[Alumni-chat] Antioch law school and thoughts on Al Guskin

[Matthew.Levitt at park.edu]

I am always intrigued reading this digest, particularly about the 
experiences of Antioch alumnae from other eras.  The more I read, the 
more it becomes clear to me that my years in Yellow Springs (’85-’87) 
were some of the darkest days for Antioch – academically, spiritually, 
and financially.

Let me provide a factual correction regarding the Antioch Law School 
and a few other recollections from that time about the Antioch Law 
School.  Contrary to what SisterSara has presented, the Antioch Law 
School was slated for closure well before 1988.  Although I don’t have 
access to any of the BOT minutes, the public decision to close Antioch 
was made sometime around winter-spring ’86.  I was on co-op in D.C. the 
summer of 1986, and the decision to close the Law School had been made; 
although I believe that Laura is correct in saying that “essentially 
guskin made a deal with the trustees- he would give people associated 
with the law school time to fundraise, and if they did not get a 
certain amount by a certain date, guskin wanted authority to execute 
the closure without board action, and was given that authority.”

While in D.C. on co-op, I thought it would be cool to go visit the law 
school and meet some of my “Antioch cousins” – expecting friendly 
hospitality, as we shared a common Antioch connection.  This did not 
turn out to be the smartest move I ever made.  When I stopped in on a 
Friday evening, I thought this should be fun since there was a party in 
progress.  In one of my dumber moves, I introduced myself to the first 
few people I saw saying something like “Hi, I’m from Antioch College in 
Yellow Springs.  We’re all Antiochians.  What’s going on?”  I could not 
have received a more hostile reaction – short of having my ass kicked.  
I quickly learned that the Antioch Law School students – at least all 
the students within hearing range – held anything and anybody 
associated with Antioch College in utter contempt.  Despite my 
protestations of not being associated with the decision to close the 
law school, I was quickly identified as evil incarnate.  My presence at 
the party was rather abbreviated.

There were several other issues that I recall being discussed at the 
time regarding the closure of the law school.  •	At that time (I have 
no idea if there is now), there was no other law school in Washington 
D.C.  Part of the effort to save the law school was based on the desire 
to have a law school within the D.C. city limits.  I remember wearing a 
button that said “I’m for a D.C. law school.”  •	The rate at which 
students passed the bar was an important issue.  If I remember 
correctly, the number who passed on their first try was abysmally low 
(something like 20-30 percent); although the number who passed by their 
third try was somewhat comparable to other law schools.  Both sides of 
the closure debate used this information to support their side.  The 
pro-closure folks used it to present the school is academically 
substandard, “look only 20% of students are capable of passing the bar 
on their first try.”  Whereas the anti-closure said “these 
non-traditional students in a non-traditional program are not taught 
specifically to pass the bar (hence the low initial low passage rates), 
but this unique non-traditional program with non-traditional students 
has comparable passing rates as other law schools.
•	The discussion surrounding the law school in Yellow Springs was 
framed in the context of “either the Law School closes or Antioch 
College closes.”  I recall that Al Guskin repeatedly used the metaphor 
of we are cutting off the limb to save the tree.  •	Although it was not 
discussed at the time, it seems to me that this was the last of the 
closures of satellite institutions that were a financial drain on the 
college.  \

As a final thought, I have to add my two cents about Al Guskin.  I know 
that he has generally been vilified here, but in the last half of the 
80s, he did a lot to save Antioch.  A few of his significant 
accomplishments include:
•	Significantly increasing faculty pay
•	Raising a lot of money
•	Increasing enrollment
•	Vastly improving the physical plant.  I could go on at length with 
horror stories of the physical plant when I entered in 1985.  South 
Hall was boarded up, Corry (now Spelt) was structurally unsound, what 
we called Zebra house – I guess Pennell house now - was boarded up, 
Conner house was about to collapse, etc. •	Moving the University 
offices from Manhattan to Yellow Springs.
•	In both words and actions, making Antioch College the center of the 
College (I understand that he reversed course on this and the issue in 
the previous bullet in the 90s, but he was all about Antioch College as 
the focal point in the mid and late ‘80s.)
•	Increasing commitment on the quality of academics, particularly 
supporting the library as a top priority.
•	Remaining personally accessible to the Antioch community.  One could 
(and I did) walk into his office or stop him on campus and discuss 
whatever you wanteto with him.

I understand that much of this changed in the ‘90s, but in the ‘80s, he 
was leading Antioch in the right direction.

-Matthew Levitt-