The spirit matched the weather at the annual Law School Reunion, held at the School this year on Friday and Saturday, April 5-6. This year all alumni were invited to attend, in honor of the School’s 75th anniversary. As usual, however, individual reunion dinners were planned by those classes who have been away from the School for five years or a multiple of five years, that is, classes ending in the numbers three and eight. And again there were the Honored Alumni, including those who were graduated in 1918 or before. Their chairman was Judge Homer Spence ’15 and they included George Ditz ’13, trustee emeritus of the University, and Harold Sherman ’12, both of whom were here for their second reunion visits. Another special guest among their numbers was Preston S. Lincoln ’11, who travelled from Massachusetts to celebrate his Golden Wedding anniversary, his 82nd birthday and the School’s 75th anniversary.

Registration began on Friday afternoon at the School under the direction of Alma C. Kays ’48, coordinator of alumni affairs, who was responsible for planning the reunion. Returning alumni spent the day visiting with friends, students and faculty and attending classes.

On Friday night William T. Gossett, president elect of the American Bar Association, was the guest speaker at the Alumni Banquet. He told the gathering:

The lawyer’s continuing responsibility to defend due process goes beyond his professional functions and, indeed, beyond his sworn duty as an officer of the court. It reaches to the very core of his character and of his convictions. And so, even if every other individual and every institution in our society should forget or subvert due process as the cornerstone of our civilization, the lawyer – alone, if necessary; defiant, if challenged; resolute, if discouraged – should never yield on the right of any man, good or bad, rich or poor, revered or hated, to the benefits of due process, should never relax his efforts to enlighten the public about it; and should never silence his demands for it.

In addition, Mr. Gossett paid tribute to the School on its 75th anniversary, saying that among the country’s law schools “the great Stanford Law School deservedly ranks among the foremost. The high mission of all education in a free society has been well served by its distinguished performance.”

With Mr. Gossett at the head table were President and Mrs. Wallace Sterling, George Ditz ’13, Professor and Mrs. Joseph T. Sneed, Deane F. Johnson ’42, 1967-68 chairman of the Board of Visitors and Dean and Mrs. Bayless Manning. President Sterling delivered a message of congratulations to the Law School on the occasion of its diamond jubilee and Professor Sneed, president of the Association of American Law Schools, introduced Mr. Gossett.

Alumni remarked particularly on the sense of contrast they felt on returning to the Farm – a “compatible contrast,” as one called it, between the tradition and sense of history that was everywhere evident and the almost tangible sense of movement and progress evinced by the activity and involvement of the students and faculty, the plans for the new building, the growth of the campus in general.

On Saturday morning in Dinkelspiel Auditorium, incoming Board of Visitors Chairman Allan E. Charles ’27 introduced the Dean who reported on the current state of the School. Assistant Dean Thomas E. Headrick then discussed and demonstrated with slides the plans for the new Law School building.

At the same time, in the Forum Room of the new J. Henry Meyer Memorial Library, Judge Shirley M. Hufstedler ’49, of the California District Court of Appeal, was addressing a group of ladies on the opportunities and need for women to take an active part in the larger society outside the home. Mrs. Donna Carrell, wife of Daniel Carrell ’68 and president of the Law Students’ Wives Association, which sponsored the event, introduced the Judge.

The high points of the reunion for many of the alumni were the two luncheons that followed the morning presentations.

At the Faculty Club the Honored Reunion members, with special guests President and Mrs. Wallace Sterling, had cocktails and luncheon. An atmosphere of warm humor and special unity marked the day. Guests, besides the Sterlings, included Associate Dean and Mrs. J. Keith Mann, Professor William B. Owens ’15, Emeritus, and Mrs. Owens and student Reunion Aides Richard Sutton ’70 and Jeff Mason ’69. Honored Reunion members present were: Hon. Alden Ames ’06, Albert Johnson ’09, Egerton Lakin ’10, Preston S. Lincoln ’11, Harold Sherman ’12, George Ditz ’13, Hon. Homer Spence ’15, chairman, and Mrs. Spence, Earl C. Behrens ’15.

