Spartan Education

The Inspiration for Professor Kingsfield Discusses His Career, Teaching Methods Professional Issues and Other Subjects. Originally published: Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1942. xi, 164 pp. Spartan Education offers a fascinating account of Harvard Law School from the turn of the century to the 1940s, colorful sketches of his professors, Mr. Cadwallader and a summary of his "Spartan" approach to pedagogy. Warren also includes the texts of various addresses and articles dealing with Harvard, legal history, the American Bar and political topics.

This is a reprint of the 1942 edition, which was strictly limited to 1000 copies. (Despite requests for additional copies, Warren refused to reissue the book. (He published an edition of extracts instead, however, in order to address these requests while keep his word.)

"I believe in discipline. From boyhood days on, I have sought to discipline my own mind, pen, and tongue. And throughout my service on the Law Faculty I have sought to discipline the minds, pens, and tongues of the students. I have never suffered fools gladly, and regard such sufferance as mischievous. Therefore 'Spartan Education' seemed an appropriate title. As I review my life, I find the source of greatest satisfaction in my belief that there are today ten thousand men who are leading more useful and successful lives than they would be leading if my Spartan training had not played a substantial part in the molding of their minds; and that most, if not all, of them now recognize that to be the fact, and are grateful." -- Preface, ix

Edward H. Warren [1873-1945] was a legendary professor at Harvard Law School. Known as "Bull" Warren for his aggressive (and often vicious) teaching methods, he was the primary model for Professor Kingsfield in John Jay Osborn, Jr.'s novel The Paper Chase. Warren attended Harvard College from 1891 to 1895 and Harvard Law School from 1897 to 1900, where his principal instructors were Ames, Gray, Smith and Thayer. After four years at Strong and Cadwalader, he joined the Harvard Law faculty, where he remained until his retirement.