Mizzou Law Trailblazers

1867

University of Missouri Board of Curators Vote to Establish Law Department

April 17, 1867

On April 17, 1867, the Board of Curators voted to establish a department of law at the University of Missouri. In doing so, they fulfilled President Read’s request for a college of law at the…

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1872

Philemon Bliss Becomes First Dean of the University of Missouri Law Department

April 13, 1872
Philemon Bliss Becomes First Dean of the University of Missouri Law Department

Philemon Bliss accepted appointment as Professor of Law for the 1872-73 academic year following the end of his term as a judge of the Supreme Court of Missouri. Soon after, he was designated as the department of law’s first…

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1872

University of Missouri Law Department Formally Opened

October 7, 1872
University of Missouri Law Department Formally Opened

On October 7, 1872, the University of Missouri Law Department was formally opened. There were 25 students in the inaugural class, and two connected classrooms were set aside in Academic Hall specifically for use by the law department. Later, a third connected room would be used to house the law…

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1892

Academic Hall Burns Down; Law Classes Meet at Boone County Courthouse

January 9, 1892
Academic Hall Burns Down; Law Classes Meet at Boone County Courthouse

During the evening of Saturday, January 9, 1892, a fire broke out on the east end of Academic Hall. By midnight, the fire had consumed the entire building. Because the rooms that housed the department of law were located at the west end of Academic Hall, most of the law library’s collection was rescued before the fire spread to the…

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1893

Classes Begin in New Law Department Building

February 21, 1893
Classes Begin in New Law Department Building

Commonly called the “Law Barn” by law students, the Law Department Building opened in 1893 on the northeast corner of the Francis Quadrangle. It allotted considerably more space to the growing department, with two classrooms, moot court and club rooms, “quiz rooms,” offices for the faculty, and a large law library. The “Law Barn” would eventually become the Sociology Building.…

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1896

Carey May Carrol Becomes First Known Female Graduate of Mizzou Law

May 10, 1896
Carey May Carrol Becomes First Known Female Graduate of Mizzou Law

Carey May Carrol was the first known female graduate of the University of Missouri Law Department, graduating in the class of…

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1899

Gratia E. Woodside Becomes First Female Student to Graduate at Head of Class

January 1, 1899

In 1899, Gratia E. Woodside graduated first in her class at Mizzou Law, the earliest female student to do so. Ms. Woodside would go on to become the second woman licensed to practice law in…

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1909

Mizzou Law Department Becomes Mizzou School of Law

January 1, 1909

Although its enrollment and library remained relatively small, the University of Missouri Law Department was rechristened as the University of Missouri School of Law in…

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1927

Mizzou School of Law Moves to Tate Hall

January 1, 1927
Mizzou School of Law Moves to Tate Hall

By 1926, 146 students were enrolled in the School of Law and the law library had a collection of over 25,000 books. It was clear that the school had outgrown the Law Barn. To remedy this, Mr. and Mrs. Frank R. Tate offered to pay for half of the cost of a new building. This building was to be named…

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1938

Lloyd Gaines Argues for Educational Equality in Missouri Before the United States Supreme Court

May 13, 1938
Lloyd Gaines Argues for Educational Equality in Missouri Before the United States Supreme Court

In February of 1938, the Supreme Court of Missouri affirmed the School of Law’s decision to deny Mr. Gaines entry. The Supreme Court of the United States granted certiorari on Mr. Gaines’ case, Missouri ex rel. Gaines v. Canada. On December 12, 1938, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the Missouri Supreme Court’s judgement remanding the case for further proceedings consistent…

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1939

Lloyd Gaines Last Seen in Chicago, IL

March 1, 1939
Lloyd Gaines Last Seen in Chicago, IL

Sadly, Mr. Gaines never attended law school at the University of Missouri School of Law. Three months after winning his case, Mr. Gaines was staying with some of his fraternity brothers at the Alpha Phi Alpha house in Chicago, IL. One day that March, Mr. Gaines left the house to buy stamps and never returned. Mr. Gaines was only 28…

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1960

Addition to Tate Hall Completed

January 1, 1960
Addition to Tate Hall Completed

As the law school continued to grow in size, plans for an addition to Tate Hall were drafted in 1958. The Mizzou law faculty approved these plans, which included a combination courtroom, classroom, and auditorium located on the ground floor. The second and third floors featured conference rooms, offices for the deans and faculty, additional space for the library collection,…

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1963

Joan Miday Krauskopf Becomes First Female Faculty Member at Mizzou Law

May 13, 1963
Joan Miday Krauskopf Becomes First Female Faculty Member at Mizzou Law

In Prof. Krauskopf   Prof. Krauskopf attended the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law for her 1L year before transferring to Ohio State University, where she had earned her bachelor’s degree. In December 1957, Prof. Krauskopf graduated summa cum laude from Ohio State, tying for first place in her class.She taught at Ohio State until 1960 and then…

