Robert Q. Kelly

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De Paul University College of Law

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The Catholic Lawyer Volume 6 Number 4 Volume 6, Autumn 1960, Number 4 Article 5 June 2016 De Paul University College of Law Robert Q. Kelly Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.law.stjohns.edu/tcl  Part of the Catholic Studies Commons Recommended Citation Robert Q. Kelly (1960) "De Paul University College of Law," The Catholic Lawyer: Vol. 6 : No. 4 , Article 5. Available at: https://scholarship.law.stjohns.edu/tcl/vol6/iss4/5 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at St. John's Law Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Catholic Lawyer by an authorized editor of St. John's Law Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact selbyc@stjohns.edu. This Is the sixteenth of a series of articles on Catholic Law Schools in America.DE PAUL UNIVERSITYCOLLEGE OF LAWROBERT Q. KELLY*D URING THIS YEAR it is appropriate to introduce into the gallery ofCatholic law schools a sketch of De Paul University College ofLaw, Chicago, Illinois, because this is the 300th anniversary of the deathof Saint Vincent De Paul, from whom that institution derived its nameand spiritual heritage. At his death on September 27, 1660, Saint Vin-cent bequeathed to his followers, the priests of the Congregation of theMission, or Vincentians, as they are popularly known, a philosophy ofeducating leaders of the people. The Vincentian priests, who now filladministrative and teaching posts in De Paul University College of Law,are perpetuating the philosophy of their great founder.The scene of Saint Vincent's earliest labors was France, but his fol-lowers multiplied and extended the apostolate into other lands until,in 1816, four Vincentians sailed to the United States to establish a com-munity in Missouri. In 1875, priests of that community traveled toChicago to build a parish on the present site of the Northside Campusof De Paul University. The Secretary of State of Illinois issued a cer-tificate of incorporation to the University in December, 1907.Late in 1910, Howard N. Ogden, President of the Illinois Collegeof Law, petitioned Father Francis X. McCabe, C.M., the second pres-ident of De Paul University, for affiliation of the College of Law withthe University. The president and trustees of De Paul authorized acommittee to visit the Illinois College of Law and to report to thepresident its findings. One member of the committee, Father Daniel J.McHugh, C.M., presently Historian and Archivist of De Paul Uni-versity, described his impression of the College of Law as follows:*Librarian and Assistant Professor of Law, De Paul University College of Law.The front wooden stairs, leading to theupper floors of the building, were badlyworn and splintery. . . .While the librarywas supposed to have about two thousandvolumes, many of these were badly worn,greatly in need of rebinding. Nevertheless,there was quite an appeal, a living appeal,in the framed pictures along the stairways:"Class of 1898," "Class of 1899." Herewere valuable assets, living men (and afew women), some of whom were destinedto become professors, instructors and strongsupporters of the school for many yearsto come.On February 21, 1912, an agreement ofaffiliation was executed between the officersof the Illinois College of Law and De PaulUniversity. In 1915, De Paul succeeded to6 CATHOLIC LAWYER, AUTUMN 1960the entire interest of its affiliate.In the intervening years, the location ofthe College of Law was changed severaltimes, and in August, 1957 it commencedoccupancy of present quarters, the FrankJ. Lewis Center, in Chicago's Loop. Thissite was named after the man who gave toDe Paul University the skyscraper of eight-een stories, into which the College of Lawwas moved. The administrative offices ofthe College of Law and its classrooms arelocated on the eighth floor, and the lawlibrary, surrounded by faculty offices, occu-pies the seventh floor. Within the rare booksection of the law library is a treasure ofSaint Thomas More's writings: "TheA wing of the DePaul University Law Library.DE PAUL. LAW SCHOOLWorkes of Sir Thomas More Knyght,Sometyme Lorde Chancellour of England.Printed at London at the Coste and Chargeof John Cawood, John Walley, and RichardTottle, Apryll, 1557." Saint Thomas Moreis also represented in one of the six stainedDean Daniel P. Wardglass windows which enshrine the Chapelof Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, onthe first floor of the Frank J. Lewis Center.An annual custom at De Paul Universityis the celebration of the Red Mass, accom-panied by a sermon on the natural law,given by Father Comerford J. O'Malley,C.M., S.T.D., President. For several years,Father John T. Richardson, C.M., S.T.D.,Executive Vice President, has conducteda course in philosophy of law for all lawstudents. Moreover, the De Paul Law Re-view, published by the College of Law semi-annually, has featured many articles andreviews devoted to philosophic aspects ofthe modern practice of law.True to the Vincentian philosophy ofeducating leaders for the people, the fourthousand law alumni of De Paul practicein jurisdictions throughout the UnitedStates. Twenty-five graduates serve asjudges in various courts: the United StatesCourt of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit,the United States District Courts and instate, county and municipal tribunalsthroughout the Midwest. The present LawDean, Daniel P. Ward, had served as Assis-tant United States Attorney for the North-ern District of Illinois for seven years beforeassuming his present office. Assistant DeanPhilip Romiti has had more than a decadeof experience as a local magistrate. Forforty-eight years, De Paul University Col-lege of Law has educated her graduates tobecome "valuable assets" of their commu-nities, formed and fashioned in the twintraditions of Saint Thomas More and SaintVincent De Paul.

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