The University of Oregon School of Law was founded in 1884 in Portland, Oregon, operating out of rented offices on 2nd and Yamhill. In 1906, the course of study was expanded to three years, and in April 1915, the University’s Board of Regents ordered that the program be moved to Eugene as part of a consolidation program within the university.
The School of Law's Wayne Morse Chair of Law and Politics has been active since 1980. Chairholders are public figures and scholars from a variety of disciplines. Morse Chair Professors give a major public addresses, teach courses, meet with students and community groups, and participate in various other relevant public and private events. A generous gift from Ed Conklin, a former colleague of Morse when he was a labor arbitrator, allowed the university to expand the activities of the Morse Chair Professor by creating the Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics.
The Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics is dedicated to education and public discussion of timely issues in law and politics. The Center invites distinguished scholars and advocates to the University of Oregon to carry on the tradition of Wayne Morse. In 2010, the Wayne Morse Center celebrated its tenth anniversary, as well as the thirtieth anniversary of the Wayne Morse Chair.
Sources: UO Law School webpages: http://law.uoregon.edu/oregonlawhistory/ http://waynemorsecenter.uoregon.edu/_pages/about_center/about_center.html
From the guide to the School of Law records, 1918-1997, (Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries)
