The Robert H. Terrell Law School was a

historically black Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of primarily serving the African-American community. ...

law school in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, that offered evening classes from its founding in 1931 until 1950. It was founded by George A. Parker, Philip W. Thomas, Louis R. Mehlinger, Benjamin Gaskins, Chester Jarvis, and Lafayette M. Hershaw after

Howard University Howard University (Howard) is a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity" and accredited by the Middle States Commissi ...

ended its evening law school program. The school was named after

Robert Heberton Terrell Robert Heberton Terrell (November 27, 1857 – December 20, 1925) was an attorney and the second African American to serve as a justice of the peace in Washington, DC. In 1911 he was appointed as a judge to the District of Columbia Municipal Co ...

, a longtime African-American judge of the District of Columbia Municipal Court (predecessor to the

Superior Court of the District of Columbia The Superior Court of the District of Columbia, commonly referred to as DC Superior Court, is the trial court for the District of Columbia, in the United States. It hears cases involving criminal and civil law, as well as family court, landlor ...

), who died in 1925. Parker had previously served as dean of the recently closed John M. Langston School of Law at

Frelinghuysen University Frelinghuysen University was a private Historically black colleges and universities, historically Black university in Washington, D.C., which was open from 1906 to . It provided adult education and social services to poor and working-class Afr ...

. Terrell Law School attracted other Langston faculty. During its 19 years of operation, the Terrell School educated the majority of black law students in the city. After graduating about 600 lawyers, it closed in 1950 as other law schools became integrated.

Alumni

* Austin L. Fickling, first black judge of the

District of Columbia Court of Appeals The District of Columbia Court of Appeals is the highest court of the District of Columbia, in the United States. Established in 1970, it is equivalent to a state supreme court, except that its authority is derived from the United States Congr ...

Willie Stevenson Glanton Willie Stevenson Glanton (March 19, 1922 – July 6, 2017) was an American lawyer and politician in the state of Iowa. She toured Africa and Southeast Asia for the U.S. State Department. She was a Democrat. Glanton was born in Hot Springs, A ...

, first black woman elected to the

Iowa House of Representatives The Iowa House of Representatives is the lower house of the Iowa General Assembly, the upper house being the Iowa Senate. There are 100 seats in the Iowa House of Representatives, representing 100 single-member districts across the state, formed ...

* Ruby Hurley, civil rights leader *

John Oliver Killens John Oliver Killens (January 14, 1916 – October 27, 1987) was an American fiction writer from Georgia. His novels featured elements of African-American life. In his first novel, ''Youngblood'' (1954) Killens first coined the phrase "kicking a ...

, writer (did not graduate) *

Harry McAlpin Harry S. McAlpin (1906-1985) was an American reporter. He was the first African-American reporter to attend a U.S. Presidential news conference in 1944. Biography Born on July 21, 1906, in St. Louis, Missouri, Harry McAlpin studied journali ...

, reporter * Hubert B. Pair, judge of the

Wilhelmina Rolark Wilhelmina Jackson Rolark (September 12, 1916February 14, 2006) was a Democratic politician and activist in Washington, D.C. She was elected to represent Ward 8 on the Council of the District of Columbia in 1976 and served four terms. Rolark wa ...

, member of the

Council of the District of Columbia The Council of the District of Columbia is the legislative branch of the local government of the District of Columbia, the capital of the United States. As permitted in the United States Constitution, the district is not part of any U.S. state ...

"Biography of Wilhelmina Rolark"
The HistoryMakers

Faculty

Belford Lawson Jr. Belford Vance Lawson Jr. (July 9, 1901 – February 23, 1985) was an American attorney and civil rights activist who made at least eight appearances before the U.S. Supreme Court. He was the first African-American man to win a case before the Su ...

, attorney and civil rights activist * Lafayette M. Hershaw, journalist and lawyer who co-founded the school and also served as president * Austin L. Fickling * Hubert B. Pair

References

Sources

* {{cite news, first=Crispin, last=Campbell, title=Reminiscences: D.C. Lawyer Turning 100, url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1982/12/08/reminiscences-dc-lawyer-turning-100/90af8d64-a757-485f-9c4a-cb0ad3210455/, access-date=30 June 2017, date=December 8, 1982 African-American history of Washington, D.C. Law schools in Washington, D.C. Universities and colleges established in 1931 Defunct private universities and colleges in Washington, D.C. 1931 establishments in Washington, D.C. Educational institutions disestablished in 1950 1950 disestablishments in Washington, D.C. Historically black law schools Defunct law schools