Ada Harriet Miser Kepley (February 11, 1847 – June 13, 1925) was the first American woman to graduate from law school.[1] She graduated in 1870 with a law degree, from what is today Northwestern University School of Law. At that time, she was prohibited from legal practice by state court rule that denied women admittance to the bar. She finally was admitted to the bar in 1881, but did not practice. She was an advocate for women's suffrage and temperance.[2]
Ada Harriet Miser was born in Somerset, Ohio, in 1847. Her parents were Henry and Ann M. Miser. She had a sister, Nora Miser Scott. Her family moved to St. Louis, Missouri, in 1860, and in 1867, Ada married Henry B. Kepley, who had his own law practice in Effingham, Illinois. At his urging, Ada attended the Old University of Chicago's law department (now Northwestern) in Chicago from 1869 to 1870. There she earned her Bachelor of Laws in 1870. She was the first woman to graduate from law school in the United States.[3] However, Illinois state law denied her admission to the state bar because she was a woman. In response, her husband Henry Kepley drafted a bill banning sex discrimination in professional occupations; it became state law in 1872. Kepley, who was more interested in social reform than legal practice, did not apply for admission to the bar in Illinois until 1881, when she gained easy admission. She also was an ordained Unitarian Minister.[4]
Reformer
Kepley's legacy was not in the practice of law, but rather in her passion for temperance and women's suffrage. Her temperance crusade centered around her establishment of the Band of Hope, a youth-oriented temperance group, which focused on educating the youth of the Effingham, Illinois, area concerning the hazards of alcohol addiction. In conjunction with her organization, she also published a monthly temperance newspaper entitled, The Friend of Home which openly attacked the dram shops (saloons) and their patrons. In 1897, an angered saloon-keeper's son broke into Kepley's home and attempted to shoot her with a gun, but missed and shot one of her dogs in the foot.
Kepley's association with nationally known women's movement icons Frances Willard (of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union or WCTU) and Susan B. Anthony (co-founder of the National Woman Suffrage Association) gained Kepley national recognition in these organizations. Frances Willard attended a WCTU rally in Effingham at Kepley's request. Upon the death of her husband Henry in 1906, the bereaved Ada moved to the Kepley's farm between Watson and Mason, Illinois (now known as Wildcat Hollow State Forest). There, Kepley wrote her autobiography, entitled, A Farm Philosopher, A Love Story (since edited and re-published), which she published in 1912. The book was printed by Worman's Printery in Teutopolis, Illinois. Of the land that is now Wildcat Hollow she writes
My farm is in Mason township, Effingham County, Illinois. It has prairie, bottom and upland fields, and much pasture land. The little Wabash River and Fulfer Creek run through it. There is much timber on it, grand old trees, and trees coming on; lovely ravines with gray old rocks – and ferns and mosses and wild flowers and pools of water where the cattle and other stock drink, and things that minister to the sense and love of grandeur and beauty. From my upper window I can see the gray old covered wagon bridge, a relic of the past, that crosses the Wabash River, and just beyond that are the great arches of the magnificent concrete, Illinois Central Railroad bridge that stretch across the river like an old Roman Aqueduct – the old and new in sharp contrast.[5]
Poverty and death
Within the next few years, she lost her beloved farm and was forced to move to a small home in Effingham. Kepley died in St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital in 1925, and she is buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery in Effingham, next to her husband, