April 22, 2016
McKeldin Library
The University of Maryland
College Park, MD

Did you know Florida’s first law school was at Stetson University?

It was founded in 1900, and Emmett was one of the very first graduates (he was Valedictorian for the class of 1904).

When Emmett attended between 1902-1904, Stetson’s law school was in DeLand, Florida, and most of the classes met in a building called Science Hall. The law school during Emmett’s time wasn’t big; in fact, Emmett’s graduating class had only 10 students.

Here’s a description of Stetson’s law school — actually ‘law department’ — back then:

Here’s an image from a Stetson brochure featuring the law school and some of the students:

In 1903, Emmett lived in a dorm called East Hall his first year of law school, costing about $206 year. It included “tuition, board, furnished room, lights, and washing.” Books cost about $35 a year, and were references he’d use during his early years as a lawyer. When Emmett was ready to graduate, his diploma fee was $5.

Today, the law department is a school unto itself, and is in Tampa Bay. It has definitely come a long way since Emmett’s day.

Updated from April 22, 2016, at this link.

Categories: Book Congressman Family Florida History

Tagged as: Stetson University Law School

jsmith532

Professor
The University of Maryland Global Campus