Fullerton, Byron, 1922- . Bryon Fullerton served as Professor, Assistant Dean, Associate Dean, and Director of the Continuing Legal Education program at The University of Texas School of Law (1963-1981) before becoming Dean of the Texas Tech University School of Law.
Scope and Content: The collection consists primarily of Fullerton's office files while at The University of Texas. Included in the collection are correspondence, financial records, admission records, placement records, Continuing Legal Education conferences and special programs ephemera and correspondence, and general law school administrative material.
Gibson, T. J. (Thomas Jefferson), III, 1918-1985. Gibson served as assistant dean of students, University of Texas School of Law, 1956-1969, and as associate dean of students, 1969-1984. He was promoted from assistant professor to associate professor in 1970. A 1948 graduate of the Law School, Gibson also worked as assistant law librarian, 1948-1952 and 1954-1956, and was Texas' State Librarian, 1952-1954.
Scope and Content: Most of the files are records of the assistant dean's office and associate dean's office. Included are agendas and minutes of Law School faculty meetings; faculty memoranda; case files of Honor Council hearings; financial records of the Law School and the Law School Foundation; and files on student organizations, special events, admissions, scholarships, conferences, curriculum, and other administrative matters. Also present are personal financial records and other personal documents of Gibson and a few other law professors.
Restrictions: Access to Honor Council files and other records containing grades may be viewed only by the Dean's Office, University of Texas School of Law, or with written permission from the Dean of the School of Law.
Hildebrand, Ira Polk, 1876-1944. Ira Polk Hildebrand, born in La Grange, Texas, acquired a B.A. degree at Texas Christian University in 1897, and B.A. and L.L.B. degrees at The University of Texas in 1899. He took another L.L.B. at Harvard in 1902. After private practice in San Antonio he became professor of law at Texas in 1907. In 1912 he compiled, with E. H. Warren, Select Cases and Other Authorities on the Law of Private Corporations and, in 1942, wrote The Law of Texas Corporations. He became dean of the Law School in 1924, serving until 1940, and introduced the case method of law teaching to Texas. Dean Hildebrand was intensely concerned to improve the law school and devoted considerable effort to recruiting faculty. He was also keenly aware of student money problems in the lean years of the Depression and worked on fellowships and grants for them, some through the Federal Emergency Relief Administration during the 1930s. The dean was well-known nationally, and respected for his work on stricter standards for the legal profession. His legal advice was sough by the University of Texas on the Permanent University Fund controversies and other matters. He was active on the Texas Civil Judicial Council and did considerable work for the Texas Bar Association and the American Law Institute. Hildebrand voiced strong, sometimes exaggerated, opinions on many subjects, including individual students and politics.
Scope and Content: The largest portion of the collection, Law School Administration Files, consists primarily of the files of the Dean of the University of Texas School of Law during the time Hildebrand held that post, and document all aspects of the Law Schoolıs administration under Hildebrandıs deanship. Also present is correspondence on public matters, typescript & manuscript notes for books, class material with top student papers, and printed reference sources. University of Texas files reflect Hildebrandıs service in University-wide activities, particularly as legal adviser to the University administration in a struggle with Texas A&M University over apportionment of the Permanent University Fund. The State of Texas and National Files relate to Hildebrandıs involvement in legal and professional organizations, and in public affairs. Of special interest are letters concerning the recruitment of new faculty, work with the Texas Bar Association, Negroes entering law schools, and President Rooseveltıs plan for enlarging the Supreme Court.
Arrangement: The arrangement starts with law school administration and continues to university, state, and national subjects. Within these groupings the papers are chronological. Printed materials are mainly at the end of the collection.
Scope and Content: The papers chronicle UT Law Dean Page Keeton's controversial fight against Frank C. Erwin, and a rider in Texas House Appropriations Bill no. 5, for fiscal year ending August 1969. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Heatly of Paducah and instigated by Erwin, would have made UT Law School professors' salaries into line-items, manipulable and regulated by the Governor. The bill's rider stemmed from a conflict between Dean Keeton and Frank C. Erwin, the president of the Board of Regents for the University. Erwin felt that Keeton was hiring too many "radicals," leaving the University and the Law School open for conflict, campus radicalism, and eventual loss of legislative funding. These papers include correspondence, clippings, and other papers collected by Keeton as he attempted to convince legislators to vote the motion down. The correspondence reflects his lobbying efforts, containing letters of support for Keeton and copies of letters to congressmen from students and alumni. The rider was was eventually dropped from the bill.
Related records: W. Page Keeton Oral History, pages 70-75; 1968 House Appropriations Bill Collection, J1-2; Law School History Files, Biographical Files, Keeton v. Erwin, L75/17
Extent: 6 in. (7 items). 5 audiocassettes. 1 videocassette.
