for 16 years as a trustee of the college, for two years in the Texas House of Representatives, and for ten years in the Texas Senate.

1974 -- Spurgeon Bell Moot Court Competition Established

Harry P. Hutchens Jr. (1956) was named Distinguished Alumnus of the Year.

J. D. Guyon (1961) became president of the Alumni Association.

January. The SBA supported the formation of the Spurgeon E. Bell Moot Court Competition.

February. Dean Walker announced that South Texas would be the first law school in the United States to initiate a study program for the certification of trial lawyers.

March. The first Spurgeon Bell Moot Court Competition was held, which helped enhance the school's reputation in advocacy.

March 8. Melvin Belli, internationally known trial lawyer, spoke at the college's Spring Banquet, held at the Rice Hotel.

March 16. The first annual South Texas College of Law Golf Tournament was held at the Hermann Park Golf Course.

June 20. An informal organization of women law students was formed to help entering women students make an easier transition to law school.

July 1. Groundbreaking was set for the new three-story addition to South Texas College of Law. The new building would be named after the late Jesse H. Jones, banker, developer, owner of the Houston Chronicle, and, with his wife, Mary Gibbs Jones, founder of Houston Endowment Inc.

July 10. The first in a series of open-forum discussions was held. Professor Charles Weigel II moderated the forum, which dealt with the revision of the honor code.

Fall. The SBA initiated a legal aid clinic, which began providing legal services to indigent people in the community in conjunction with the Harris County Legal Aid Foundation.

Fall. South Texas College of Law received a $500 grant from the Law Student Division of the ABA to help the clinical program.

November 14. Dean Walker held a question-and-answer session that focused heavily on grades and grading, and specifically on the issue of whether Walker would institute and enforce a grading deadline.

1975 -- Groundbreaking at the Law School

South Texas had 11 full-time faculty members.

Mabel Welch became director of alumni affairs for the college.

April. The group Women in the Law was organized by the Student Bar Association.

March 1. Groundbreaking ceremonies were held for the law school's new three-story addition.

March 15. Noted Houston trial attorney Richard "Racehorse" Haynes spoke at the Spring Banquet.

March 28. South Texas hosted an open house to dedicate its new building.

Spring. Florida alumnus E. J. Salcines, Jr. (1963), was appointed to the Board of Trustees.

Spring. Judge Spurgeon Bell was appointed to head a probe of secret Houston Police Department files, to determine if the police were conducting inappropriate investigations. There had been public reports that the police kept records of innocent citizens, which were not related to any criminal investigation.

June 7. New orientation programs, including a "How to Study" presentation by Professor Charles Blood (1968), were held for the first time.

July. An appropriation bill rider before the Texas legislature led to speculation about a merger between South Texas College of Law and Texas A&M University. The rider, which was defeated, would have permitted a state university to contract with a law school for the legal education of its students.

Fall. Madalyn Murray O'Hair (1952), a prominent leader in the atheist movement, spoke at South Texas.

Winter. The SBA created an "old-exam file" for the first time.

December 3. SBA President Sam George (1976) spoke at a meeting of the Board of Trustees, becoming the first student to speak at a board meeting for any purpose.

1976 -- The New Jesse Jones Building

The college had 15 full-time faculty members, 30 adjunct professors, and 1,035 students.

A replica of the Liberty Bell, cast by a London foundry, was purchased by an anonymous donor as a gift for South Texas to commemorate the U.S. bicentennial. The bell was one of only two such bells to be allocated by the foundry for the state of Texas.

Charles C. Cate (1969) was named president of the Alumni Association.

The Florida Alumni Association was founded.

Jane F. Yount (1958) received the Distinguished Alumna award, becoming the first woman to receive the annual award given by the Alumni Association.

January 1. Garland R. Walker was named president of the college, thus assuming the joint title of president and dean.

January 11. Dean John C. Jackson, president emeritus of South Texas, died.

March 27. South Texas hosted a "Salute to the Supreme Court of Texas and the Court of Criminal Appeals" at the Imperial Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Approximately 1,450 attended the dinner and dance, and John M. Lawrence III of the State Bar of Texas gave the keynote speech.

