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When Dr. Maurine Hoffman Beasley decided to revive a scholarship at the University of Missouri School of Law this year, she wasn’t just making a gift in her father’s name — she was continuing a family legacy that stretches back nearly 150 years at Mizzou.
“Our family has always revered the University of Missouri, going back to my grandfather and grandmother, who graduated in 1876,” Beasley said. “It was a way for our family to move up in the world.”
Beasley, a 1958 graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism and a retired longtime journalism professor at the University of Maryland, re-established the Judge Dimmitt Hoffman Scholarship to support law students in honor of her father, a 1909 graduate of the School of Law. The scholarship was first created by Judge Hoffman himself in the 1960s and supported Mizzou Law students for several years before his death.
Judge Hoffman’s dedication to education and the law left an enduring mark on his community and the university. After earning his law degree from Mizzou, he returned to Sedalia, Missouri, where he served as a circuit judge for 36 years — still believed possibly to be the longest service by a circuit judge in state history. His father, Louis Hoffman, had also served as a judge in Sedalia on the same circuit where Dimmitt served for so many years, making the Hoffmans a multi-generational family of public servants.
For Beasley, reinstating the scholarship is a way to ensure that her father’s belief in justice and fairness continues to shape future generations of lawyers.
“My father believed in a country that depends on the law to make society function,” Beasley said. “He believed in fairness and that the law should be fair. He would think that supporting future lawyers to help uphold the law is vital, especially in the current climate.”
The original scholarship helped numerous students pursue their legal education at Mizzou, including former Tiger football star quarterback and University of Missouri System Curator Phil Snowden, as well as attorney Stephen Hill from Trenton, Missouri. Hill’s son, Stephen Hill Jr., also a Mizzou Law graduate from 1986, said the scholarship his father received had a profound impact on his life and career.
“For my father, the scholarship was not only helpful in defraying the costs of his law school education, but a vital vote of confidence for a student from a small town in north-central Missouri,” Hill Jr. said. “Scholarships like the one my father received from Judge Hoffman are part of the life-changing experience Mizzou Law has made possible for students. Our family is so grateful to donors for their investment and support in our father. It’s one of the reasons we support the Mizzou Law with a scholarship in his name.”
That spirit of support and encouragement continues today. One of the current recipients of the Judge Dimmitt Hoffman Scholarship, 1L Jacob Lichtenstein, said the award has allowed him to focus on his studies and consider pursuing work in public service.
“Because of the Hoffmans’ generosity and that of other Mizzou alumni and donors, I can afford to go to law school and potentially pursue a public interest position upon graduation without having to worry about massive student loan debt,” Lichtenstein said. “I hope to honor the rich legacy of Judge Hoffman and other past remarkable recipients of the scholarship during and after my time at Mizzou.”
Beasley’s own career has been defined by a commitment to education and public service, values that reflect the same spirit that inspired her father’s work. After earning her journalism degree from Mizzou, she worked as a reporter for the Kansas City Star and later earned a master’s degree from Columbia University in New York. She went on to report for The Washington Post and earn a doctorate degree in American Civilization from George Washington University. Beasley then joined faculty at the University of Maryland, where she taught journalism for 40 years and became a respected scholar of women and media.
Mizzou Law Dean Paul Litton said the renewed scholarship will provide meaningful support to law students for years to come and serves as a powerful reminder of the long history of alumni who have helped sustain the school’s mission.
“The Judge Dimmitt Hoffman Scholarship is a wonderful example of how our alumni and their families continue to invest in the success of future lawyers,” Litton said. “We are deeply grateful to Dr. Beasley for honoring her father’s legacy and reaffirming the values that define Mizzou Law.”
Beasley hopes the revived scholarship will not only honor her father’s service but also encourage others to give back in ways that help students pursue meaningful careers.
“My father believed the law was essential to a functioning democracy,” she said. “He would be proud to know that his scholarship is once again helping young people who share that belief.”
Through her gift, Beasley ensures that the same principles that guided her father’s life — fairness, opportunity and a deep respect for the rule of law — will continue to open doors for Mizzou Law students for generations to come.