The annual Board of Visitors Meeting and the first Law School reunion of several classes were held in conjunction at the School in early April. The Board of Visitors met formally on Friday, April 7, though many of the members remained for the Saturday luncheon honoring the School’s first head, Nathan Abbott. Some, who were members of classes convening for the reunion, celebrated with their classes on Saturday night. Registration for the reunion began on Friday, April 7. The two-day event ended with class dinners at various locations on the Peninsula on Saturday night. On Thursday, April 6, new members of the Board registered and were hosted at the Faculty Club by Dean Manning. Mrs. Manning was hostess to the wives of new Board members at the Manning home. At the same time, Reunion Chairmen for each of the returning classes and law student Reunion Aides, each of whom was responsible to one of the Chairmen for coordinating activities for class dinners and special events, gathered for cocktails and dinner at the home of Assistant Dean and Mrs. Robert Keller.

On Friday, the entire Board of Visitors met in general sessions and in committees. Luncheon for Board members and their wives was held at the Mannings.

Friday the reunion began. They came from the classes of ’22, ’27, ’32, ’37, ’42, ’47, ’52, and ’57. A special group, the Honored Reunion Members, included all who had been graduated from the School fifty years or more. In spite of dreary weather-the rainiest April in many memories-the reunion was by all accounts a success. From Friday’s buffet luncheon to Saturday night’s class dinners, alumni brought themselves up to date with one another, with the Law School and with legal education at Stanford.

The Friday luncheon, which was to have been held under the trees at Bowman Alumni House, was moved indoors to the Women’s Club. A campus singing group, the Mendicants, was enthusiastically received. Dean Manning spoke informally on the current programs at the School on Friday afternoon. On Friday evening, after a joint alumni-Board of Visitors dinner at the Cabana Motor Hotel, visitors attended the Second-Year Moot Court Finals. Judging the Competition were Hon. Shirley Hufstedler ’49, California District Court of Appeal, Hon. Robert F. Peckham ’45, U.S. District Court, Northern California, and Hon. James R. Browning, U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Joseph Dennin was awarded first prize for the best oral argument; Shannon Cline got the Judges’ vote for the best brief.

On Saturday morning, Dean Manning conducted an informal question-and-answer session for the Board and alumni followed by faculty reports from Professors Meyers and Ehrlich.

In many ways, the highlight of the reunion-along with the reunion dinners on Saturday evening-was the Nathan Abbott Memorial Luncheon on Saturday, honoring the School’s first professor and head who did so much in his years at Stanford, 1893-1907, to set the course of the Law School. President Sterling greeted alumni and guests at the noon reception in the Red Room of the Faculty Club. Dean and Mrs. Manning shared the head table with Dean Abbott’s daughter

Mrs. Rufus Kimball of Palo Alto, and her grandson, Tom Kimball ’66, who is currently practicing law in San Francisco. Also at the head table were President of the Board of Visitors John E. Lauritzen ’32 and his wife. Very special guests occupied the two auxiliary head tables. At one were the School’s emerti, along with Professor and Mrs. Richard R. B. Powell of Hastings College of Law; Professor Powell is a former student of Dean Abbott, and Mrs. James Brenner, widow of the late Professor Brenner. At the other were the Honored Reunion Members who were joined by Reunion Aides Steve Harbison ’68 and Malcolm Hawk ’67 and also by Mrs. Robert Keller. Dean Manning paid tribute to the late Dean and called upon one of Dean Abbott’s former students, Professor Ralph Lutz ’06. In a testimonial, brief and moving, Professor Lutz spoke volumes about Dean Abbott and about the spirit of Stanford Law School. He ended with the modest appraisal of the law students of his day as being of “very fine caliber-almost as good as the great men gathered here today.”

Dean Manning unveiled the splendid portrait of the school’s first head – a copy of the original that hangs at Columbia University, where Nathan Abbott taught after leaving Stanford.

And that officially—but only officially—ended the Law School’s first reunion. During Saturday afternoon, alumni visited with students and professors. Many took a bus tour of the Stanford Linear Accelerator. Saturday night there were parties at various locations on the Peninsula. Two groups, the Honored Reunion Members and the Class of ’42, celebrating its 25th reunion, held their dinners at the Faculty Club. Other classes held their reunion parties at restaurants in the area.

The consensus seems to be that no one outdid the pre-18 group for Law School spirit. One alumnus, Mr. George Ditz ’13, trustee emeritus of Stanford, left his party at the end and stayed on with the Class of ’42, regaling them with stories. Perhaps we may then best leave an appraisal of the reunion to Mr. Ditz, who wrote to Dean Manning afterward:

The first Law School alumni Reunion truly was a conspicious success. The programs were interesting and instructive. I am persuaded that your efforts and those of your faculty colleagues are well rewarded by an awareness with the graduates of the present standard – and the future needs of the School.