Joseph Hostetler, a founding member of the BakerHostetler firm, was an enthusiastic supporter of Cleveland Law School, where he taught for many years. Born near Canal Fulton, Hostetler worked at various jobs—including police beat reporter—to afford his undergraduate and law degrees at Western Reserve University. As a new lawyer, he worked in private practice and as assistant city law director under Mayor Newton D. Baker. In 1916, he joined with Baker and Thomas L. Sidlo to form Baker, Hosteler & Sidlo (now BakerHostetler), a multi-disciplinary law firm with offices throughout America. All three founding partners taught at Cleveland-Marshall’s predecessor schools. In 1938 he succeeded Baker as director of Cleveland Trust Co. He was elected president of the Cleveland Bar Association in 1947, and Cleveland-Marshall Law School awarded him an Honorary Master of Law degree in 1948.