University of Tennessee Knoxville - Volunteer Yearbook (Knoxville, TN)

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MALCOLM McDERMOTT, DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF LAW Page Nineteen

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th'lzz at EPW252522 The advent of women into the University of Tennessee twenty-nine years ago was not a new idea. In the parent institution Blount College. founded in 1794. no reference was made to the class of students admissable, and the name of one of these early students is memorialized now in the name of the first woments dormitory, Barbara Blount. This student, the daughter of Gov. Blount, was not the only girl to enroll for the names Polly McClung, Jennie Armstrong, Mattie and Kittie Kain also appear on the roster. But none of these seem to have attained the same grade of excellence in her classes that Mistress Barbara did. In these days the records were not kept in calculating figures or letters but by the words attentive . diligent , and ingenious ; of the five young women only Barbara achieved all three. Probably the general conservatism concerning higher education for women was responsible for the college's becoming exclusively masculine in enrollment. How- ever that may be. no womarfs name was to appear again on the college lists for the better part of a century. More than once a motion ttto take into consideration the propriety of admitting females to the University't. failed to pass the Board of Trustees tFEMMEl' CHAPEL and it was not until 1893 that the propriety was deemed unquestionable. The fact that forty-flve women availed themselves of the opportunity shows that the time was ripe for the action. About half of these were taking the special course for teachers, but twenty-three enrolled in the regular liberal arts course. Of this number, two were ranked as juniors. Miss Elma Eliza Ellis and Miss Elize Lucy Ogden, and in 1895 received B. A. degrees, the first to be awarded to women. As we glance back today from the vantage point of our organized Women's Student- Government Association, Y. W. C. A. and numerous smaller organizations and many buildings for the exclusive use of women such as dormitories and Tennessee Hall many things in those opening years may seem crude perhaps, small certainly, but it was then that the foundation was laid. And none can know so well as those Who came later to carry on the work how well they builded. Harriet C. Greve. Page Eighteen

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Eh? Olnllrgg nf Emu The College of Law of the University of Tennessee has for its ambition the establishment here of a law school equipped to give its students a training second to none in America. For years it has been customary for those interested in the highest profes- sional education to turn their eyes to the East and to the North. It is inconceivable that these or any other sections of the country can have a monopoly on any branch of education. There is no reason why southern schools and universities cannot match the very best the North and East have to offer. It is purely a question of what type of education we care to deal in. The South has fully recovered from those years of depression following the Civil War, and now stands on an equal footing with the rest of America, quite able to do its part in supporting the best brand of popular education. Southern schools and universities have realiz- ed that the best element of American youth wants and demands the best in education as in other fields of life. Therefore the raising of standards and the increase of entrance requirements has not cut down attendance. On the contrary, more and finer young men and young women are clamoring to be admitted. Because of a realization of these facts, the College of Law at Tennessee does not concern itself about numbers, altho the striking fact is that With the present high standards there are more entering students than ever before. What really concerns us is the thoroughness of the training and the development of character that we can give to each individual student who goes out from here to promote the administration of justice. When these things have been properly cared for, numbers will take care of themselves. It is therefore the declared policy of this College to raise its entrance requirements and its standards in every branch until they are in complete accord with the very best recognized in modern legal education. Already the ease system, now generally regarded as the most approved method of instruction in law, has been introduced in all courses; in addition to a complete high school education, the entering student must have to his credit one year of standard college work; beginning with 1925, two years of college work Will be required of all entering students. New courses have been added to the curriculum; ad- ditional instructors have been added to the faculty; and the number of volumes in the law library has been more than doubled in the last two years. This is but the beginning of a sus- tained and determined effort to place this department of the Uni- versity in the front ranks of law schools in America. The result cannot be accomplished in a day, nor in a year, but the fact is that the plans have been carefully laid and step by step they are being worked out as rapidly as it is pos- sible to do. -MALCOLM MCDERMOTT. IN THE CLASS ROOM Page Twenty WHERE THE LAWYERS STUDY