March 28. South Texas celebrated the dedication of its new three-story addition, the Jesse H. Jones Law Building, named in honor of the Houston builder and philanthropist. This building, generously funded by Houston Endowment Inc., which was founded by Jones, doubled the size of the college's physical plant. The building featured a faculty lounge, the E. E. Townes Gallery, the Joe M. Green, Jr., Advocacy Center Auditorium (seating 762 people), and new office and classroom space. An open house and champagne reception held in conjunction with the college's annual Spring Banquet was attended by approximately four thousand people, including justices from the Texas Supreme Court and Court of Criminal Appeals.

May 11. Sidney Kenton Boone, Jr., gave the commencement address at graduation, which was held at Temple Emanu-El.

July. The first student chapter in Texas of the Association of Trial Lawyers was chartered at South Texas.

Fall Semester. South Texas began the 1976-77 academic year with 13 full-time teachers.

Fall Semester. The "Semester of Advocacy" was offered, giving students the opportunity to concentrate on trial and appellate advocacy.

September 24. The Cullen Foundation approved a grant of $250,000 for the renovation of the Neal Building wing. The Neal Building was subsequently renamed the Roy and Lillie Cullen Building in recognition of the Cullen Foundation's generous support of South Texas.

October 28. Carol Vance, Harris County district attorney, was the guest speaker at Founders' Day.

November. Assistant Dean Gene Jones (1968) was elected to the state senate in the regular election, after having been elected to the senate the previous April in a special election.

November 6. At the First Annual Professional Orientation Day, 14 attorneys spoke to informal groups of students on problems and practices of law in 9 areas of specialization.

1977 -- The Liberty Bell Rings Out at South Texas

Student records became computerized.

Lexis was installed in the library; South Texas was among the first law schools in the country to offer this legal-research database.

Spring Semester. The Florida Law Students Association held an ethics scholarship program for the first time.

Spring Semester. South Texas received the replica of the Liberty Bell that an anonymous donor had purchased for the school the previous year; the bell was placed on the main floor of the Jesse H. Jones Law Building. In 1984, upon completion of the "Tower" building, the bell was moved to the main floor of the Tower, where it resides today. It has become a college tradition for third-year students to ring the bell after completing their last final exam. According to college folklore, once a student initiates the ringing, the number of times the bell subsequently tolls indicates the number of times the student will take the bar before passing it.

April 2. Congresswoman Barbara Jordan was the keynote speaker at the college's Spring Banquet, held at the Shamrock Hilton Hotel. She spoke on "Citizens' Access to the Law."

April 25. The South Texas College of Law Alumni Association became chartered with the Texas secretary of state as a nonprofit charitable educational corporation.

May 15. Judge Bert Tunks, retired justice of the 14th Court of Civil Appeals, gave the commencement address at graduation, held in the Joe M. Green, Jr., Advocacy Center Auditorium.

June. The Florida Law Students Association hosted Tampa Bay's first annual South Texas College of Law student-alumni luncheon.

August 26-27. Dean Garland R. Walker was named celebrated guest of honor at the first annual South Texas College of Law Florida Alumni Convention in Tampa. The mayor of Tampa presented Dean Walker with the key to the city.

Fall. Dean Walker received the 1977 Outstanding Attorney and Counselor award from the Texas Aggie Bar Association.

October. Philip Burleson Sr. (1958) was named Distinguished Alumnus of the Year.

October. William "Ben" Adair (1971) became president of the Alumni Association.

1978 -- Treece Rejuvenates Advocacy Program

South Texas conducted its first program of on-campus employment interviews.

April. The American Bar Association Law Student Division (ABA/LSD) gave South Texas national recognition for having the highest percentage of membership, at 48.2 percent, in the organization.

April 8. Leroy Jeffers, president of the State Bar of Texas, was the keynote speaker at the Spring Banquet.

May 14. E. E. Townes, Jr., member of the Board of Trustees since 1958, delivered the commencement address on the history of the college to an audience of 1,600 at Temple Emanu-El.

Fall. Women in the Law received a $500 ABA/LSD grant to support its seminar on "Advertising and Low Cost Legal Services."

August. Professor T. Gerald Treece became director of the College's advocacy program. He had taught torts on a part-time basis at both South Texas and Bates College of Law (now the University of Houston Law Center). Under Professor Treece's leadership, the advocacy program developed as a national powerhouse.

August 20-26. South Texas and the Texas Trial Lawyers Association (TTLA) combined efforts to sponsor the creation of the Texas College of Trial Advocacy. This was a postgraduate program for trial lawyers, which continued to be cosponsored by South Texas and the TTLA through 1995.

