Stetson Lawyer; 1969 vol. 13 no. 1 December

^tetnen Volume 13, Number I ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA December, 1969 RECORD ENROLLMENT AS COLLEGE ENTERS 70th YEAR Freshmen Told Law Must Accommodate Itself To The Changing Neeeds Of A Dynamic Society MISSION IMPOSSIBLE. Eliciting smiles from new students undergoing the awe-inspiring experience of learning how to use the 59,400 volumes in the Charles A. Dana Library would seem to be as difficult as tickling the Sphinx into laughter. But nothing daunts upperclassman Gary Formet, Vietnam veteran, who finds time for a joke while undertaking assignment by Orientation Committee "to explain the National Reporter System in 20 minutes." Stetson University College of Law began its 70th year of operation and its 16th on the St. Petersburg campus, Thursday, September II. Mrs. Kay Eddy, registrar, announced a record enrollment of 327 students on opening day. Freshmen reported for their first classes prepared for immediate indoctrination in the mysteries of the law after undergoing a comprehensive two-day orientation program, sponsored by the Student Bar Association on Sep- emphasizing the trust that is imposed upon him as confidant of his clients and as an officer of the court. In the course of his remarks he defined a lawyer as "a professional consultant of his fellow- men, who facilitates the peaceful resolution of conflict through the use of law." Goldner related his convictions as a member of the legal profession to his moderately liberal political philosophy by stating that attorneys must ever seek to accommodate the law and their interpretation of it to the needs of a dynamic society. "We should not try to prevent change," he counselled, "but we must foster it on a peaceful and orderly basis." Enrollment Statistics A breakdown by classes of the student body reveals that there are 71 seniors and 76 juniors. 24 of these seniors are scheduled to graduate in January, 43 in May, and the remaining 4 in August. Of the 180 freshmen, 126 entered at the beginning of the fall semester, while 54 took advantage of tember 9 and 10, under the direction of its president, Mike Zealy, of Fort Lauderdale. Mary Lou Wagstaff, a senior from Winter Park, served as chairman of the orientation committee. Goldner Is Speaker Highlighting orientation activities was a luncheon in the Great Hall, September 10. At this time Dean Richard T. Dillon welcomed the new students and introduced them to members of the faculty. Chosen as principal speaker for the occasion, to impress upon freshmen the duties and responsibilities they will face as lawyers, was Herman Goldner, a successful local attorney who for many years was a highly popular and efficient mayor of St. Petersburg. Mr. Goldner candidly advised the freshmen to re-evaluate both their motives and the amount they are investing in their future if they chose to become lawyers chiefly because lawyers seem to be respected, well-known and fairly rich. He then proceeded to outline in some detail the lawyer's role in society, Stetson's decision for a second consecutive year to admit students at the beginning of the summer session. Very much a numerical minority, but definitely not overawed or unnoticed, are the twelve women registrants, eight of whom are freshmen. Surprisingly, in view of the abolishment of draft deferments for most graduate students, applications for admission for the 1969-1970 academic year greatly exceeded expectations, enabling the College to select for its largest entering class ever only students with good undergraduate records and scores on the Law School Admission Test that average well over 500. v^ui cycj i\cpicscni&w The present student body represents 123 colleges and universities from 31 states and one foreign country (Cuba). The best represented school is the University of Florida, with 43 students. Stetson University is next with 30 students, closely followed by the University of South Florida and Florida State University, in that order. Outside the State of Florida, New York contributes the most students — 26 from 20 schools. New Jersey, though represented by only six schools, nevertheless has 16 students in attendance. Veterans enrolled number 96. Nearly one-half the freshmen married before entering law school. $100,000 GIFT Word has been received from Walter Mann, a member of the Board of Overseers, that the Charles A. Dana Foundation has voted a gift of $100,000 to the College of Law. In expressing his deep appreciation. Dean Dillon stated that the income from the gift will be used to permanently continue the Charles A. Dana Scholarships. Unfortunately, announcement of the gift came after The Stetson Lawyer was already in the hands of the printer, too late for a recital of the many other contributions to the College both by Mr. and Mrs. Dana personally and through the Foundation.