I have a high opinion of lawyers. With all their faults, they stack up well against those in every other occupation or profession. They are better to work or play with, or fight with or drink with than most other varieties of mankind.

Harrison Tweed, LL.B. 1910, accepting the Presidency of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, May 10, 1945.

A plaque bearing these words would be admirably suited to hang on the wall of the Barristers Pub, the new student social facility in Crothers Hall which opened last November. The elements of an English tavern are there-even a sectioned-off lounge much like the ones designated for ladies; the Stanford barristers will probably use it as a TV room.

The main section of the Pub is designed for 40-50 seated guests. Recreation room is also available for those who wish to play cards, chess or darts. The bar is equipped to serve beer and mixed drinks to Crothers residents who are over 21 and to law faculty members.

The Pub was constructed with funds designated for improvement of the law dormitory. Last year, a survey of the students living in Crothers indicated that what was most desired was a suitable recreation area for law students, to replace the current drab facilities in Crothers basement.

Work began in the fall of 1966 under the guidance of Bill Friedrichs, manager of residences, and David Lelewer, director of Crothers Hall and assistant to the Dean. The walls joining the three existing rooms, a TV room, a card room and a reading room, were torn out; existing deteriorated paneling was removed and in its place oak paneling was installed. Wiring was installed for both indirect and individually controlled lighting and for a small refrigerator unit. New fixtures were put in, all of them authentic reproductions of old-world fixtures; a bar was installed. Plants, English prints and antique-finish furnishings were added. A six-speaker stereo sound system was installed by Bob Clark ’69 and Teaching Fellow Rod Rickett ’67.

The Pub was officially opened on November 17 at a reception attended by Crothers Hall residents. The Dean presented a pewter mug to Crothers President Bill Hodge ’70. Since then the Pub has been available to residents of the Hall at all times. On Wednesday and Friday afternoons from 4:30-6:30 an open house is held for Crothers students their guests and faculty members. Since the opening, in addition to regularly planned activities for the residents, there have been several special events involving Law School groups. On Big Game day, over 200 alumni and law students attended a pre-game box luncheon at the Pub. In November the Law Association sponsored a party for all law students. At Christmas time, the Law Students’ Wives Association held its annual Christmas party in the Pub. During a two-day visit to the Stanford campus in February, Tom Clark, former Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, wound up a long day of speechmaking and attending campus functions at an informal two-hour session with law students at the Pub. By all judgments, his own included it was one of the most productive and enjoyable parts of his stay on campus. Such events at Crothers help provide a part of the total atmosphere of the Law School.

The funds available for the construction of the Pub were not sufficient to cover the refurbishing of the entry area. About a month after the opening, resident Teaching Fellow Rod Rickett ’67, with a $250 grant from the University Business Office, and a group of Crothers residents including Keith Brown ’68, Bob Clark ’69, Mike Courtnage ’70, Jim Gansinger ’70, ‘Hap’ Happel ’70, Bob Hoffman ’70, Roger Kirst 70 and Dave Worrell ’70, went to work on a project priced by competitive bidding at $1,300. The project was accomplished entirely by student labor. That in itself is one of the best things about the Pub. As Resident Assistant Bernie Bays ’69 characterizes it, “There is a pride of ownership in the Crothers residents.”

The atmosphere of Crothers Hall, with its living accommodations, library and Pub, continues the basic concept of Judge Crothers in providing in the dormitory a place where law students may work together and live together in fellowship.