New Law Building

The first building to cateh the eye of the visitor to the Üniversity of Michigan who approaehes the campus trom the railroad station, is that of the law department. Always conspicuous by its situation, the large square tovver on the northwest, and glass extensión to the present crampedreading room f acilities on the west, popularly called the "Green House" by its jovial habitúes, have heretofore given it the distinction of marked difference from the other sim pier and less forward buildings of the Uuiversity. The accompanying cut shows the building as it will appear next October after remodeling and addition. Shorn of its tower and its "green house' it will still be an imposing, and indeed a more beautiful structure than at present, with the beauty that comes í'rqm size, proportion, and adaptation to its purpose. The front is not a monotonously unbroken one. The parts containing the two pillared entrances project some distance before the main body between them, and tuis part is itself several feet in front of the large library addition to the right. The foundation and first story are of smooth stone, the second and third are of pressed brick with ornamental brick work and terra cotta about the numerous windows three shades lighter than the main body of the brick. The hip roof is of slate, except over the library, the roof of whose large central reading room is glazed. The numerous windows in the front are suitably grouped and they are set with plate glass. The ampie vestibules are wainscoted, and their floors tiled with light Tenessee marble, as are also the floors of the lobbies into which they lead. There are nine large lecture rooms, ;he largest aceomodating400 students. These will be ventilated by the most improved system which regulates frequency of air change according to the nutuber of persons in the room. In the largest lecture hall the air is completely changed eight times an hour. There are numerous smaller rooms; one for the sessions of the regents of the University, two reading rooms convenient to the library where students may consult over their cases, cloak rooms and offices, besides three society rooms for the accommodation of the flourishing debatiug and oratorical organizations of the department. Tlie rooms of the ola building on the left are not radical !y changed in their arrangement, but their finishings are freshened. In the new additiqn oak is used in the woodwork, the ceilings are of Georgia pine, and the halls and rooms are deadened to facilítate quiet study and work. There are two entrances on the east of the building opposite those in the cut. When complete the whole strueture will be 208 feet long and 100 feet wide. It will encroach to such an extent upon the sidewalk now passing diagonally over to the main building, that an entirely new connection will have to be made. University hall will be brought much nearer to its legal neighbor through these changes, and as the time goes on, no doubt it is hoped that the most used entrance to the law department will be that leading from the college of literature, science and arts. The following brief history of the department was compiled for the U. of M. Daily and is taken from its columns: The Law Department of the University of Michigan was organized in 1859 eighteen years after the opening of the Department of Literature, Science anc the Arts. The infant department was housed very modestly, the lectures anc other department exercises being held in the room then used as a chapel The library found accommodations in the then general library. Thomas Mclntyre Cooley, James Valentine Campbell and Charles Irish Walker were chosen as the faculty and the new department was opened wlth an attendance of ninety students. The course extended over two years of six months eacïi. Since this modest beginning the Law Department has steadily developed and prospered. In 1884 the law term was extended to nine months in a year, and in 1886 the classes were separated for purposes of instruction. In 1895 the course was lengthened to three years of nine months each. The following table will show the numerical growth of the department. From 1860 to 1S87 the number in the Igraduating class only is available; from 1887 to the present the figures in the right hand column give the total num ' ber of students in the department: Year. No. Studente. 1860 24 1861 44 1862 44 1863 48 1864 71 1865 80 1866 109 1867 146 1868 152 1869 129 1870 120 1871 117 1872 142 1873 123 1S74 127 1875 136 1876 159 1877 122 1878 148 1879 193 1880 175 1881 148 1882 170 1883 ÍSS 1884 134 1885 136 1886 116 1887-88 341 1888-89 400 1S89-90 533 1890-91 587 1891-92 651 1892-93 625 1893-94 597 1894-95 649 1895-96 660 1896-97 575 1897-98 698 The contract calis for the completion of the building by Oetober 1. The work is progressing rapidly under a forcé of about eeventy-flve men, anl, if the weather is favorable the contractors wlll probably be able to turn over the building on the specified dato. The foundation is about finished and work Is about to begin on the laying of the cut stone.