History of the Collection

Two members of the Law School's original faculty, Professors O.M. Roberts and R.S. Gould, donated their private libraries to the Law school in 1884. A number of these volumes are now in the collection.

Exposicio[n]es t[er]mi[n]o[rum]
legu[m] anglo[rum], 1523
The Jamail Rastell Dictionary

Significant donations since then include:

The Carswell Company, 1921 (over 1,100 volumes, primarily English nominative reporters)

Judge Robert Lynn Batts, 1935 (early English and Spanish law books), and the bequest of the Robert Lynn Batts library by his daughter Margaret Tobin Batts 1993 (over 100 volumes of English, Spanish & American law, transferred from the Center for American History)

Harry Gammel, son of the famous Texas book dealer & publisher H.P.N. Gammel, 1946 (Spanish, Mexican, and European law),

The Texas Supreme Court Library, 1940-1970 (16th-19th century volumes of Roman, canon, French, and Spanish law; see Michael Widener, Hispanic & European Law Books in the Old Texas Supreme Court Library, a PDF file)

Chauncey D. Leake, Jr. (UT Law 1955) 1997- (early European law books and law-related fine press books; The Mildred A. O'Donohoe Collection of Williston Fish's Last Will. Online Exhibit: Williston Fish's Last Will ).

Joseph D. Jamail (UT Law 1953) 1999 (The Law Library's Millionth Volume, the Jamail Rastell Dictionary, and 64 volumes Birmingham Law Society Auction, 2001, view list).

If you have questions or suggestions about this page, please contact the Rare Books & Special Collections Department.