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1968

Harold (Doc) L. Holliday, Jr. Becomes First Black Student to Graduate from Mizzou Law

May 13, 1968
Harold (Doc) L. Holliday, Jr. Becomes First Black Student to Graduate from Mizzou Law

Mr. Holliday enrolled at Mizzou Law in 1965 and became the first Black individual to matriculate and graduate from the law…

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1969

Lynwood J. Evans is Second Black Student to Graduate from Mizzou Law

May 13, 1969
Lynwood J. Evans is Second Black Student to Graduate from Mizzou Law

Mr. Evans transferred to Mizzou Law in 1967 and then graduated in…

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1969

Joyce Otten Appointed First Female Missouri Associate Circuit Judge

May 14, 1969
Joyce Otten Appointed First Female Missouri Associate Circuit Judge

Joyce Otten, Mizzou Law class of 1968, was appointed as the Missouri Associate Circuit Judge to Circuit 2 in…

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1979

Irene J. Smith Is First Black Female Student to Graduate from Mizzou Law

May 13, 1979
Irene J. Smith Is First Black Female Student to Graduate from Mizzou Law

Irene Smith, class of 1979, became the first Black female graduate of Mizzou Law. She then went on to become the first Black graduate elected to the Board of Alderman in St. Louis,…

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1979

Ellen Roper Appointed First Female Circuit Judge in Missouri

June 14, 1979
Ellen Roper Appointed First Female Circuit Judge in Missouri

Ellen Roper, Mizzou Law class of 1973, became the first female circuit judge in Missouri when she was appointed to the 13th Judicial Circuit in Missouri. She served as a circuit judge until 2007 and now works on civil mediation…

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1983

Mizzou Law Partially Moves to Lowry Hall

May 2, 1983
Mizzou Law Partially Moves to Lowry Hall

Due to the rising number of students coming to Mizzou Law, law classes were held in Lowry Hall in addition to Tate…

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1984

Michael E. Melton is First Black Mizzou Law Graduate to Become Registered Patent Attorney

June 14, 1984
Michael E. Melton is First Black Mizzou Law Graduate to Become Registered Patent Attorney

Michael Melton, class of 1984, is the first Black graduate of Mizzou Law to become a Registered Patent Attorney. Mr. Melton was also the first Black Mizzou Law graduate to serve as European Legal Counsel for a major corporation and the first Black Mizzou Law graduate to serve as a corporate Vice President. Mr. Melton founded, and is now the…

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1984

Needra Jackson is First Black Law Librarian

December 17, 1984
Needra Jackson is First Black Law Librarian

Needra Jackson was the Black woman serving as a non-regular faculty member at the University of Missouri Law School. She served in several different positions within the Law Library, including head of the Circulation Department, the Reference Department, and as the Head of the Collection Development Department at her retirement in 2020.…

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1985

Kim J. Norwood, First Black Student Named to Law Review, Graduates from Mizzou Law

January 1, 1985
Kim J. Norwood, First Black Student Named to Law Review, Graduates from Mizzou Law

Kim Norwood, class of 1985, was the first Black Mizzou Law graduate named to Law Review. Prof. Norwood also became the first Black female Mizzou Law graduate to become a law professor at the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis,…

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1985

Michael A. Middleton is First Black Law Professor at Mizzou Law

January 2, 1985
Michael A. Middleton is First Black Law Professor at Mizzou Law

Prof. Middleton, class of 1971, was the second Black student to enroll, fully matriculate, and graduate from Mizzou Law. In 1985, Prof. Middleton became the first African American law professor at Mizzou Law. In 1998, Prof. Middleton was also the first Black Mizzou Law graduate to be appointed Deputy Chancellor of the University of…

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1986

Ron Norwood, First Black Mizzou Law Student Elected to Editorial Board of Law Review, Graduates

January 1, 1986
Ron Norwood, First Black Mizzou Law Student Elected to Editorial Board of Law Review, Graduates

Ron Norwood was the first Black Mizzou law student elected to the Editorial Board of the Missouri Law…

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1987

Ann Kettering Covington Appointed First Female Missouri Court of Appeals Judge

January 1, 1987
Ann Kettering Covington Appointed First Female Missouri Court of Appeals Judge

Ann Kettering Covington, Mizzou Law class of 1977, was the first woman to be appointed to the Missouri Court of Appeals as a judge. Shortly after this, she was appointed as the first woman to the Supreme Court of Missouri, where she served from 1989 to 2001. She served a two-year term during this period as the Court’s Chief Justice…

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1988

Ellar Duff Appointed First Black Female Associate Judge on Third Judicial Circuit in Madison County, IL

January 1, 1988
Ellar Duff Appointed First Black Female Associate Judge on Third Judicial Circuit in Madison County, IL

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1988

Hulston Hall Opens

January 1, 1988
Hulston Hall Opens

Also called the “New Law Barn”, Hulston Hall opened in 1988 to provide a larger space for the increasing amount of students attending Mizzou…

