Kansas City School of Law - Pandex Yearbook (Kansas City, MO)

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THE STORY OF OUR LIFE. 9 i HE Kansas City School of Law is ten years old this spring. It was incorporated in May, 1895, and iirst rg 4 , ,, opened its doors to students in September of that year. . Those who are familiar with the Kansas City of ten M A years ago, will recall that we were at that time just J crawling out from under the crash of 1893. The panic - was severe enough everywhere, but it fell with especial force upon those western cities which had shortly previous been enjoying a boom, and Kansas City was one of these. By 1895 the great work of the panic had been done: the weak had been driven to the wall, and wrecks had been cleared away, every business and profes- sion had been pruned down until only the hardiest survived. We now know that the time of depression through which we passed was not without its wholesome eifectsz that after the storm cleared away, the men and the opportunities were here to lay the solid foundation of a great city. But it took courage and faith to establish a new institution at that time. The faith was justified--Kansas City is the location for a great law school. Among the earliest of the projectors of this school was the late Francis M. Black, who had then just retired from a ten year term on the Supreme Bench of Missouri. Judge Black entered into its organization with all the characteristic energy of his nature. He was its first president, and contin- ued to direct its policies up to the last day of his life. He loved the school and its reputation, and he showed it as a father shows his love-by the strictness of his discipline and his jealous watchfulness of its standing. His close friend, Mr. O. H. Dean, was also one of the founders. Judge E. L. Scarritt gave unsparingly of his time and labor to put the new insti- tution on its feet. So did Mr. Sanford B. Ladd, Mr. R. J. Ingraham, Mr. James H. Harkless, and Judge Edward H. Stiles. Our old friend, John W. Snyder, enlisted on the iirst call for troops. Mr. E. D. Ellison was one of the organizers and so was Mr. E. N. Powell. The classes were small then, but larger than was expected. The first class numbered twenty-seven, with a corps of five instructors. Since then the progress has been steady to increased attendance, larger faculty, and a lengthened course of study. The proudest record of the school has been the pronounced respect and unamimous support it has received from the bar of the city and the state. K I4