Changing Demographics

In 1943, Portia Law School was still primarily a women’s institution, but the end of World War II changed everything. Veterans taking advantage of the G.I. Bill swelled the school’s ranks, ensuring that male students were now overwhelmingly in the majority.

By the mid-1960s, the school was in the midst of another dramatic transformation. The board had decided to pursue accreditation from the American Bar Association, a significant undertaking involving upgrades to admission standards and the school’s facilities, as well as the hiring of a full-time faculty.

1. 1943: Changing of the guard

2. 1944: Tough times

3. 1949: Male students tip the balance

4. 1952: A woman becomes dean

5. 1958: The school expands

6. 1962: Slade becomes dean

   After Margaret Bauer steps down, the school appoints Guy V. Slade to the position of dean. Slade had joined the faculty in 1947, and also held an LL.M. degree from the school.

   Dean Slade. Courtesy of New England School of Law Library Archives

7. 1963: A bold new path

8. 1965: Portia Law Journal launches

9. 1966: Kozuch becomes dean

10. 1968: The board is restructured