Centennial Celebration

In January of 1951, a committee met in the dean's office to reorganize the Washburn Law School Association. The committee wanted to focus on becoming a charitable organization and selected a board of governors. The new organization would provide scholarships and loans to worthy law students. The Moot Court Team would qualify to compete in the national final rounds for the first time in 1954 - they would continue to quality in 1958, 1960, 1962, 1964, and 1968.

In 1953, many Washburn Law alumni would play an integral role in Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark civil rights case that would forever change our nation. Washburn lawyers were on both sides of the case.

Expansion of facilities allowed the school to thrive. The campus library was moved from Carnegie to the new Morgan facilities. The law school inherited Carnegie as its own. Washburn held the first annual law institute in 1956, a continuing education program for alumni and other lawyers. A year later, the juvenile probation committee was formed to aid those who regularly appeared in juvenile court. Students often acted as "big brothers" to the delinquent youth. During the 1958 academic year, Dean Jackson was elected to the Kansas Supreme Court. With the help of his assistant Christine Johnson, he pulled double duty and finished out the year. In 1959, John Howe became dean and his easy-going spirit would see the school through the troubles ahead.