Florence E. Allen
Florence E. Allen | |
---|---|
Associate Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court | |
In office January 1, 1923 – March 21, 1934 | |
Preceded by | Benson W. Hough |
Succeeded by | Robert Nugen Wilkin |
Personal details | |
Born | Florence Ellinwood Allen March 23, 1884 Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S. |
Died | September 12, 1966 (aged 82) Mentor, Ohio, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Relatives | Clarence Emir Allen (father); Esther Allen Gaw (sister); Bryant Tuckerman (cousin) |
Education | Case Western Reserve University (BA, MA) University of Chicago New York University (LLB) |
Signature | |
Florence Ellinwood Allen (March 23, 1884 – September 12, 1966) was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. She was the first woman to serve on a state supreme court and one of the first two women to serve as a United States federal judge. In 2005, she was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.
Early life and education
Allen was born on March 23, 1884, in
Legal career
By her own admission, she was not a success at first. She only made about $25 during her first month, and all she could afford for her office was two chairs and a borrowed typewriter.
State judicial service
Once she won a few cases and gained the respect of her male colleagues,
In 1928, Allen was re-elected to a second six-year term on the Ohio Supreme Court. All of the winners in that election were Republicans except for her.[11] She continued to be a popular figure in Ohio, honored by numerous civic groups for her fair-mindedness;[12] and lawyers who came before her praised her willingness to listen.[3] And while she was not afraid to make the difficult decisions, even on death penalty cases, Allen was not just a "law and order" judge. She was also a mentor, who encouraged young women to become lawyers. She continued to give educational talks about the law, and she worked tirelessly to improve women's legal rights.[10] She was a proponent of jury service for women, at a time when many states still did not allow women to serve, and she continued to encourage women to be politically active even while remaining non-partisan herself.[3] By 1930, her reputation was so positive that some newspapers were suggesting that she be nominated for a seat on the United States Supreme Court. Among them was the Christian Science Monitor, which praised Allen for her "distinguished achievements" as a jurist.[13]
A pacifist, Allen was an opponent of war and argued that the only way to avoid war was to outlaw it. War must be made outlawed and declared a crime, she said. She also called for the establishment of an international court that has jurisdiction over purely international disputes and that international law should be codified on the basis of equity and right.[14]
Federal judicial service
Allen was nominated by President
Women's rights advocacy and pacifism
Allen continued her ongoing advocacy of women's rights. She was a member of the National Association of Business and Professional Women, and spoke at several of their conventions,
Supreme Court speculation
The press continued to speculate on Allen as a possible Supreme Court nominee.
Continued advocacy
On the Circuit Court, Sixth Circuit, she heard cases from Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, and Tennessee. In 1940, she wrote This Constitution of Ours. Even after World War II broke out, Allen remained steadfast in her determination to work for peace. She continued speaking and gave talks both in person and on radio. In 1944, the National Association of Women lawyers put her name forth as someone who should be involved in international peace negotiations.[22] When the war ended, she continued to speak to civic groups, especially women's clubs. Her message was that relying on the United Nations would not prevent the next war. It was essential for individual citizens to keep demanding that each country—whether large or small—have respect for the rule of law. "To secure peace, there must be justice," she told 3,000 attendees at a conference of the National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs. "There cannot be justice unless there is a rebirth of moral principle among the nations. There cannot be a rebirth of moral principle unless the conscience of the peoples becomes articulate."[23] Allen herself remained a very articulate spokeswoman on the issues she cared about. She was regarded as such a credible figure that in 1947, the American Academy of Political and Social Science asked her to do a study of women's voting patterns, to offer her assessment of whether women were in fact using the franchise, and whether they were active in the political process.[24] In later talks, Allen expressed the opinion that while many women were in fact voting and speaking out on issues, there was a generational shift taking place. The dynamic women leaders who had fought for suffrage and brought about greater participation for women in other areas of public life were now deceased, and they had not yet been replaced. She expressed concern about this lack of new and dynamic leadership, and hoped new leaders would emerge.[24]
Renewed Supreme Court speculation
Allen's supporters again sought to have her appointed to the
Death
In declining health after falling and breaking her hip, Allen died on September 12, 1966, in Waite Hill, Ohio, where she had been living with a distant cousin since her retirement.[citation needed]
Honor
In 2005, Allen was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.[27]
See also
- List of female state supreme court justices
- List of first women lawyers and judges in the United States
- List of first women lawyers and judges in Ohio
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Florence E. Allen Named Federal Judge; First Woman to Get Place on Circuit Bench". The New York Times. March 7, 1934. p. 9.
