The new Law Center, at 1504 E McKinney in Denton, boasts what we are calling “the archive room”. At the heart of this room sits the source of the name and the inspiration for establishing a place to maintain the history of the Denton Bar Association – the Fred Minor Desk.

When Fred Minor (of Minor and Jester) started practicing law in 1916, he acquired this desk.  Fred Minor had the distinction of graduating first in his class from the University of Texas School of Law and practicing law in Denton, Texas from l916 until 1976.

Highly respected as an attorney, Fred Minor also served as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives for several years while he served in the Texas Legislature.  He remains the only resident of Denton County to ever serve in that position. Historic events the desk was part of included numerous important legislative matters while Minor was House Speaker. From 1916 until his death Minor practiced law in Denton. He became involved in Democratic party politics early in his legal career and served as Denton County Democratic chairman from 1918 until 1924. In 1926 he was elected to the Texas legislature, where he remained until 1933. During his second term the illness of W. S. Barron allowed Minor to act as speaker of the House, a position to which he was elected in 1931. He believed his most important accomplishment as speaker was the passage in 1931 of oil-proration legislation to help conserve the East Texas oilfield. Minor served on the Denton City Council for eight years and the Denton Board of Education for sixteen years. He was chairman of the city council for one term and president of the school board for twelve years. 

When John L. Sullivan graduated from the University of Texas School of Law, he returned to his home in Denton and began practicing law.  John Sullivan has the distinction of having the highest scholastic record recorded at the UT Law School for many years.  John’s mentor and friend, Fred Minor, gave the desk to John Sullivan to help establish his law office. When Sullivan occupied the desk, the desk was utilized in numerous significant lawsuits, including particularly the Meadors case which became nationally famous when the eccentric Meadors left their several million-dollar estate to a Catholic nun group in Tennessee and major probate litigation ensued. Numerous newspaper articles were written and there was TV coverage of the Meadors case.   Much attention was paid to the Meadors leaving the windows to their large residence open , thus allowing their flock of chickens to roost in the residence. John enjoyed having the desk until December, 1969.  At that time, he gave the desk to a young attorney just starting out – Curtis Loveless.

 

The desk was enjoyed by Curtis Loveless from 1969 until December, 2021 when Loveless donated the desk to the Denton County Lawyers Foundation for use in the newly acquired and remodeled Law Center.

  

During Loveless’ ownership of the desk, work was done at that desk which resulted in Loveless becoming Board Certified in Family Law in 1975 which was the initial year of legal specialization in the State of Texas. The desk was also used extensively when Loveless served on the Texas Supreme Court Advisory Committees which established the child support guidelines and possession guidelines for the State of Texas that have been set forth in the Texas Family Code.

 

The desk was used extensively when Loveless and 10 other Board Certified attorneys established the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists which now numbers over 700 Board Certified Attorneys. 

 

The next chapter for Fred Minor’s desk will be written by the Denton County Lawyers Foundation and those who use it while there. The prior owners would all be proud of that next chapter. What stories will your desk tell?