In inaugurating this building, Dean William Draper Lewis emphasized the quality of the community. This was supported by the ambience of the building - including its open expanses and opportunity for sustained interaction - as well as the rapport between students and faculty. To underscore this point, Lewis directed that a simple phrase, originally penned by George Sharswood, be inscribed on the arch spanning the stairway that descends to the Great Hall. It read:

“Truth, simplicity, and candor:
These are the cardinal virtues of a lawyer.”

To reaffirm the vitality of those words, in the denouement of this building’s renovation last week, we had this phrase - that was painted over decades ago and forgotten - restored over those same steps.

Michael A. Fitts
Dean and Bernard G. Segal Professor of Law
at the Dedication of the Levy Conference Center
November 16, 2000