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The University of Baltimore’s centennial
Listen to this articleThis new year 2025 marks the 100th anniversary of The University of Baltimore and its School of Law. We celebrate this centennial as a milestone in the history of the Baltimore and Maryland legal community.
In 1925, a group of local business leaders founded a private, nonprofit University of Baltimore for the teaching of law and business. The first class of 38 law students studied part-time in the evenings in a rowhouse on St. Paul Street. They received their diplomas in 1928.
The following year, trustees of the university purchased the former Baltimore College of Dentistry on Howard Street. The newly named Howard Hall was adequate for classes until the end of World War II, when the GI Bill caused enrollment to soar and more space was needed. The university acquired the building once known as the Baltimore Athletic Club on Charles Street. That became the new academic center and served as the hub of the campus over the next several decades.
More buildings followed, including a business school, law center, and a building dedicated to public affairs and liberal arts. By the 1950s and ’60s, the campus was widely known for athletics, theater and the arts, public policy studies, as well as law and business education.
A full-time day division was added to the law school in 1969. The following year, the University of Baltimore School of Law merged with Eastern College and its Mount Vernon School of Law, which was founded in 1935. The School of Law was formally accredited by the American Bar Association in 1972, and on Jan. 1, 1975, the law school became a public institution when it joined the University of Maryland system.
The university became a four-year institution in 2007, and in 2013, the School of Law moved to the 12-story John and Frances Angelos Law Center at the corner of North Charles Street and West Mount Royal Avenue. That building, a true landmark for the entire neighborhood, was designated LEED Platinum by the U.S. Green Building Council.
To commemorate the centennial, the university is running an exhibit that highlights the changes over time in both the social climate and the physical campus of UBalt since its founding. Using historic records, publications, and photographs from the University Archives, the display provides important insights into the university’s transformation over the decades. The exhibit will run through April in the RLB Library at 1420 Maryland Ave., then travel to various events and programs throughout the year.
We note with some pride that the University of Baltimore has, over the years, provided many of the lawyers, judges, legislators, and other professionals that keep our city, counties and state flourishing. And we applaud its commitment to “fostering an environment where people of different backgrounds feel welcomed, included, valued and respected.”
We wish the University of Baltimore and its School of Law continued success for the next 100 years.
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS
James B. Astrachan, Chair
James K. Archibald
Gary E. Bair
Eric Easton
Arthur F. Fergenson
Nancy Forster
Susan Francis
Julie C. Janofsky
Ericka N. King
George Nilson
Catherine Curran O’Malley
Angela W. Russell
Debra G. Schubert
Jeff Sovern
H. Mark Stichel
The Daily Record Editorial Advisory Board is composed of members of the legal profession who serve voluntarily and are independent of The Daily Record. Through their ongoing exchange of views, members of the board attempt to develop consensus on issues of importance to the bench, bar and public. When their minds meet, unsigned opinions will result. When they differ, or if a conflict exists, majority views and the names of members who do not participate will appear. Members of the community are invited to contribute letters to the editor and/or columns about opinions expressed by the Editorial Advisory Board.