September. The Student Advocacy Board expanded from 10 to 15 members, and Professor Treece was appointed as faculty adviser.

October. Assistant Dean Eugene Jones (1968) was named Distinguished Alumnus of the Year.

October. Patricia Lykos (1971) became president of the Alumni Association.

October 26. Dean Garland Walker and Judge Spurgeon Bell were named honorary members of the South Texas Alumni Association for the distinguished services they rendered to the college.

Winter. Rockwell Fund, Inc., donated $75,000 to South Texas College of Law for its building program.

1979 -- The Library Expands

The Health Law Society at South Texas was founded; its first faculty sponsor was Professor Charles Weigel. Members included students who were health care professionals and those interested in the health care industry.

Spring. Addie Heaton, administrative assistant to the dean, was honored for 20 years of service to the college.

April 7. Dean Garland R. Walker announced at the Student Awards Banquet, held at the Shamrock Hilton Hotel, that Houston Endowment Inc. would donate $1 million to the South Texas building fund.

May 13. E. J. Salcines, Jr. (1963), gave the commencement speech at graduation, which was held at Temple Emanu-El.

Fall. The first Garland R. Walker Mock Trial Competition was held at South Texas.

Fall. South Texas College of Law was named as having one of the best student advocacy programs in the United States, and was invited to participate in the National Invitational Moot Court Tournament, to be held in spring 1980 on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

October. Charles R. (Bob) Dunn (1965) was named Distinguished Alumnus of the Year. George F. Luquette (1966) became president of the Alumni Association.

1980 -- An Innovative Arrangement

Under an innovative arrangement between the college, the Harris County Commissioners Court, and the First and Fourteenth Courts of Appeals, the commissioners, in exchange for a 99-year lease, agreed to pay for three extra floors of a new building that South Texas was planning to construct.

Fifty percent of Harris County's judges and one-sixth of the Houston Bar Association's members were South Texas graduates.

South Texas won the national championship at the American Trial Lawyers Association (ATLA) Mock Trial Competition, held in Montreal, Canada. The South Texas team consisted of Joe W. Bailey II (1981), T. Lamar McCorkle (1980), and Catherine Bertrand (1980). South Texas also won the award for the best brief in the nation.

January. Patricia Lykos (1971) chose to have her judicial swearing-in at South Texas, rather than in a courtroom, to honor her alma mater.

April 19. William Reece Smith Jr., president-elect of the ABA, spoke at the Annual Student Awards Banquet, held at the Shamrock Hilton Hotel.

May 13. Charles R. (Bob) Dunn (1965) spoke at South Texas's graduation, held at Temple Emanu-El. He emphasized excellence, reputation, and appreciation as they relate to the practice of law.

Fall. The placement office reported a 300 percent increase in firms recruiting on campus over a two-year period.

Fall. A Westlaw system was purchased for the library.

Fall. South Texas College of Law interns worked at the Neighborhood Justice Clinic, a new program in Houston. The clinic, which presented an alternative to the formal court system, had begun offering mediation to resolve some civil and criminal disputes in Harris County and its vicinity.

October. Don D. Jordan (1969) was named Distinguished Alumnus of the Year.

Byron P. Davis (1972) became president of the Alumni Association.

1981 - Plans for a New Building

South Texas won the state championship at the State Bar of Texas Moot Court Competition, held in Houston. The winning team consisted of Bryan Lyn McClellan (1981), Diantha J. Garrett (1981), Robert G. Oake, Jr. (1981), and Neil McCabe (1982). South Texas also won the award for best brief.

April 4. At the annual Spring Banquet, Dean Garland R. Walker announced plans for the expansion of South Texas College of Law, including the construction of what was then conceived of as a five-story building on the college parking lot. South Texas also bought 80 percent of the block east of the school, on Caroline Street, which would become the faculty and staff parking lot.

May 13. Richard P. Hogan (1961) gave the commencement speech at Temple Emanu-El.

Fall. Law firm recruiting and interviewing at South Texas College of Law increased by over 15 percent from the previous year. This increase was attributed, in part, to an increased focus on placement and the success of the advocacy program.

October. Hon. Robert Casey (1940) received the Distinguished Alumnus Award.

October. John K. Grubb (1972) became president of the Alumni Association.

October 29. At the Founders' Day luncheon, Dean Garland Walker gave a status report on the planning of the school's new facility, which would now be eight stories tall (and later increase to eleven stories) and adjoin the school's current building. The new building would be known as the "Tower," and its construction was planned for the spring of 1982.

