One hundred forty men and women were entered into the ranks of Stanford Law School graduates in a dual commencement on Sunday, June 18. The Class of 1967 attended the first portion of the all University exercises at Frost Amphitheater, then marched to Dinkelspiel Auditorium for Law School ceremonies.

The assembly heard Professor John McDonough remind the graduates that the “unique function and special responsibility of a lawyer is to think.” He added:

It will help a good bit if you like being overworked, underpaid, generally harried, and frequently involved in contention if not controversy. It will also help if your spouse and children don’t really like you very much, so that they are willing to settle for relatively little of your company. It will be a great help if you have considerable capacity to suffer fools-and if you have or develop the hide of a rhinoceros.

Stephen Mathias Tennis, who as the graduating student of the School with the highest cumulative grade point was this year’s Nathan Abbott scholar, delivered the student address. Speaking on the general theme of a law school education teaching one how to think, he drew laughter when he quoted the May 1967 issue of “Harper’s” magazine as saying of the country’s law professors: “They are mostly terrifyingly bright, and they appreciate it.”

Degrees were conferred by Dean Bayless Manning. Awards were presented and honors announced as the candidates came on stage. Following presentation of the Abbott award to Mr. Tennis by the Dean, Chesney Douglas Floyd, Order of the Coif, Urban A. Sontheimer Award winner, Lawyer’s Title Award winner and Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation Award winner, held the stage, the spotlight and a rapt audience on the verge of applause for some minutes. The Sontheimer third-year award is made annually to the graduating student whose academic performance is the class’ highest, save for that of the Nathan Abbott scholar. The Lawyer’s Title Award, presented by Professor Charles Meyers, was given for Mr. Floyd’s outstanding record in real property courses. The Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation Award, presented by Professor Howard Williams, was earned by Mr. Floyd’s paper of exceptional merit on a phase of mineral law. Mr. C. C. Dietrich, general counsel for the firm awarding the prize, represented the foundation and met with Mr. Floyd after the ceremonies.

Other awards were made earlier and announced during the ceremony. Robert S. Fastov, who was the 1966-67 chairman of the Legal Aid Society, received the Lawrence S. Fletcher Life Membership from the Stanford Alumni Association. This prize is given to a third-year student judged to have made an outstanding contribution to the life of the Law School. Five Marion Rice Kirkwood Moot Court prizes went to: David Fox, Kristina Hanson (for oral argument and for the best brief), William McCarren and Richard Whitmore.

They were awarded by Dean Manning on February 7 at the Competition. Roscoe D. Jones, the 1966-67 president of the Northern California and Nevada Alumni Society, which donates the prizes, presented them to Dean Manning and was on hand to congratulate the winners. Three Law Review prizes were given on May 6 at the Review’s annual banquet. The Irving H. Hellman, Jr. Award went to Charles Traeger; the Stanford Law Review prize was awarded to John Messing; the Stanford Law Review Board of Editors prize was awarded to Raymond Sebastian.

Preceding the ceremonies at Frost, Dean and Mrs. Manning hosted the graduates, their families and the faculty at their home. Over three hundred guests enjoyed an outdoor luncheon on a comfortable, if slightly windy, June afternoon.

Since the inauguration of separate ceremonies for the graduate and professional schools of the University, the number of students participating in commencement ceremonies has grown significantly. Over 70% of the class of 1967 took part in commencement.

After the Dinkelspiel ceremonies, many of the graduates and their guests lingered over refreshments, which were served in the lobby of the auditorium. There was exhilaration-and there was doubtless nostalgia-as yesterday’s students, the Class of 1967, left the School to become lawyers and alumni.