From probate to pigskin: 1931 Bar meeting came with a sideline perk
Fans fill Florida Field in Gainesville for the October 31, 1931, matchup between the University of Florida Gators football and the University of Georgia Bulldogs football, played a day after a statewide gathering of bar delegates at the University of Florida College of Law.
As The Florida Bar continues to mark its 75th year, we look back to the September 1931 Florida State Bar Association Law Journal, which shows that even in the early days, professional development and a good football game made for a compelling combination.
A brief notice in the Journal alerted lawyers across the state to the upcoming Midyear Conference of Delegates of Local Bar Associations, set for 10 a.m. Friday, October 30, 1931, at the University of Florida College of Law in Gainesville.
The agenda reflected the weighty issues of the day, including proposed amendments to probate practice, statutory changes from the 1931 Legislature, criminal prosecutions by information, and trust investments under new laws. Among those leading discussions were future U.S. Sen. Claude Pepper, who was then a member of the Florida House of Representatives, and jurists and practitioners from across the state.
But tucked beneath the serious business of the law was a more lighthearted — and time-sensitive — notice:
ORDER YOUR FOOTBALL TICKETS
The big Homecoming football game between the Universities of Florida and Georgia will be played on October 31st, the day following the Conference of Delegates at Gainesville.
Mrs. Stella B. Fisher, secretary of the Alachua County Bar Association, has reserved 100 tickets for the delegates. Send your orders to her immediately, including a check for $3.00 each ticket and $.25 for each order to cover registration and mailing.
These seats are among the most desirable in the stadium, being on the west side. Section E around the 40 yard line in Rows 21 to 28, Seats 1 to 14.
When these tickets are gone, there will be no more, so the first 100 applying to Mrs. Fisher will receive their tickets by return mail. I suggest if you want to see the game, that you order your tickets immediately.
ED R. BENTLEY, Secretary.
Conference-goers who took the advice were treated the next day to a decisive Georgia victory over the University of Florida Gators, 33–6, played under what contemporary accounts described as a “semi-tropical” Florida sun.
Florida’s lone highlight came when lineman Clarence “Scabby” Pheil blocked a punt, leading to the Gators’ only touchdown. The game drew notable spectators as well, including Florida Gov. Doyle E. Carlton and Georgia Gov. Richard B. Russell, Jr.
Nearly a century later, the brief in the Journal offers a reminder that while the profession has evolved, some things remain the same — a full agenda, a gathering of colleagues, and, when timing allows, a good game just around the corner.