Robinson Hall: John G. Harvey

Published on November 10, 2017

Completed in 1977, Memory Leake Robinson Hall is home to Cumberland School of Law. Robinson was a prominent Birmingham attorney, chairman of the executive committee of Samford's board of trustees and chairman of the law school advisory board. Listen to Dr. John G Harvey, a representative from the Education Council of the American Bar Association, address the audience at Robinson Hall's dedication ceremony.

Transcript

As I came across the mountains, coming down from the east, I wondered what I
might say on an occasion such as this. I know it must be short, I know it must
be pointed. But as we came across in the jet, I was reminded of the words of
Elizabeth Bartlett some months ago, which appeared on the editorial page of the
New York Times. It was something like this: “This earth ship which we now sail
on seas on time and space, aware of other tides and stars and winds that live
about us here, is smaller than we dreamed. Once, its high mountain mass pierced
infinity as we rode the bow into the future and passed at the stern a vessel
without peer in the universe. The first. The last. The sails gave way gave way
to engines, the wings to spars, the continental coast to cosmic shores, and
still we know no end to journey. Although our rockets shrink, we keep our
course. We sleep our dream a twilight thing that wakes and wonders who’s will,
what force.” We give thanks to an institution such as Howard College. We give
thanks for the memory of Mr. Robinson because he and Howard College were attuned
to the infinite. They knew whose will. They know which course. And certain we
are that Howard College is not, and will never be, just another law school. It
will be a church-related law school, attuned to the imperatives of the universe.
And for that, we will ever give thanks. Thank you.

Audio Information
Attribute	Value
Interviewee	John G. Harvey
Repository	Samford University Oral History Collection
Collection	University Library, Special Collection and University Archives