Ira Polk Hildebrand was born in La Grange, Texas, acquired a B.A. degree at Texas Christian University in 1897, and B.A. and L.L.B. degrees at the University of Texas in 1899. He took another L.L.B. at Harvard in 1902. After private practice in San Antonio for five years he became professor of law at Texas in 1907. He became dean of the Law School in 1924, serving until 1940, and introduced the case method of law teaching to Texas. Dean Hildebrand was intensely concerned to improve the Law School and better its national ranking. He was also keenly aware of student money problems in the lean years of the Depression and worked on fellowships and grants for them, some through the Federal Emergency Relief Administration during the 1930s. The dean was well-known nationally, and respected for his work on stricter standards for the legal profession. He was active on the Texas Civil Judicial Council and did considerable work for the Texas Bar Association and the American Law Institute. Hildebrand voiced strong, sometimes exaggerated, opinions on many subjects, including individual students and politics.
From the description of Ira Polk Hildebrand papers, ca. 1883-1944. (University of Texas, Tarlton Law Library). WorldCat record id: 82186059
