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Part of the American
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Myra Bradwell 1831 ~ 1894
Myra Bradwell
Lawyer and editor. Mrs. Bradwell was
born in Manchester, Vermont, February 12, 1831. Daughter of Eben
and Abigail Willey Colby. When quite young, her parents removed
to New York City, and when she was about twelve years of age, to
Chicago.
In 1852, she married James B. Bradwell,
whose father had been one of the leading pioneers of Illinois.
She studied law in her husband's office.
Passing the required examination, she was the first woman in
America to ask to be admitted to the bar, but was refused on the
grounds of being a married woman. This only added indignation to
her desire, and she never ceased her efforts until this
disability was removed, and finally received a certificate based
upon her original application, and was the first woman to be
admitted to the Illinois Bar Association.
She was the editor of the first legal
paper published in the Western states, known as the Chicago
Legal News, and she remained its manager and editor until her
death. The legislature of Illinois gave her a special charter
for this paper, and it became a valuable medium for the
publication of legal notices.
Mrs. Bradwell drew up the bill making
the law giving to married women their own earnings, and its
passage was secured by her efforts in 1869. The work of editing
and managing her paper became so arduous that her husband, Judge
Bradwell, retired from the bench to assist her in this work.
She was always prominent in all
charitable and philanthropic work of her home city, Chicago. She
was a member of several of the prominent associations for
literary and philanthropic work. Both of her children, a son and
daughter, were admitted to the bar.
Women of
America
Source: The Part Taken by Women in
American History, By Mrs. John A. Logan, Published by The Perry-Nalle
Publishing Company, Wilmington, Delaware, 1912.
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