Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 3.djvu/238

 VIRGINIA BIOGRArilY

Minor; in early life, in order to recuperate his health, he took a long horseback jour- ney through the state of Virginia, acting in the capacity of a newspaper agent and col- lector, and then went afoot to Ohio, where he e,ntered Kenyon College; subsequently h.- walked through Ohio and New York, for health and recreation, and after reaching home, entered the University of Virginia, in January, 1831. where he was a student for three sessions, graduating in several schools, and receiving the r.achelor of Laws degree in 1834; he began law practice at Buchanan, Botetourt county, Virginia, and six years later removed to Charlottesville, where he formed a partnership with his brother Lucian, who was afterward profes- sor of law in William and Mary College; he was called to the chair of law in the Uni- versity of Virginia, in 1845, and was the sole teacher in that department until 185 1 ; upon the appointment of James P. Holcombe as adjunct professor of constitutional an'^l international law, mercantile law and equity, I'rofessor Minor's subjects became common and statute law, and in these branches he became distinguished as an author as well as a teacher ; out of his class work grew his monumental "Institutes of Common and Statute Law;" the first and second volumes o! the work were i)ublished in 1875, and the fourth volume in 1878, while the third volume, which had long been used in i)am- phlet form by Professor Minor's pupils, was first published in its completeness, in two parts, in 1895; Professor Minor began a summer course of law lectures, in 1870, and his is believed to have been the first sum- mer law school in the country ; this became widely popular, drawing to the university in a single session upwards of a hundred

students; as a teacher he was regarded with peculiar affection, his personal interest in his pupils being fervent and sincere, and he made it his constant endeavor to develop their character as well as to impart instruc- tion ; his lectures were characterized by ex- traordinary clearness of statement and felic- ity of language and illustration, and he was peculiarly skillful in his questions to test accuracy of knowledge on the part of his auditors ; he continued his work to the time of his death, July 29. 1895, a period of fifty years ; in recognition of his eminent attain- ments, he received the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws from Washington and Lee University, and from Columbia University ; he published, in 1850, "The Virginia Re- ports," 1799-1800; and in 1894, an elaborate work, "Exposition of the Law of Crimes and Punishments." which is in general use in the United States; on the fiftieth anni- versary of his entrance upon his career as a teacher of the law, and shortly before his death, was presented to the university by the Ir.w alumni, a fine life-size marble bust of th.e distinguished man. mounted upon a polished pedestal bearing these impressive words : "He taught the law and the reason thereof ;" he was a communicant of the Pro- testant Episcopal church for more than four decades, lived an ideal Christian life. served as superintendent of a Sunday school o! slaves, and for a long period also taught a Sunday morning Bible class composed of students, whose last meetings were in their revered teacher's study, after he was unable to walk to the lecture room.

Cabell, James Lawrence, born in Nelson county. \'irginia. August 2Ck 1813. son of Dr. George Cabell. Jr.. and great-grandson