OU College of Law: A Centennial History

By Bob Burke and Steven W. Taylor

The University of Oklahoma College of Law began its inaugural semester in the fall of 1909 with Dean Julien C. Monnet, two faculty members, and a class of 47 law students. In 1914, Monnet Hall, fondly referred to as the “Law Barn,” became the first home of the law school and housed classrooms, faculty offices, and the law library for the next 62 years. Monnet Hall remains one of the most distinctive buildings on the OU campus.

In 1976 a new Law Center building opened on the south end of the Norman campus. In 2002, the College of Law completed a major $19 million expansion that features a new library and a large courtroom with state-of-the-art technology. The new areas combine function with aesthetic design and facilitate the delivery of the high quality professional programs offered by the College of Law.

The story of OU Law is not about buildings and events—it is about the people who have made the only state-supported law school in Oklahoma history a shining example of how to properly train lawyers, public servants, and citizens who have made a huge difference in the success of Oklahoma and the nation. Faculty and students at OU Law have led Oklahoma through its first century to a place of greatness.