Keeton, W. Page, 1909-1999, interviewee. B.A., LL.B., University of Texas, 1931. S.J.D., Harvard University, 1936. Joined UT Law School faculty, 1932; associate dean, 1940-46. Dean, Oklahoma University School of Law, 1946-49. Dean, UT School of Law, 1949-74. Professor of Law, 1974-1995.
Scope and Content: Keeton talks about his early education, life as a UT Law School student, the UT Law School faculty, his service in the Office of Price Administration and the Petroleum Division (War Dept.) during World War II, his departure to Oklahoma University as dean, integration at Oklahoma University and University of Texas law schools, his return to the UT Law School as dean, the creation of the Law School Foundation, efforts to defend academic freedom and the independence of the UT Law School, his relations with UT-Austin presidents and Regent Frank Erwin, his teaching methods, his views on tort reform, and his assessment of his tenure as dean.
Arrangement: 1) W. Page Keeton: An Oral History Interview. -- Tarlton Legal Bibliography Series Number 36. -- Austin: Tarlton Law Library, 1992. -- ix, 79 p. 2) Transcript, final draft. 3) Interview notes. 4) Transcript, 1st draft. 5) Transcript, 2nd draft. 6) Transcript, 3rd draft. 7) Interviews (audio cassettes). 8) Page Keeton Oral History Reception : videocassette, 1993 Feb. 17.
Finding aid: Published as: W. PAGE KEETON: AN ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEW (Austin: Tarlton Law Library, 1992); includes index.
Restrictions: Preliminary drafts and interview tapes are restricted; may be used only with permission of interviewee.
Related records: W. Page Keeton Papers, Tarlton Law Library.
Keeton, W. Page, 1909-1999. W. Page Keeton graduated from The University of Texas Law School in 1931 and joined the UT law faculty the following year at the age of 23. He earned a Doctor of Juridical Science degree from Harvard in 1936. During World War II he served in Washington, D.C. as legal counsel in the Office of Price Administration and the Petroleum Administration for War. Following the War, Keeton served as law school dean at the University of Oklahoma (1946-1949) before coming back to the UT Law School as dean. During his 25-year deanship (1949-1974), Keeton established the Law School Foundation and a large endowment to support the school, recruited an nationally-recognized faculty, and earned a reputation as a champion of academic freedom against attacks from the bar, conservative alumni, and the UT Board of Regents, particularly its chairman Frank Erwin. He continued to teach and publish during his deanship and until his retirement in 1995 (part-time from 1979). As one of the nation's foremost authorities on the law of torts, particularly in the field of products liability, he co-authored several leading casebooks and helped litigate several cases as a private attorney. During Keeton's 1961 term as president of the Association of American Law Schools, the organization hired its first permanent staff and took a more active role in improving legal education. He served on several statewide and national commissions, and was also active in civic affairs and the Methodist Church.
Scope and Content: This collection includes material relating to Keeton's activities as professor and dean of The University of Texas School of Law; in the field of products liability and medical malpractice; with the Texas State Penal Code Revision Project; and with the Texas Constitutional Revison Commission. Included in the collection are correspondence, printed material, case files, ephemera, and literary productions. A large part of the collection consists of files of the Dean of the University of Texas School of Law, mostly from Keeton's tenure as dean with a few items from his predecessor, Dean Charles T. McCormick.
Related records: W. PAGE KEETON: AN ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEW (Austin: Tarlton Law Library, 1992); Keeton v. Erwin file (F76); Roy M. Mersky's W. Page Keeton file (F76/8); 1968 House Appropriations Bill Collection (J1-J2).
McCormick, Charles T., 1899-1963. Charles T. McCormick was Professor of Law at The University of Texas (1922-1926, 1940-1963), the University of North Carolina (1926-1931), and Northwestern University (1931-1940); and dean of the law schools at the University of North Carolina (1927-1931) and The University of Texas (1940-1949). As dean at Texas, he led the Law School through the difficult war years, won approval for a new building, and is widely credited for his efforts to improve the curriculum, the faculty, and the school's national reputation. He was an authority on evidence, damages, and federal court procedure, and published extensively in those areas.
