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Law Quadrangle along South U.
Bentley Historical Library Photo: BL003516
Cook Dormitory and Library Construction
Bentley Historical Library Photo: BL005147
Law Quadrangle Entrance Archway Today
 Law Library Today
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Constructed
between 1922 and 1933, the Law Quad was made possible through the generosity
of William W. Cook.[69] Mr. Cook and President Hutchins came up
with a proposal that included four buildings: the Lawyers Club, the John P.
Cook Dormitory, the Legal Research Building,
and Hutchins Hall. When plans were
agreed on, York and Sawyer of New York were hired to design the new
Quadrangle. [69]
The first building erected was the Lawyers Club. This structure is composed of dormitories
facing South University,
and the dining hall and lounge facing State
Street. Most of the dormitory section is three
floors However, there is a tower
section that has a fourth floor which contains dormitory suites. Four turrets surround the tower, and a
large archway opens at its base to allow pedestrians to pass through into the
quadrangle. On the corner of the
building is the club lounge. It has
oak floors and walls with a shallow vaulted ceiling.[69]
Just south of the lounge is the dining hall. This Tudor Gothic structure has beautiful
carved wooden beams supporting the ceiling with Indiana
limestone walls.[69]
The room is well lit allowing daylight to pour in from large cathedral
glass windows. When it was
constructed, the dining hall could seat 300 students.[69]
The next building erected was the John P. Cook Building,
which brought the total occupancy of the law quad to 352 students.[69]
It is named in honor of William Cook’s father. The structure is joined to the Lawyers club
and located on South University
and Tappan Streets. The overall
architecture is the same as the Lawyers club; however, there is a fourth
floor on the wing of the building facing Tappan
Street. Today, both dormitory sections are generally
referred to as the Lawyers Club, but a memorial room is dedicated to John
Cook, which has beautiful oak paneled walls and stain glass windows.[69]
The large Gothic structure located in the center of the
Quadrangle is the Legal Research Building
which contains the reading room with the library in the back. The 244 foot long structure has four towers
on the corner and tall gothic arched windows extending the full length of the
library.[69]
The inside of the main structure is completely open and has a
beautifully decorated ceiling supported by large wooden beams. The lower portions of the walls are paneled
in rich oak. Immediately behind the
main structure are the library stacks, offices, and a private library. The number of stacks was later increased in
1955, along with a major underground addition to the Law Library in 1981.[69]
The last building constructed on the Law Quad was
Hutchins Hall, completed in 1933. It
was named in honor of Harry Burns Hutchins, former Law Department Dean
between 1895 and 1910.[14]
The four story building contains classrooms and seminar rooms, as well
as faculty and administrative offices.
The first floor hallways have beautiful gothic arches and vaults surrounding
a small courtyard.[14]
Recently, plans have been announced for an expansion of
the Law Quad, with new structures behind the Legal Research Building. The proposed addition will create more
teaching and office space.[13]
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