As the University of Nebraska College of Law celebrates the 50th anniversary of Ross McCollum Hall, we reflect on a half-century of legal education that has shaped countless careers and advanced the practice of law in Nebraska and beyond.
In Nebraska Law’s earliest days, law classes were held in University Hall, sharing space with nearly every other University department. As the College evolved into a three-year professional school with a permanent faculty, the need for dedicated space became increasingly urgent.
In 1911, a significant milestone was reached when legislative funding provided for the construction of the College's first dedicated building at 10th and R Streets on City Campus.
The original College of Law building was a testament to early 20th-century architectural sophistication. Over the decades, the building evolved to meet changing needs, including the installation of windows on the third floor and a significant expansion in 1957.
The Push for a New Home
By the early 1970s, the College of Law had outgrown its home of 60 years. The need for a new building became increasingly evident, with many attorneys and alumni actively advocating for the change.
A Lincoln lawyer, in a letter to several state senators, noted, "As the law students stand on the south steps of the 60-year-old building, and look at the new music building and concert hall about 100 feet to the east, I am sure that some of them wonder whether it is not more important to study the piccolo, than to study law."
The push for a new building was described as "a giant group effort by all members of the Nebraska Bar Association," according to Dean Henry Grether at the time. "Many did all kinds of footwork, buttonholing and letter-writing and they deserve recognition."
Move to McCollum Hall
By December 1974, construction of the new College of Law building was more than 25 percent complete and on schedule. The 102,000-square-foot, three-level brick structure was located on East Campus, northeast of the College of Dentistry.
The architect's design prioritized creating a space that would "encourage communication and dialogue" between different areas of the building and among students without disturbing others. The building featured extensive glass to bring the outdoor atmosphere inside, especially in the library.
In 1975, the College relocated to its current location, marking the beginning of the Ross McCollum Hall era. The original law building on city campus was later incorporated into the College of Architecture building complex, with its 1912 entry and east façade preserved as part of Architecture Hall.
On March 31, 1975, Professor John Gradwohl arrived early at the new College of Law building, determined to teach the first class in the new facility. To commemorate this historic moment, Gradwohl had the names of all 40 Estate Planning students who attended that first class engraved on a brass plaque, which is still located outside of Room 125.
The McCollum Legacy
In 1977, through a connection with alumnus Sherman S. Welpton Jr., Ross McCollum, a self-made millionaire who built his fortune in the petroleum industry, made his first donation to the law school. This initial gift would grow into a financial commitment approaching the original cost of the new building itself. In recognition of his extraordinary generosity, the law school building was officially named Ross McCollum Hall in a ceremony on September 8, 1978.
Building Transformations Through the Decades
McCollum's vision and generosity enabled significant improvements to the facility, including the addition of the Sherman S. Welpton Jr. Courtroom in 1983. This state-of-the-art courtroom facility was modeled after the "Courtroom of the Future" at the University of the Pacific's McGeorge School of Law, featuring advanced technology for teaching trial advocacy and hosting actual court proceedings.
Dean John W. Strong, who succeeded Grether, noted at the time, "a completely integrated courtroom complex of this nature is fairly unique. It may be one of five of its kind in the country."
2000-2010
The early 2000s saw the most significant transformation of McCollum Hall since its construction. A comprehensive expansion and renovation project added 27,000 square feet to the building and renovated another 53,000 square feet.
The centerpiece of this renovation was the spectacular M. Brian Schmid Reading Room in the Schmid Law Library, featuring a 20-foot high ceiling and a large glass wall providing picturesque views of the open fields to the east. Marvin Schmid, a 1935 graduate of the College, and his wife Virginia, were tremendous supporters of the law school.
Other notable additions included:
- A 6,750 square-foot space courtyard, named for Richard C. and Catherine Stuart Schmoker.
- Legal writing suites
- A seminar room honoring the five College of Law graduates who served as state governors
- New faculty offices
Following the library's renovation, the College turned its attention to modernizing classrooms and student spaces. During the summers of 2004 and 2005, several classrooms were completely renovated and updated with the latest teaching technology, including Room 124 and Room 113.
In 2008, a significant addition was constructed on the west side of the building. The Duane W. Acklie Classroom Wing offers two large 80-seat classrooms with modern amenities, including power and internet access for each student and the latest teaching technology. This work included a complete renovation to modernize the auditorium, now named after alumnus Deryl Hamann.
2010-2024
In a major expansion of McCollum Hall's clinical education capabilities, the College of Law officially opened the new 16,000-square-foot Marvin and Virginia Schmid Clinic Building on March 31, 2017, supported by the lead donation of the Schmid Foundation.
The clinic building was designed to provide easy access for clients seeking legal assistance while emphasizing the importance of skills training and experiential learning at Nebraska Law. The space features private client interview rooms, conference rooms, a mock courtroom, student collaboration space, a dedicated classroom, faculty offices and collaborative student workspaces.
In 2022, the Marvin and Virginia Schmid Law Library underwent another significant transformation. The newly reopened space included two state-of-the-art classrooms, new study rooms, spaces for community gathering and collaboration, more accessible library faculty offices, a library instruction room, and a wellness room with a living wall of greenery.
The renovated lower level includes the Acklie Family Student Commons, serving as a hub for student activity and interaction. The library renovation moved from a book-centric view of legal education to a perspective that encompasses all the ways people gather information in the modern world, creating more comfortable and accommodating places for students to learn, develop, and interact.
Looking Forward
As McCollum Hall celebrates its 50th anniversary, the building stands as a testament to the vision of its namesake and the ongoing generosity of alumni and friends who have ensured that the College of Law remains at the forefront of legal education. From its humble beginnings in University Hall to today's facility, our spaces have evolved to meet the changing needs of legal education while honoring the traditions and legacy of those who came before.