- ^ a b c "Florence Allen, 82, First Woman On U.S. Appellate Bench, Dead". The New York Times. September 14, 1966. p. 47.
- ^ a b c d Howard, N. R. (March 25, 1934). "Miss Allen Talks of Women's Gains". The New York Times. pp. XX2.
- ^ a b c "New Woman Judge Was at One Time Newspaper Woman". Atlanta Constitution. November 12, 1922. p. 3.
- ^ a b c "The Career of a Woman Judge". The Christian Science Monitor. January 11, 1924. p. 9.
- ^ a b c "Florence E. Allen Dies; Retired Federal Jurist". The Washington Post. September 14, 1966. pp. B6.
- ^ a b "Spinster Breadwinner Hailed as Heroine By Woman Judge". The Washington Post. March 10, 1934. p. 11.
- ^ a b "Woman Named As U.S. Judge; First in History". Chicago Tribune. March 7, 1934. p. 4.
- ^ "'Why I Am a Democrat' Discussed by Woman Lawyer". Atlanta Constitution. January 4, 1920. pp. 6K.
- ^ a b c Shuler, Marjorie (March 6, 1935). "She Has Been Mentioned for President". The Christian Science Monitor. pp. WM3.
- ^ "Here's Real Tribute to Women: Six More Years on the Supreme Bench". The Christian Science Monitor. December 6, 1928. p. 1.
- ^ She was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) degree from Berea College in Kentucky in 1930.
- ^ "A Woman on the Supreme Bench?". The Christian Science Monitor. March 12, 1930. p. 18.
- ^ "Must outlaw war says woman judge". The New York Times. 1 April 1924.
- ^ a b c d e f Florence Ellinwood Allen at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
- ^ "Woman Takes Oath as Customs Judge". The New York Times. June 7, 1928. p. 28.
- ^ "Women Lawyers Urged to Support Individual Effort". The Christian Science Monitor. August 29, 1934. pp. 1, 5.
- ^ "Ten Outstanding American Women Make Stirring Plea Against War". The Washington Post. January 11, 1935. p. 14.
- ^ "An Able Woman Pioneer Makes Constitutional History". Life. 1938-01-24. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
- ^ "Women Seeking Seat on Bench". Reno (NV) Evening Gazette. March 6, 1939. p. 4.
- SSRN 2850599.
- ^ Taylor, Rebecca Stiles (October 7, 1944). "Women Lawyers Endorse Judge Florence Allen to Sit at the Peace Table". Chicago Defender. p. 15.
- ^ Greenberg, Doris (July 12, 1946). "People Put First in Keeping Peace". People Put First in Keeping Peace. p. 20.
- ^ a b Arndt, Jessie Ash (November 14, 1960). "Women's Influence Wanes; Judge Allen Warns of Slackness". The Christian Science Monitor. p. 4.
- ISBN 9780394529646.
- ^ Ripley, Josephine. "Political Accent on Women". The Christian Science Monitor. p. 16.
- ^ "Allen, Florence Ellinwood". National Women’s Hall of Fame.
External links
- Florence Ellinwood Allen at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
- Russ, J. A. 1997. Florence Ellinwood Allen
- Entry for Florence Ellinwood Allen in the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History
- Florence Ellinwood Allen Papers. Schlesinger Library Archived 2012-05-09 at the Wayback Machine, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University
- Allen, Florence Ellinwood Papers at the Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College.
- Florence Ellinwood Allen at the National Women's Hall of Fame