1982 - Groundbreaking

South Texas had a full-time faculty of 24.

Adjunct Professor Marshall Taheri (1973) was appointed chair of the ad hoc committee on the Immigration Task Force of the International Business Committee of the Houston Chamber of Commerce.

The Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Department was created. The CLE Department currently sponsors or cosponsors 15-20 programs, and hosts another 200 programs, per year. Since 1986, the department has sponsored over 200 programs in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and Ohio, attended by more than 30,000 attorneys, judges, and other professionals.

Spring. The Law Student Division of the ABA chose South Texas to host the 14th annual Regional Client Counseling Competition in 1983.

April 19. The John H. Wood Inn of Phi Delta Phi was established at South Texas to promote intellectual, social, and professional values among law students.

May 12. Dr. Margaret Bearn, associate dean of New York Law School, gave the commencement address at Temple Emanu-El.

June 29. Dean Garland R. Walker was elected a life fellow of the Texas Bar Association.

July. South Texas won the State Bar of Texas Moot Court Competition in Austin. The winning team consisted of Devon H. Decker (1983), Jeff E. Rusk (1983), Neil C. McCabe (1982), and Robert H. Smith (1983).

October. Mayo J. Thompson (1949) received the Distinguished Alumnus Award.

October. Marshall Taheri (1973) became president of the Alumni Association.

October 8. Ground was broken for the 11-story Tower building at South Texas. Houston Endowment Inc. was one of the generous supporters of this project. At the ceremonies held at the Joe M. Green, Jr., Advocacy Center, Al Parker of the Board of Trustees gave the welcoming address and Joe R. Greenhill, chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court, gave the keynote address.

October 21-23. The South Texas moot court team, coached by Dean T. Gerald Treece, won the national championship at the John Marshall/Benton-Westinghouse Foundation National Moot Court Competition, held in Chicago. In addition to the national title, South Texas won awards for best written brief and top advocate. The topic of the brief was "Constitutional Limitations on Cable TV." The team consisted of M. Karen Debiasse (1983), Daniel W. Leedy (1983), Janet L. Ross (1983), and Robert H. Smith (1983).

November 5. Professor Charles Weigel and his legal medicine students were among the guest speakers at a continuing legal education seminar held at the Medical Center Holiday Inn for the Patient Education Exchange Group.

1983 -- Judge Bell Celebrates 50th Anniversary

Dean Garland R. Walker was accepted into the Fellows of the American Bar Association as a life member.

February 22-24. South Texas's moot court team won the national championship at the J. Braxton Craven National Invitational Moot Court Tournament in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The winning team consisted of Devon H. Decker (1983), Kerry C. Hagan (1984), Harry Keith Lynch (1985), and Virginia Paige Pace (1984).

Spring. The Black Law Students Association (BLSA) was formed.

April 15. At the Student Awards Banquet, the college gave a 50-year recognition award to Hon. Spurgeon Bell for his service to South Texas.

May 11. Judge Paul Pressler, associate justice of the 14th Court of Appeals, gave the commencement address at Temple Emanu-El.

Summer. Dr. Peter Riga taught a new seminar course on Bioethics and the Law. This was the first time any law school in Houston had offered a course on this topic.

Summer. Dean Treece became the legal correspondent for KHOU-TV, Channel 11. He began appearing on the station whenever a major legal question arose. Dean Treece continues to serve as legal correspondent for the station today, answering legal questions on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

June. A South Texas moot court team captured the state moot court championship at the state bar convention in Fort Worth. South Texas also won for the best brief. The winning team consisted of Devon H. Decker (1983), Virginia Paige Pace (1984), and Jeff E. Rusk (1983).

August. The South Texas moot court team won the national championship at the ABA Appellate Advocacy Competition, held at the ABA convention in Atlanta. The winning team consisted of Devon H. Decker (1983), H. Kip Morgan (1985), and Jeff E. Rusk (1983).

September 14. The Federal Civil Practice Institute was held at South Texas College of Law. Charles Alan Wright of the University of Texas and Arthur Miller of Harvard, authors of Federal Practice and Procedure, spoke at the institute.

October. Durell M. Carothers (1934) received the Distinguished Alumnus Award.

October. Elaine A. Carlson (1979) became president of the Alumni Association.

November 10. Texas Supreme Court Justice Franklin Spear spoke at the college; the event was hosted by the Sam Houston Chapter of Phi Alpha Delta.