Across the way, in the courtyard of Bowman Alumni House, tables were set under the trees for the Seventy-Fifth Anniversary Commemorative Luncheon. The real honor of the day belonged to Emeritus Professor George Osborne, whose portrait was to be unveiled by the Dean.

Many of the alumni and guests had come primarily to see their former professor and friend. Sharing the head table with Professor Osborne were Chief Justice Roger Traynor of the California State Supreme Court and Mrs. Traynor, Robert Z. Hawkins ’28, who introduced Professor Osborne, and Mrs. Hawkins, the Mannings and Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Palmer. Mr. Palmer, who painted the portrait of Professor Osborne, is a well-known California artist whose works include the portrait of former President Herbert Hoover that hangs in San Francisco’s Bohemian Club. Other special guests were: William Prosser, faculty member at Hasting’s College of Law, where Mr. Osborne now teaches, and Mrs. Prosser; Judge Philip Conley of the District Court of Appeal in Fresno; Professor Richard R. B. Powell, also of Hastings, and Mrs. Powell; Mrs. Rufus Kimball, daughter of Nathan Abbott, the School’s first executive head; Perry Moerdyke ’39, chairman of the School’s Historical Committee, and Mrs. Moerdyke; Daryl Pearson, general secretary of the University, and Mrs. Pearson.

 

It was a memorable occasion. President Sterling recounted some of the many accomplishments of and stories about Mr. Osborne and Dean Manning revealed the striking portrait. Visibly moved, Professor Osborne accepted the praise and the prolonged applause and noted that it would have been enough for him to know that his picture would be hung in the company of such admirable men as Judge George Crothers, Nathan Abbott and “the man whom I worked with and worshipped Marion Rice Kirkwood.”

In the afternoon alumni and friends took guided walking tours of the campus and of the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, attended an open house at the Law School and, in the late afternoon, went to the Barristers Pub for a beer and pretzels reception hosted by the men of Crothers Hall.

 

 

On Saturday evening the Classes of ’28, ’33, ’38, ’43, ’48, ’53, ’58 and ’63 held reunion dinners at various restaurants on the Peninsula. Chairmen for each class and their student Reunion Aides were:

Robert Hawkins ’28, assisted by David Pierce ’70

Walter Desmond ’33, assisted by Fred Smith ’70

Frank Richardson ’38, assisted by Bill Hodge ’70

James Engdahl ’43, assisted by John Perrin ’70

John Butler ’48 assisted by Bob Klein ’70

Hon. Lester Olson ’53, assisted by Terry Adlhock ’70

Hon. Peter Katsufrakis ’58, assisted by Walter Garnsey ’70

Bruce Hasenkamp ’63, assisted by Chuck Koob ’69

The remaining alumni and guests and the members of the Moot Court Board and their guests met at the Faculty Club for the annual Marion Rice Kirkwood Moot Court Dinner.

The finals of the Marion Rice Kirkwood Moot Court Competition were held in Dinkelspiel Auditorium following the dinner. Judges were Hon. Gilbert H. Jertberg ’22 U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit; Hon. Stanley Weigel ’28, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California; Hon. Shirley M. Hufstedler ’49, Second District Court of Appeal of California.The case before the Court was Hurd v. United States, a case of selective conscientious objection. Counsel for the petitioner were Lawrence A. Aufmuth ’69 and Eric L. Treisman ’69; counsel for the respondent were Jeffrey L. Mason ’69 and Malcolm E. Wheeler ’69.

Upon deliberation the judges awarded first prize jointly to Mr. Aufmuth and Mr. Mason, third prize to Mr. Wheeler and fourth prize to Mr. Treisman. On hand to present the cash awards was Vincent L. Cullinan ’36, vice-president of the Stanford Law Society of Southern California and Nevada, which donated the prizes. Participants, judges and guests attended an informal reception following the Competition.

Thus ended the 75th Anniversary Law School Reunion.