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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.
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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.