December 3. The First and Fourteenth Courts of Appeals moved into the Tower. South Texas became, and remains, the only law school in the United States to permanently house two appellate courts.

1984 -- The Jesse H. Jones Legal Center Opens

South Texas had 34 full-time faculty members and over 1,200 students.

The college received as a gift from John Carter, of the Carter Galleries in Austin, an original oil portrait of Abraham Lincoln and his son, Tad. The portrait, painted by Franklin C. Courter from a Mathew Brady photograph of the president, now hangs in Garrett-Townes Hall.

The International Law Society was formed at South Texas.

The Law Review initiated the "Write-on Program" to give highly motivated students with superior writing skills but with a GPA below 80 an alternate way to work on the publication.

The Hispanic Law Students Association (HLSA) was formed to assist in the educational needs and professional goals of Hispanic law students.

South Texas won the national championship at the Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, held in Washington, D.C. The winning team consisted of Christopher DiFerrante (1985), David W. Holman (1985), M. Kip Morgan (1985), Katrina B. Packard, and David J. Sacks (1985).

South Texas won the national championship at the Frederick Douglass BALSA Moot Court Competition in St. Louis, Missouri. The winning team consisted of Valda J. Combs-Jordan (1985) and Genora A. Kendrick (1985).

February. South Texas College of Law graduate Olan Boudreaux (1984) earned the highest score on the February state bar exam.

Spring. Elaine Carlson (1979), president of the Alumni Association, said that the association would focus on three areas: (1) scholarship funding; (2) publishing an alumni directory; and (3) encouraging the growth of alumni chapters.

Spring. As part of the library's expansion, South Texas created a U.S. Documents Room, which was housed on the first floor of Cullen building.

Spring. The Lindsay Haid Award was offered for the first time to honor this South Texas student who died of breast cancer in 1982 after having just completed law school. Lindsay Haid epitomized school spirit at South Texas, and the award recognizes a student for outstanding involvement in the school. Mary Margaret Hamilton (1984) was the first recipient of the award.

March 3. South Texas won the national championship at the J. Braxton Craven National Invitational Moot Court Competition in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The winning team consisted of Richard P. Hogan, Jr. (1985), Kay E. Johnson (1985), Vickie L. Martin (1984), Deborah A. Petryszak-Stephenson (1985), and Diana K. Shaw (1984).

March 30. South Texas won first place and the best-brief award at the F. Lee Bailey Moot Court Competition, sponsored by the National University in San Diego, California. The winning team consisted of Janet E. Dillard (1985), Alan D. Goldstein (1985), Randy R. Howry (1985), Michael B. Martin (1985), Sandra McKenzie (1985), and Shane Sanders (1985).

April 14. The theme of the Spring Banquet at the Shamrock Hilton was a special salute to Dean Walker and Addie Heaton, administrative assistant to the dean, for their respective 25 years of service to the college. The "Lady Lawyer" ballad was sung at the event.

May. The Health Law Program, jointly conducted by South Texas and Trinity University of San Antonio, debuted. Dr. Edward Richards III, South Texas professor, was director of the program.

May 2. The new 11-story Tower building was opened, and the entire law school complex was dedicated as the Jesse H. Jones Legal Center. The Tower's opening increased the school's physical plant by more than 130 percent. The South Texas complex became regarded as one of the most modern and attractive law school buildings in the country. The dedication was a historic event for South Texas College of Law and for the city of Houston. The featured guest was Hon. William H. Rehnquist, then an associate justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. Hon. Jack Pope, chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court, gave the keynote address.

May 2-4. The second Federal Civil Practice Institute was held, with Justice William H. Rehnquist as featured speaker. It was directed by Cari Matthews, associate professor at South Texas College of Law.

May 9. James B. Sales, attorney-at-law with Fulbright & Jaworski, gave the commencement address at Temple Emanu-El.

May 22. John Henry Faulk, a well-known Texas author once blacklisted during the McCarthy era, spoke at the college on his fight to protect First Amendment speech during this era.

Summer. Associate Dean Wayne Thomas (1968) said that for security reasons the Polk Street exit would be permanently closed and used as a fire exit only. The only entrance to the college would be through the main entrance on San Jacinto Street.

July. South Texas College of Law sponsored a Family Law Seminar under the direction of Professor Susan Crump.

