The Slave-Owning Family That Helped Start Harvard Law School

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The Harvard Law School seal can be seen on banners decorating the library for commencement in May 2011. (nkcphoto/Flickr)

Earlier this week we visited Harvard Law School, where a group of students are calling for the removal of the school’s seal, which features parts of the Royall family crest. Isaac Royall, Jr. was a slave owner and son of a slave trader who played a key role in creating Harvard Law School.

For a deeper look at school’s history, Here & Now’s Jeremy Hobson speaks with Daniel Coquillette, a professor at Boston College Law School and co-author of “On the Battlefield of Merit: Harvard Law School, the First Century.”

Guest

  • Daniel Coquillette, professor at Boston College Law School and co-author with Bruce Kimball of “On the Battlefield of Merit: Harvard Law School, the First Century.”

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