Celebrating 110 Years: Law Library Named for Dolly and Homer Hand
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On Oct. 2, Stetson University College of Law, Florida’s first law school, celebrated 110 years of legal education by naming the law library on its Gulfport campus after philanthropists Dolly and Homer Hand. The naming ceremony started at 11:30 a.m. on the Stetson Law library grounds, 1401 61st St. S., Gulfport.
“Dolly and Homer Hand have nourished academic excellence at Stetson University for more than 50 years. We are grateful for their philanthropy and feel privileged to name the law library in their honor on our 110th anniversary,” said Dean Darby Dickerson.
Dolly Hand was the only woman in her 1949 graduating class and the youngest student to ever graduate from the College of Law. She is a 16-year trustee of Stetson University, and a member of the College of Law’s Hall of Fame. Her husband Homer has received Stetson Law’s Distinguished Service Award and numerous civic awards. The Hands are long-time supporters of education and the arts in Florida. In 1996, they were presented with the Champion of Higher Independent Education in Florida Award. »» Watch video excerpt of Dolly Hand’s speech
The Dolly & Homer Hand Law Library was built on Stetson’s Gulfport campus in 1998 and is one of the most advanced legal research centers in the southeastern U.S. The library houses more than 420,000 volumes, including a collection of statutes, court reports, journals and treatises. The academic law library also houses an archive of documents from the Nuremberg war tribunals, donated by Stetson’s long-serving dean and judge at the tribunals, Harold Sebring.
The generosity of Dolly and Homer Hand is evident across Stetson University’s four campuses. In 2007, the Hands donated a $1 million lead gift for the 5,000-square-foot Homer and Dolly Hand Art Center on Stetson’s DeLand campus. The Hand Art Center houses a massive collection of works by Modernist painter Oscar Bluemner and features two galleries, a foyer gallery and reception area, an art study and seminar room, and an art preparation area and vault.
Post date: Oct. 1, 2010
Media contact: Kate Bradshaw
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