The Friday Five

Pictured left to right: Justice John V. Spalding of the Supreme Judicial Court, Dr. A. Chesley York, president of Portia Law School and Calvin Coolidge College, and Rev. John Nicholls Booth, principal speaker

1. The clipping is from The Boston Daily Globe, dated 21. June 1950, 63 years ago.

2. This was the 39th commencement of Portia Law School and the 10th graduation of Calvin Coolidge College.

3. 135 students were awarded degrees. The ceremony was held at the John Hancock Hall. 

4. The valedictorian address was given by , a female graduate of Calvin Coolidge College. Her speech was entitled, "The Liberal Arts and The Liberal Mind." . My dad, a graduate of Portia Law gave the salutatory address, "The Challenge." Dad was always a bit peeved that the young lady was picked to be the valedictorian, even though he claimed his marks were higher. He attended law school at night and the valedictorian was to be a graduate of the college's day program. Personally, I always thought his nose was out of joint because he was beat out by a girl, but you never heard that from me.

5. Portia Law School became New England School of Law in 1969.