IIT Chicago Kent College of Law - Transcript Yearbook (Chicago, IL)

Page 77 text:

THE. ! It took Mr. Pringle just a short time to mingle, And the unwary jokester before the class he would single. His remarks came slowly, but went to the quick, Annihilating the thin-skinned and penetrating the thick. A manof few words, yet inciting class action To a favorable pitch, with friendly reaction. At the start of his course indifference expressed, At the end thereof a bond of-friendship he possessed. Master in Chancery VVelch appeared that .first year, And made us laugh until it brought tears. VVhen trying to explain the difference between, A, telescope and a sausage machine. A city official, Guy Guernsey, alderman great, . Taught us how in bailments to write a mean slate. He is also a lawyer and a teacher thrown in, And by .his remarks made the whole class grin. Of locatio operis and locatio rei, y As to the role that a borrower or lender might play, This teacher of ours omitted very little, And at the end of the term we knew every title. A railroad lawyer came to the aid of the class, And took up the troublesome subject of sales. He explained how by mail goods could be sent, And also what stoppage in transitu meant. A little later he showed us the light, i On personal property and other such rights. g Of waifs, abandonment, mortgages and limitations, In fact almost all the laws of the nation. ' He now teaches property, a troublesome thing, Not only for profs but for students to sing. In our day this subject, half law, half myth, Was taught to us by VValter B. Smith. And mortgages, easements, and other delights, Did weary our brains for many nights. How we struggled and racked our poor brains, To think of some way this course to retain. After this first year of becoming familiar with legal lore, We knew we were Juniors, felt it to the core. Q Returning once more to the halls of Kent, It was easily seen we were legally bent. K R Page 73

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THE. , N3 Page 72 , 1 THE CLASS OF A QUARTER CENTURY Many, many moons ago, to a building in the loop, A A group of lads and lassies came, with faltering foot They came intent to get the. know on law, To train their minds to pick out legal flaws. It was to the third Hoor center that they came, And stopped to give their address and name. Into the outer office all did flock, And there began their troubles with a shock. After giving their qualifications, To the Hoors above they were stationed. And nightly came the joyous ride From main to number eight. Assigned to the room with dozens of others, Brand new books with somber covers. Waiting about for the class to start And wondering what it was all about. At last, amid the shuffle, came our prof-a lawyer, To make us read the law and questions answer. No one knew what he was reading, Everything was so strange, queer, misleading. The professor rapped for attention, and all sat straight Wlien silence was had he began to relate-- Telling us all of lawyers' great' deeds, And how we must help in the profession's needs. J A week or so of lectures and we all began to read, And then it was found we were really treed. Religiously we dug into the books, s Delved into the mustiest nooks. The professors tried earnestly to make the law plain. An awful task l' They almost gave up in vain. However, they guided over the shadowy trails, Of contracts, torts, criminal law and sales, Contracts was taught by Professor Monahan, On whispering and talking he put a strict ban. ,Twas he who would inject a cough apropoS, And no student in the class might recite very slow. 1925

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THE I Ni Q 1 1 'Twas this year the Dean took us in hand, And in equity pleading gave us the lay of the land. ' Some on Wabash Avenue, with the elevators fast filling, When with one accord we rushed from the building. We learned by repetition, case by case, Of bills and answers, how each must be placed. Of every phase of equity pleading, V A subject that required much reading. Most of all the subjects undertaken, , Common law pleading had our courage shaken. . In meaning quite unintelligible- A But of usefulness not negligible. ' One real taskmaster in our school, Who firmly holds to a working rule, Is the judge, regarded with awe, As a veritable fountain of common law. But always he was endeavoring, W To help some student who was laboring. Every student was made to complete his undertaking, With the smile of understanding and co-operation. There came a time, after two long years, When we found ourselves grave and sedate Seniors. Obligingly we imparted free information, . To those who merely hinted at a legal question. Walking about the school with a kingly air, A Realizing that we were almost there. And yet all was not pomp and grace, V For many a night's study we must face. Here we had constitutional law, And questions of conflict that proved the last straw. Then, too, there was bills and notes, By Professor Bullard, who knows his oats When all is over, and We have our LL. B.'s, We'll review the efforts for those degrees. Recalling the evenings that were so well spent, Recalling the times at Chicago-Kent. Henry C. Quigley, '25 Page 74 l