July 2-5. South Texas won the state championship at the State Bar of Texas Moot Court Competition in San Antonio, and also won for best brief. The winning team consisted of Richard P. Hogan, Jr. (1985), Vickie L. Martin (1984), and Virginia Paige Pace (1984).

Fall. Dean Treece was asked by James Baker III, President Ronald Reagan's chief of staff, to critique Reagan's performance against Walter Mondale in the first presidential debate.

Fall. The South Texas Law Journal began the year with a new adviser (Professor Robert Marsel), a new look, and a new approach, in an effort to improve the publication.

October. John Turner (1970) became president of the Alumni Association.

October. The Alumni Association established the Garland R. Walker Memorial Scholarship Fund through an initial gift of $10,000 from one alumnus. The fund was increased to $50,000 through donations solicited from charter members by Alumni Association President John Turner (1970). It is now in excess of $450,000 and provides annual scholarships to students based on merit and need.

October. Hon. Phillip B. Baldwin (1951) received the Distinguished Alumnus Award.

October 2. Richard "Racehorse" Haynes, senior partner at Haynes & Fullenwielder, spoke in Garrett-Townes Hall on "The Nature of an Attorney."

October 4. Consumer advocate Ralph Nader spoke to three hundred students at South Texas on the current state of public-interest law.

October 26. Garland R. Walker resigned as dean because of ill health, but remained as president at the request of the school's trustees. He had been employed by the college for 25 years. The Walker administration focused on improving the college, especially its physical plant. Professor William J. Williamson became interim dean of South Texas, where he had taught in some capacity for more than 20 years. He was an adjunct faculty member from 1941 to 1957 and became a full-time faculty member in 1977.

November 1. Dean William J. Williamson was installed as president of the college, in addition to serving as interim dean. Among the issues Dean Williamson prioritized at the beginning of his tenure was improving how the college handled financial aid.

November 3. The South Texas SBA and the Board of Advocates were presented with the Outstanding Student Bar Association Award during the national ABA convention.

December 2. Dean Garland R. Walker died at age 64. He was buried next to his father's grave in Billington, Texas, near Waco.

1985 -- The Advocacy Program Earns Special Recognition

January 21. A memorial service for Dean Garland R. Walker was held at South Texas.

Spring. Eight students from South Texas helped the poor and elderly prepare their income tax returns as members of the Volunteer Tax Assistance Program (VTA). This was the first year South Texas students participated in VTA, and the program continues today.

Spring. Enrollment increased by 75 students over 1984. The largest increases were in the categories of ethnic minorities (up 57 percent over Spring 1984 enrollment) and women (up 4 percent). In the Spring 1985 semester, women represented 40 percent of the school's total enrollment.

April 9. Judge John R. Brown of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit was the guest of honor at a reception honoring South Texas Law Journal students.

May 15. Texas Supreme Court Justice John L. Hill was the commencement speaker at graduation, held at Temple Emanu-El.

May 17. The Texas Senate passed a resolution that formally recognized the South Texas advocacy program. From 1980 to 1985, South Texas had won 20 regional and national advocacy championships.

May 20. Gloria Steinem, Ms. Magazine publisher and feminist, addressed a standing-room-only crowd at South Texas on the topic of pornography and the First Amendment.

June. South Texas College of Law won the State Bar of Texas Moot Court Competition for the third consecutive year, entitling South Texas to retire the cup. South Texas was the only school to ever accomplish this feat since the competition had begun in 1939. The winning team consisted of Terrie S. Gerlich (now Sechrist) (1986), Richard P. Hogan, Jr. (1985), and Michael B. Martin (1985).

Summer. The Hispanic Law Students Society (HLSA) was formed at South Texas. Its objectives were to promote academic excellence among its members, enhance career opportunities for its members, and serve the college and the legal community.

August 13. The South Texas Law Journal changed its name to the South Texas Law Review. This move was authorized by the Board of Directors of the journal at their annual meeting. The new name reflected a more scholarly image, which would be more accepted by the legal community and advantageous to the review's members. At the time there were 185 law reviews, but only 47 law journals. With few exceptions, law journals cover just one subject per edition. Because the South Texas publication covered more than one subject area, the title South Texas Law Review was considered more appropriate.

October. Hon. Foster T. Bean (1928) received the Distinguished Alumnus Award.

October. Iris Hefter Robinson (1967) became president of the Alumni Association.

