Webster H. Burke, Class of 1903

Former dean of Chicago-Kent College of Law

After graduating from Chicago-Kent in 1903, Webster H. Burke was named Chicago-Kent’s third dean in 1918, following the death of his father, Appellate Judge Edmund W. Burke, who was then serving as the College’s second dean. Burke became the first alumnus of the school to lead it as dean and his appointment continued what would eventually become nearly 50 years of leadership by the Burke family. Under the direction of Dean Burke, the CHICAGO KENT REVIEW began continuous publication in 1923 as the ATHANAEUM LAW REVIEW, one of the nation’s first law reviews. Several years later, it adopted its current name, the CHICAGO-KENT LAW REVIEW. During Burke’s tenure, the law school purchased the building at 10 North Franklin Street, which would be its home for the next 50 years, and earned certification from the Section of Legal Education of the American Bar Association. The Student Bar Association was also organized and affiliated with the Illinois Law Student Association and the American Bar Association’s Law Student Division. Burke stepped down as dean in 1949 after nearly 30 years of service.