George Washington University Law School - Class Book Yearbook (Washington, DC)

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William F. Woolard, of Illinois, was elected historian, and Howell Bartle, of the District of Columbia, assistant. The latter?- however, declined to serve. Q On April 6 the class had a meeting and decided to have another banquet, to be held soon after the Hnal examinations. R. H. Riddleberger, Va., by a vote of the class, was elected toastmaster, and Henry Leonard, Pa., and I. H. DeVVitt, Tenn., were appointed to co-operate with Mr. Riddleberger in the selection of the speakers for that occasion. Glye Saw Selyool Debating SoQiQty. In the Debating Society the class took a prominent part. The representatives of the class on the board of officers during the junior year were: First Term-Treasurer, I. L. Cousar, Ark. 5 Executive Committee, J. M. Spellman, Tex. 5 R. H. Riddleberger, Va. 5 Second Term-Vice President, R. I-I. Riddleberger, Va. g Sec- retary, XV. M. Smith. Ohio, Executive Committee, E. S. Frith, F. B. Goodheart, Tenn. In the six public debates held during the year, the following gentlemen were selected to represent the class : December 14, 1895, I. M. Spellman, Tex. 3 january 25, 1896, Frank Keiper, Ind.5 February 22, J. L. Cousar, Ark., and I. L. Thomas, Jr., Mo. 5 March 14, W. L. English, Ill., and Benjamin Martin, Ir., S. C. 5 April 4, M. L. Alden, Kan., and VV. S. Stamper, Va. 5 April 25, A. M. Fulk, Ark., and S. C. Ford, D. C. In these debates the honors were declared to belong to Messrs. Keiper, Thomas, Martin, Alden and Ford, and Messrs. Thomas and Martin were chosen by ballot to represent the class in the Annual Prize Debate which took place june 6. Mr. Martin was awarded second prize, the first having been given to a member of the class of '96. During the Senior year the class was represented as follows: First Term-Treasurer, W. S. Stamper, Va. 5 Executive Committee, H. F. Smith, W. Va., chairmang I. W. Bevans, D. C.5 P. A. Bowen, Jr., Md.5 Second Term-President, I. L. Cousar, Ark.5 T9

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it expedient as well as wise to prescribe an examination for all of the classes at the end of each year. As one reason for the adoption of this rule, Prof. Cox stated that two years was too long a time to wait before finding out how much some young men did not know. And the class of ,97 was the first to be subjected to the operation of the new rule. At a time during the last Summer when humanity in general was striving to keep cool, and several weeks before the commencement of the present term, there were visible some symptoms of a feverish desire for early class organization. The situation got warm im- mediately, and soon after opening day a call was issued for a meet- ing of the class, to be held on October go. At this meeting Messrs. I. M. Spellman, of Texas, and F. C. Croxton, of Illinois, were placed in nomination for President. On the irst ballot the vote stood: Spellman, 405 Croxton, 393 M. L. Alden, of Kansas, 1. Mr. Spellman was elected on the second ballot, receiving 40 votes to 34 received by Mr. Croxton. Another meeting was held November 13, and the list of oliicers was completed by electing S. C. Ford, D. C., vice-president, W. M. Smith, O., secretaryg F. M. Benjamin, O., treasurer, and as members of the Executive Com- mittee the following gentlemen: I. W. Latimer, W. Va., after- ward elected chairman of the committee, I. W. Bevans, D. C., M. L. Alden, Kan. 3 William Mehn, La. 5 O. H. W. Talbot, Md. 3 J. W. Steward, N. I., and Rudolph Forster, Va. At a meeting of the class held December 4, it was voted to have a class history, and the present volume is the outcome of that determination. The class immediately got into a wrangle over some preliminary matters, and an adjournment was had to December I 1. At this meeting it was proposed that the class elect a historian and an assistant, but objection on constitutional grounds was urged against this procedure, which objection was quickly disposed of by a motion empowering the Executive Committee with full control of all matters relating to the class history, including the selection of the historian and his assistant. 18

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Treasurer, C. E. Phelps, Ill. 3 Executive Committee, A. F. Specht, Pa. g E. S. Frith, Tenn. The class was represented in the series of public debates as follows: November 21, 1896, W. L. English, Ill., and H. C. Carlson, Minn. 5 December 19, Samuel Platt, Nev., and A. F. Specht, Pa., january 16. 1897, I. H. DeWitt, Tenn., and W. M. Crook, Tex. 3 February zo, I. T. Hendrick, Tenn., and Preston Boisseau, Va.g March 27, E. S. Frith, Tenn., and L. H. Machen, Va., April 17, W. E. Sullivan, Idaho, and WT. I. Hays, Ohio. The honors in these debates were awarded to Messrs. Carlson, English, Platt, DeWitt, Crook, Hendrick and Sullivan 3 and Messrs. Hendrick and Sullivan were elected to represent the class in the Annual Prize Debate to be held June 5. The class of ,Q7 was fortunate in the line of subject-matter for debate. Many of the issues of the campaign of 1896 were new, but every question considered was .so well piesented in both of its aspects as to leave the auditors still undecided, and even the judges were frequently lacking in unanimity. Z5I7e Qolleqe Journal. The initial number of The Colzmzbzkwz Ca!! appeared Novem- ber I3, 1895. The fact that it is now two years old speaks for its success. It has been vvell conducted, and has been consid- erate in its treatment of the Law School, perhaps to the neglect of some of the other departments. Whole columns have been given up to orators and orations, and thus has it served a useful purpose. Posterity ever will be under obligations to the Call. While the class of ,97 has not had editorial representation, Mr. I. T. Hendrick, Tenn., of the class, successfully managed the business part of the journal during the junior year. Statistics as to the Qlagg. The class numbers 1o2 members. The representation by States is: District of Columbia, 22, Virginia, QQ Illinois, 73 Maryland, 20