October. South Texas won the national championship at the Benton-Westinghouse National Moot Court Competition, held at John Marshall School of Law in Chicago. The winning team consisted of Carmody C. Baker (1986), Vincent Lannie (1986), Rodney Paasch (1986), and Andrew B. Sommerman (1986).

October. South Texas became the first law school in Texas to join the American Law Network, sponsored by the American Law Institute-American Bar Association.

November 21. Texas Supreme Court Justice Raul A. Gonzalez spoke at a reception sponsored by the Hispanic Law Students Association and the SBA on "The Inner Workings of the Texas Supreme Court."

November 23. South Texas won the first-ever ABA National Negotiation and Settlement Competition regionals, held at the college.

December 15. James W. McCartney, a partner at Vinson & Elkins, spoke at commencement, which was held in the Joe M. Green, Jr., Advocacy Center.

1986 -- The Pennzoil Case Comes to South Texas

During the 1986-87 academic year, eight of the eighteen students selected as Texas Supreme Court clerks for the 1986-87 term were from South Texas.

The South Texas Legal Institute for Medical Studies was established.

January. The Southwestern Legal Foundation created its newest division, the Institute for Transnational Arbitration, which would be housed at South Texas. Professor Richard Graving was named the first director of the institute.

January. For the first time, all South Texas classes were held in the new Tower building.

Mid-January. William J. Williamson, who had been interim dean since 1984, was formally named dean of South Texas College of Law. Accepting the appointment for a term of three years, Dean Williamson announced three main goals for his tenure: (1) to provide the highest-quality legal education possible to South Texas students; (2) to give graduating students the proper experience and knowledge with which to pass the bar exam; and (3) to prepare students for a successful future in the legal profession.

February. South Texas won the national championship at the J. Braxton Craven National Invitational Moot Court Competition in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The winning team consisted of Carmody C. Baker (1986), Vincent A. Lannie (1986), Rodney J. Paasch (1986), and Andrew J. Sommerman (1986).

February 8. South Texas won the national championship at the ABA's National Negotiation and Settlement Competition in Baltimore, Maryland. The winning team consisted of J. Ken Johnson (1986) and Lawrence Daniel (1986).

Spring. Internship opportunities were available for the first time with the Texas Accountants and Lawyers for the Performing Arts.

March. South Texas won the national championship at the F. Lee Bailey Moot Court Competition in San Diego, California. The winning team consisted of David Minton (1987), John Ragland (1987), Karen Johnson (1987), and Sharon Eakes (1987).

March 19. The Health Law Organization was established for students interested in expanding their career horizons in the emerging field of health law.

March 20. The Women's Legal Forum presented a program on "Collaborative Reproductive Techniques: The Legal, Medical, and Ethical Implications." The program was believed to be the first presentation in the Houston area to address the topic of infertility and its legal aspects. Among the speakers was John Montgomery, adjunct professor at South Texas.

April. The South Texas SBA sponsored the first annual Law Week. A mayoral proclamation acknowledged this event and recognized South Texas College of Law’s contribution to the legal community and its success in national advocacy competitions.

May 1. Houston Endowment Inc. established the Bob Casey Scholarship.

May 10. Hon. Frank G. Evans, chief justice of the First Court of Appeals, gave the commencement address at South Texas's graduation ceremonies, held at Jesse H. Jones Hall.

May 12. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Byron White met with members of the South Texas Law Review at a cocktail reception hosted by Fifth Circuit Judge John R. Brown at his River Oaks home.

Summer. Bobby Grisby opened Grisby's cafeteria at South Texas.

Summer. An edition of the South Texas Law Review (27:3) was devoted to constitutional law issues, and included contributions from distinguished legal scholars such as U.S. Supreme Court justices William J. Brennan, Jr., and John Paul Stevens, former U.S. Supreme Court justice Arthur Goldberg, and U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese.

July. The Pennzoil v. Texaco case was heard by the First Court of Appeals in the Joe M. Green, Jr., Advocacy Center at South Texas. It was the largest civil damages case in U.S. history. South Texas trustees Joseph Jamail, of Jamail & Kolius, and James B. Sales, of Fulbright & Jaworski, served as counsel for the opposing sides.

Fall. Forty-two percent of the student body was female and more than 9 percent were members of ethnic minority groups (up 6 percent over the previous five years). Also in 1986, there were 44 full-time faculty members at South Texas.

Fall. The Houston law firm of Vinson & Elkins pledged $15,000 in scholarships to recognize, encourage, and support academic excellence among the students at South Texas College of Law.

