Bar association seeks links to history as century nears

With the approach of the end of the century, more people are looking back at the events that shaped our community over the past 100 years. The Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association is no exception.

The bar association is the repository for several important pieces of history for the legal community. Recently a certificate of membership was found among the bar's records. The certificate is from The Bar Association of Springfield, Mo. organized Oct. 17, 1903. The certificate, No. 28, was issued to F.B. Williams (Frank B. Williams) and signed by G.A. Watson as president and John Schmook as secretary.

The object of the association, as stated on the certificate, has not changed in all these years. "To maintain the Honor and Dignity of the Profession of Law, to cultivate social intercourse among its members, and for the promotion of legal science and the administration of Justice."

However, one thing has changed. In January 1914 the executive committee voted to authorize admission upon the payment of the initiation fee of $3. Dues are a little higher than that now.

The search for the history of the bar association is an ongoing process. Many stories and bits of information from the first half of the twentieth century have been lost. To avoid losing touch with significant lawyers and the important cases of the last half of the century, the history committee of the SMBA is interviewing lawyers who are at least 70 years old to gather history of their recollections.

Hopefully, for our 100th anniversary in 2003, we will have many stories to share about the practice of law in Springfield.

(Lois Zerrer is executive director of the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association.)