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1988

Kylar Broadus, Black Trans Attorney, Activist, Author, Professor, and Public Speaker, Graduates from Mizzou Law

May 15, 1988
Kylar Broadus, Black Trans Attorney, Activist, Author, Professor, and Public Speaker, Graduates from Mizzou Law

Kylar Broadus, a Black trans man and a pioneer in the LGBT movement, graduated from Mizzou Law in 1988. Prof. Broadus is an attorney, activist, author, public speaker, and a professor at the historically black Lincoln University in Jefferson City,…

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1990

Mary L. Scott, First Female Editor-in-Chief of Mizzou Law Review, Graduates

January 1, 1990
Mary L. Scott, First Female Editor-in-Chief of Mizzou Law Review, Graduates

Mary Scott (’90) served as the first female editor-in-chief of the Missouri Law Review in…

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1995

Edward Blakely Graduates from Mizzou Law

January 1, 1995
Edward Blakely Graduates from Mizzou Law

Blakely had a neuro-muscular condition that limited the use of his legs and forced him to use a wheelchair. While in law school, the only accomodation he asked for was extra time to take exams because he “wouldn’t accept that [he] was different than anyone…

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1997

Win Nickens Becomes First Black President of Mizzou SBA

January 1, 1997
Win Nickens Becomes First Black President of Mizzou SBA

Win Nickens became the first SBA president that was African…

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1997

Eric K. Banks First Black Mizzou Law Graduate to Serve as St. Louis City Counselor

January 2, 1997
Eric K. Banks First Black Mizzou Law Graduate to Serve as St. Louis City Counselor

Eric Banks (’80) became St. Louis City Counselor from 1997 to January 1999. He then became the first African American graduate named partner in a major law firm (Thompson Coburn LLC). Banks formed his own law firm, Banks Law, LLC., where he currently…

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2002

Day Al-Mohamed, Visually-Impaired Disability Rights Advocate, Graduates from Mizzou Law

January 1, 2002
Day Al-Mohamed, Visually-Impaired Disability Rights Advocate, Graduates from Mizzou Law

Al-Mohamed had a rock climbing accident when she was 19 that left her with the loss of her vision. She learned braille and had fellow students read to her to help her take notes. She also took her exams on a computer that would read the questions aloud to…

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2009

Mary E. Nelson is First African American Woman to Be Appointed Director of Boards and Commissions

January 1, 2009
Mary E. Nelson is First African American Woman to Be Appointed Director of Boards and Commissions

Mary Nelson has many ‘firsts’ under her belt. Before she was Governor Jay Nixon’s Director of Boards and Commissions, Ms. Nelson was the first African American elected to membership in the 80-year history of the law firm, Lashly and Baer. She was later appointed by Governor Nixon to serve as a Commissioner on the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission and…

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2014

Arsenio Mims, First Black Editor-in-Chief of a Mizzou Law Review, Graduates

May 15, 2014
Arsenio Mims, First Black Editor-in-Chief of a Mizzou Law Review, Graduates

Arsenio L. Mims served as the first African-American Editor-In-Chief of any law journal at the University of Missouri School of Law. He was the EIC of the Journal of Environmental and Sustainability…

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2017

Lyrissa B. Lidsky Becomes First Female Dean of Mizzou Law

July 1, 2017
Lyrissa B. Lidsky Becomes First Female Dean of Mizzou Law

Lyrissa Lidsky is Dean of the University of Missouri School of Law and Judge C.A. Leedy Professor of Law, and the focus of her research and teaching is the intersection of Tort Law and the First Amendment, with an emphasis on free speech issues in social media. Missouri Lawyers Media named Lidsky its 2020 Woman of the Year based on…

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2019

Wesley Bell Becomes First African American Prosecuting Attorney for St. Louis County, Missouri

January 1, 2019
Wesley Bell Becomes First African American Prosecuting Attorney for St. Louis County, Missouri

Wesley Bell is the Prosecuting Attorney for St. Louis County, Missouri. He was sworn in to office  on January 1st, 2019 and is the first African American to serve in this position. Elected in a 2018 landslide, Wesley ran a vigorous grassroots campaign to unseat a 28 year incumbent by a 14 point…

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2021

Judge Robin Ransom Is First Black Woman Appointed to the Missouri Supreme Court

June 8, 2021
Judge Robin Ransom Is First Black Woman Appointed to the Missouri Supreme Court

Judge Robin Ransom was selected by Governor Mike Parson to replace Judge Laura Denvir Stith on the Missouri Supreme Court. She is the first Black woman to join the…

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2023

Kayla Jackson-Williams to become first Black Boone County Judge

January 1, 2023
Kayla Jackson-Williams to become first Black Boone County Judge

Mizzou Law alumna, Kayla Jackson-Williams (’16), is running unopposed for the position of family law judge in Boone County. When she takes the seat, she will become the first Black Boone County Judge.…

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