Fall. "No Name Law School" T-shirts were sold at South Texas in response to a Wall Street Journal article referring to the college in those terms.

Fall. Addie Heaton, administrative assistant (emeritus) to the dean, became archivist.

Fall. The Black Law Students Association and Hispanic Law Students Association formed a joint committee to study minority policies and their effectiveness at South Texas.

September 25. The Garland R. Walker Memorial Plaque was unveiled at the South Texas Alumni Association Annual Meeting in Garrett-Townes Hall. The plaque featured the bronzed names of the 446 charter donors to the Garland R. Walker Memorial Scholarship Fund.

October. Fred A. Lange (1929), author of a three-volume set on Texas land titles, received the Distinguished Alumnus Award.

October. Ronald B. Wardell, Jr. (1979), became president of the Alumni Association.

October 26-29. South Texas College of Law won the Benton-Westinghouse National Moot Court Competition, held in Chicago at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. The winning team, which argued a fact situation on defamation law and its First Amendment considerations, consisted of Carmody C. Baker (1986), Vincent Lannie (1986), Rodney Paasch (1986), and Andrew B. Sommerman (1986).

November. South Texas won first place at the Thelen, Marrin, Johnson, & Bridges Mock Trial Competition, held in Houston. The team consisted of Douglas Dougherty (1987), Michael F. Hancock (1987), and Patrick L. Hancock (1987). This was the first time a South Texas team had won this competition.

December. Hon. Lamar McCorkle (1980), judge of the 133rd Civil District Court, was the speaker at commencement, held in the Joe M. Green, Jr., Advocacy Center.

1987 -- The Institute of Transnational Arbitration Comes to South Texas

February 28. A mock trial skills seminar sponsored by the Board of Advocates was aimed at introducing students to the basic methods of conducting a mock trial and allowing them to practice these methods.

March 9-14. The second annual Law Week at South Texas featured mock trial competitions; campus visits by noted attorneys, including Richard "Racehorse" Haynes, and jurists; a discussion of handwriting analysis; and seminars to help students learn to form an "image for success."

Late March. The Black Law Students Association National Convention was held at South Texas and co-hosted by the South Texas chapter of the association.

April. The Board of Trustees selected Touche Ross & Co. to conduct a management study that would examine all aspects of the college's administrative and academic organization. This was the first such study conducted at South Texas since its separation from the YMCA.

April. The Institute of Transnational Arbitration, operated by the Southwestern Legal Foundation, moved to South Texas. The institute's purpose in general was to encourage the resolution of transnational investment disputes, and in particular was to promote acceptance of international arbitration treaties. The institute was housed on the fourth floor of the college.

June. South Texas board member James B. Sales was elected president of the State Bar of Texas; his term ran from 1988 to 1989.

June. South Texas won the state championship at the State Bar of Texas Moot Court Competition, held in Corpus Christi. The team consisted of Richard N. Laminack (1987), Katherine A. Martinez (1987), and Trace J. Sherer (1988).

July 31. Frances Thompson retired after serving as director of the South Texas College of Law Library for 22 years.

October. Joseph M. Guarino (1949) received the Distinguished Alumnus Award.

October. Olan J. Boudreaux (1984) became president of the Alumni Association.

October 5. Delta Theta Phi sponsored an AIDS-testing symposium.

October 19. South Texas implemented an administrative reorganization and expansion after receiving the results of the management study conducted by Touche Ross & Co. for the Board of Trustees. The changes were made because the Board of Trustees believed that the college had outgrown the existing structure of its staff and administration. As a result of the study, a new business officer was hired to report to the president, Financial Aid became a part of Institutional Advancement, and Public Affairs (External CLE Programs) was transferred from Institutional Advancement to the Continuing Legal Education Department. The bookstore, which had been managed by one library staff employee, was contracted to Barnes & Noble.

November. An SBA survey indicated that lockers, no-smoking areas, and quieter study facilities were some of the important issues to South Texas College of Law students.

November 6. South Texas advocates won first place at the Starr Insurance Law Moot Court Competition, sponsored by the Hartford Insurance Company and conducted at the University of Connecticut Law School in Hartford. The winning team consisted of Jeffrey A. Addicks (1988), Robert W. Musemeche (1988), Wade R. Quinn (1988), and Sharon M. Schweitzer (1989).

1988 -- A. A. White Disp