Stetson Lawyer; 1967 vol. 10 no. 2 February

'■Kf ' W5BBME VOLUME 10 NO. 2 ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA February, 1967 OVERSEERS — Walter Mann, New York philanthropist, lends an ear to Ralph Ferrell, Coral Gables, who succeeds Perry Nichols, '37, as Chairman of the Board. FOUNDATION — Arthur Morris (left), treasurer, and Gardner W. Beckett, '57, successor to Walter Mann as president of the Law Center Foundation. FERRELL NEW CHAIRMAN, BOARD OF OVERSEERS Beckett, '57. Will Head Law Center Foundation Ralph H. Ferrell of Coral Gables was elected chairman of the Board of Overseers of the College of Law for 1967-68 at a meeting of the Board, January 28, succeeding Perry Nichols, '37, of Miami. On the same day, members of the Law Center Foundation chose Gardner W. Beckett, '57, of St. Petersburg their president for the ensuing year. Mr. Ferrell, for many years a trustee of Stetson University, was a long-time partner of the firm of Redfearn and Ferrell in Miami. He took his legal education at Wake Forest and Harvard University. From the former institution he also holds an A.B. and an A.M. degree. New By-Laws Adopted As chairman, Mr. Ferrell will be directing the Overseers under a new set of by-laws which provides that seven of the overseers be Stetson trustees, that seven be members of the Stetson Lawyers Association, and that six be members at large. This precipitates a general review of the present membership and a committee has been appointed to make recommendations for bringing the Board up to full strength. There are presently only three members at large. The Board of Overseers is responsible for the overall policy of the College of Law. It approves and assists in the makeup of the annual budget and works closely with the President of the University and the Dean of the College in their efforts to continue the development of the "full-grown but ever growing" law college. Beckett A Local Resident Mr. Beckett is a St. Petersburg resident and a partner in the law firm of Nelson, Beckett and Nelson. He was graduated from Princeton University in 1948, attended Harvard Law School, and received his LL.B from Stetson in 1957. Although he is a comoarativelv new member of the Foundation Board, ( Continued on Page 8) Stetson Lawyers Elect Officers and Directors; Alumni Support Sought To Meet Challenge Gift At the annual business meeting of the Stetson Lawyers Association, held at the College of Law, Saturday, February II, Robert "Bob" Stinnett, '62, of Sarasota, was elected president for the ensuing year. Other newly-elected officers are: Robert Beach, '58, St. Petersburg, 1st Vice President; Vernon Evans, '48, Tampa, 2nd Vice President; William Unger, '58, Gulfport, Treasurer; Robert L. Williams, '59, St. Petersburg, Secretary; and Everett Cushman, '59, St. Petersburg, Assistant Secretary. (Picture Page 7). As provided by the constitution, fifteen directors were also elected from 15 of Florida's 17 judicial circuits. No directors were elected from the third and eighth circuits, but alumni from these circuits will be included among the six directors at large which the president is empowered to appoint. Directors by Circuits The elected directors and the circuits they will represent are: Curtis Golden, '57, First; Charles McClure, '63, Second; Tom Greene, '58, Fourth; Judge Troy '41, Fifth; Judge William Patter- '60, Sixth; John Mattingly, '56, Seventh; Ray Lilley, '59, Ninth; John Wendel, '63, Tenth; James Tribble, '57, Eleventh; Judge Robert Hensley, '50, Twelfth; Peter Friscia, '30, Thirteenth; Tom Wilkinson, '60, Fourteenth; James Nemec, '36, Fifteenth; William Chappell, '64, Sixteenth; and Wynne Casteel, '58, Seventeenth. Allan Hickok, "66, Executive Director of the Law Center Foundation, called upon the new officers and directors to concentrate on getting Association Hal son, members to meet their pledges to the College of Law. Other Gifts in Jeopardy "If the Association does not contribute $25,000 to the support of the College of Law by June I," Hickok stated, "the College will lose a challenge gift of an equal amount from business men in the St. Petersburg community." He pointed out that alumni commitments already made are sufficient to meet the challenge, but only if they are fully honored, and explained that last year alumni contributions came up to expectations. The "homecoming" originally scheduled for February 10 and I I, which was to have been highlighted by a one and one half day seminar on Constitutional Revision, failed to materialize when, in quick succession, Governor Kirk called a special legislative session to consider constitutional revision and the Supreme Court invalidated Florida's reapportionment plan. Only a handful of alumni were present for the business meeting. President Stinnett explained that he was hopeful of arranging a homecoming program that will attract alumni to the College of Law campus this spring.