Baylor Law: A Rich and Proud Tradition

Appreciating the History of Baylor Law School

Baylor Law School anticipates a great future as it moves into the new technologically-innovative Sheila and Walter Umphrey Law Center. But the promise brought by the new building would be far less important were it not for the strong tradition the law school has developed as one of the elite practice-oriented legal training centers in the United States. The pages contained in this portion of the Web site are devoted to the history and tradition of Baylor Law School.

Baylor originally established the second law school west of the Mississippi in 1857. Law classes continued until 1883. In 1920, the Board of Trustees of Baylor University reestablished the law department under the direction of Dean Allen G. Flowers. Since its reestablishment, the mission of Baylor Law School has been to provide a practical legal education, focusing not only on the theory of the law, but also on training law students to become highly competent and ethical practitioners. The success of the law school is demonstrated by the extraordinary accomplishments of the graduates of the law school.

The Sheila and Walter Umphrey Law Center is the fifth home to the law school since its reestablishment in 1920. The fall quarter of 2001 marked the first time since 1955 that classes had not been taught in the Morrison Constitutional Hall. Buildings occupied by the law school appear in the photos below.

Any comments or additional information regarding this site will be greatly appreciated. Please contact Matt Cordon, Reference Librarian & Associate Professor of Law.

Jurisprudence Hall (1921-1923)

Dean Allen G. Flower stands before the doors of the second home of Baylor Law School after its reestablishment in 1920. During the 1920-21 school year, law classes were taught in the basement of the Carroll Science Building. From 1921 through 1923, Jurisprudence Hall, a small residential structure, served as offices and classroom spaces for the law school. This photo was taken in 1923.

Carroll Chapel and Library Building (1920, 1923-1947).

The law school was located on the fourth floor of the building presently occupied by the Carroll Library. At left, a view of the Law Library, which at the time contained 11,000 volumes. At right, a view of one of the classrooms. Both pictures were taken in about 1938.

Morrison Constitution Hall (1955-2001)

Morrison Constitutional Hall as it appeared soon after it opened in 1955. The building was completed at an estimated $560,000, and was considered one of the more advanced teaching facilities in the southwest at the time.

Sheila and Walter Umphrey Law Center (2001- )

The first classes at the law facility began in the fall quarter 2001. Financed in large part through a collective gift from Walter and Sheila Umphrey of Beaumont, Harold and Carol Ann Nix of Daingerfield, and John Eddie and Sheridan Williams of Houston, the new law center is one of the finest law facilities in the nation.