Dean Jacob D. Hyman

Segment Synopsis: Introduction; Born Jewish in Boston, MA; attended Brookline MA, Harvard College 1931 and Harvard Law School 1934; no siblings; father was in clothing business, mother didn't work outside of home; felt education was good; provided financial support, less during Depression; Why go to law school? after college seemed like best economic choice; no expectations of law school; did well at Harvard College; from Boston so Harvard natural choice; classmates started with 600, 200 finish; Jewishness did not seem to affect law school experience; Legal Aid Bureau fondest memory; Dean Roscoe Pound; tradition at Harvard to have/serve in legal aid; favorite class was Zachariah Chaffee's Equity course and Thomas Reed Powell's Constitutional law course; exposure to courtroom through legal aid work; hierarchy for Harvard students, highest grades got law review, next moot court, third level was legal aid bureau. Relationship between academic success and success as prof and dean, gained confidence; mentor or advisor? legal aid bureau helped guide in court system; no socializing; never considered quitting; married while in law school; met up with classmates in Washington.

Keywords: Academic vs. Career Success; Choice of Law; Family; Financial Support; Great Depression; Harvard University; Intellectual Tradition; Pound, Roscoe; Role Models; UB Law School general

Subjects: EDUCATION; FAMILY HISTORY

Segment Synopsis: 1st job in NYC; went to see Roscoe Pound who referred him to several large Boston firms that weren't interested in him; Mother's uncle senior partner in a medium sized firm in NY; organized books, helped partners with research, etc.; drifted into Administrative law work because of NRA codes of fair competition; firm had 15-20; Nephew of uncle took biggest client and several lawyers to set up own firm; Firm Blumberg and Parker, mostly Jewish firm; Jewishness hindered job search but not a problem once in a firm. Firm organized two Trade Associations; Working with Trade Assoc. was traveling to Washington, D.C. was in NY 1934-1939; Dept of Labor in the Wage Hour Administration; Tramped around looking for job; went in cold; work was issuance of minimum wage orders; moved to defending wage orders in court; did administrative trials and at the appellate level; there until 1941; Trade Association work leads to interest in work with New Deal programs in D.C; Fair Labor Standards Act beginning to reach substantial magnitude; went in cold, was taken on; worked until 1941. Shift structure to war economy; moved to Office of Price Administration; domestic prices; there until 1946; gov't sets up emergency Court of Appeals to review price regulations; in charge of defense of price regulations until 1946. Decides to go into law school teaching. Goes to Harvard to find out how to get into teaching, referred to Ernest Brown from Buffalo Law School; recruits him to Buffalo; impressed by faculty here; do over law teaching? yes, but glad of practical experience. Impact of UB law on personal/ family life; more modest in mode of living 1/2 pay cut.

Keywords: Brown, Ernest; Discrimination / Prejudice; Fair Labor Standards Act; Government jobs; Law Faculty; Law Firms; National Recovery Act; New Deal; Satisfaction; Specialized Training; UB Recruitment; Wage Hour Administration; Washington DC

Subjects: CAREER: LEGAL; FAMILY HISTORY

Segment Synopsis: Trained in Harvard College tradition; Humanities Dept. of History and Literature; tutored Francis Otto Matheson, American Renaissance. At UB since 1946; changes--local to national focus; 1935 decision to change character of law school; hires Francis Shea--who recruits DeWolf Howe, Jaffe, Riesman, Brown and Lenhoff, Halpern; Poor law school, small student body and still private at that time; Concentrates on intellectual tradition; De Wolfe Howe--legal hist; Jaffe--administrative law; Riesman--sociology; con't program of instruction of practical; no legal aid clinic; Hyman taught variety of courses, mostly in constitutional, administrative but taught many areas; public law is scholarly interest. Howe, Riesman did not return after war service; Brown, Jaffe go to Harvard; Presence of distinguished faculty in '30's attracts young law teachers to start here who go on to distinguished careers at other more prestigious schools. Help spread national reputation. Jaffe leaves, school run by committee for a few years; Hyman appointed Dean in 1953.

Keywords: Administration; Areas of Scholarship; Curriculum; Deans; Faculty / Professors; Intellectual Tradition; Law Faculty; Mentors; Reputation; UB Law School general

Subjects: UB LAW FACULTY

Segment Synopsis: Changes academically? did not have the distinction but able to recruit younger faculty; Role of dean changing? no, always faculty run school with dean as leader; most gratifying? Leadership under Dean Olsen; structure of the curriculum; greatest accomplishments? Helped keep school on track of those laid by distinguished faculty in 1930's; involved in implementation of legal methods program--under-represented in minorities. African American underrepresented in legal profession, in 1955 faculty tries to attract confident African Americans to add to representative quality of legal profession.

Keywords: Administration; Alumni Association; Areas of Scholarship; Class Composition; Curriculum; Deans; Ethnicity / Diversity; Faculty / Professors; Greatest Achievement; Intellectual Tradition; Law Students; Relationship with UB Law; Reputation; SUNY

Subjects: UB LAW FACULTY

Segment Synopsis: UB took on high level legal scholarship in 1930's that continued, New Scholarship has built on this tradition. Happy with law school, choice of Buffalo; Outstanding alumni mentored? rather not say. // Recollections of John Lord O'Brian; Reasons Law School moved to Amherst? Rockefeller wants to create all embracing State University campus; where? golf course proposed, waterfront land proposed, Amherst land available and rapid transit system would be built as well. Harvard model of Cambridge and Boston; on side of Amherst because of land, available money, interest at State level, and transit system; Harriman involved in debate; Harriman lobbied for Amherst; Jaeckle said he picked spot in Amherst; Max Clarkson was fighting for downtown location. Regrets of lack of public transportation/ proximity to court.

Keywords: Administration; Alumni; Amherst Campus; Anecdote; Areas of Scholarship; Curriculum; Harriman, Lewis; Intellectual Tradition; Law Faculty; Location; Mentors; O'Brian, John Lord; Rapid Transit; Rockefeller

Subjects: UB LAW FACULTY