Scope and Content: The School of Law Files (1940-1961) document McCormick's service on numerous Law School and University committees, and contain correspondence and other material on his appointment and resignation as law school dean. The Sweatt v. Painter and TSUN Files (1947-1949) relate to McCormick's testimony in Sweatt v. Painter and his role as administrator of the Texas State University for Negroes law school, and thus help document the history of racial integration at the University of Texas. University of Texas Committee Files (1944-1945) contain minutes and documents of the "Special Commitee on the Interrelations of the Administrative Council, the Executive Committee, and the General Faculty", a faculty committee (with McCormick as a member) appointed by UT President Homer Rainey to address issues of faculty governance, tenure and academic freedom. General Correspondence Files (1920-1964) contain exchanges with other scholars and members of the legal profession on a variety of subjects, and shed light on McCormick's views on the law, politics, academia, and legal education. There is considerable discussion of faculty members and faculty politics at the law schools of Yale, The University of Texas, and the University of North Carolina. Publication & Research Files (1925-1963) contain drafts, correspondence, notes, research materials, and financial records for McCormick's casebooks on evidence, damages, and federal courts, and the dozens of law review articles he authored. Speech Files (1940-1959) contain drafts, correspondence, and other material for speeches about the Law School and on legal subjects, including several given during World War II about the Law School's contributions to the war effort. His classroom activities are documented in the Teaching files (1925-1963). The Organizations Files (1940-1962) document his work on drafting the Uniform Rules of Evidence for the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, and his activities with the American Association of Law Schools, the Oliver Wendell Holmes Devise Committee, bar associations, and numerous other groups. The Personal Files (1917-62) include financial records, ephemera, Army service records, wills, and records relating to his philanthropy, church activities, and travels.
Related records: See: David W. Robertson & Robin Meyer, THE CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN LEON GREEN AND CHARLES McCORMICK, 1927-1962 (1988). The University of Texas School of Law Records contain memoranda and faculty minutes from McCormick's tenure as dean.
Townes, John Charles, 1852-1923. John C. Townes practiced law privately and served twice as state district judge before becoming professor of law at The University of Texas in 1896. In 1901, Townes became the first dean of the UT Law School. He soon resigned to teach full-time but resumed the deanship in 1908 and held it until shortly before his death in 1923. He authored several law books and was active in the founding of the University Baptist Church (Austin, Texas).
Scope and Content: Autograph and typescript manuscripts, galley proofs, notebooks, pamphlets, ephemera, newspapers, and news clippings relate to Townes' legal writings, teaching, candidacy for the Texas Supreme Court (1912), religious activities and beliefs, and support of prohibition.
Arrangement: Organized into the following series, arranged chronologically within record type: I. Legal material, 1911-1923 and undated; II. Religious material, 1901-1918 and undated; III. Prohibition material, 1887-1918 and undated; IV. General material, 1911.
Finding aid: A detailed finding aid to the collection is available in the Tarlton Library's Rare Book Reading Room.
University of Texas at Austin. School of Law. Associate Dean. T.J. Gibson III served as assistant dean of students, University of Texas School of Law, 1956-1969, and as associate dean of students, 1969-1984. His office was primarily involved with law school admissions, student discipline, student organizations, curriculum, and the Sunflower Ceremony (the Law School's commencement ceremony). Gibson was involved in many other aspects of the Law School's administration, such as curriculum, development, and representing the Law School on University and professional committees. He was instrumental in founding the Prelaw Society of Texas.
Scope and Content: The files were created and maintained by T. J. Gibson III during the later part of his tenure as assistant dean and associate dean for students in the University of Texas School of Law. The largest series, Administration--Dean T.J. Gibson (1949-1986, bulk 1973-1984; 4 linear ft.), includes numerous files dealing with admissions, curriculum, joint degree programs, grading standards, handbooks, statistics, and general administrative matters in the University of Texas School of Law. A file of photographs includes dozens of images on the demolition of Pearce Hall (the Law School's building from 1908 to 1953) and photos of T. J. Gibson, Prof. William Fritz, and other Law School faculty, staff, students, and events. Other significant files include those on Law Week activities (1981-1984), the Prelaw Society of Texas (1982-1984), and others relating to minority students. The Committees, Groups & Associations series (1966-1984; 1 linear ft.) reflect Gibson's service on Law School, University of Texas, American Bar Association, and other committees relating to admissions, accreditation, student affairs, the Student Bar Association, curriculum, and the selection of a Law School dean in 1978-1979. The Sunflower Ceremony files (1966-1985, 1 linear ft.) contains photographs, instructions, planning documents, and programs for the Law School's distinctive commencement exercise. Also present are two small file series: Meetings (1972-1977, 0.25 linear ft.), which includes minutes of the Law School faculty for 1974-1977; and General Correspondence (1972-1982; 0.5 linear ft.), which includes files on the 1981 reaccreditation of the George Mason University School of Law.
Arrangement: The records retain their original arrangement and order. The creator's file numbering system (i.e. "1-1", "1-2", "2-1", "2-2", etc.) is noted in parentheses in the folder titles.
Restrictions: Some files deal with student discipline, grades, personnel matters; permission of the Dean of the University of Texas School of Law is required for use.
Related records: Files from Gibson's work as assistant dean and associate dean of students for the 1950s-1970s are in the T. J. Gibson Papers.
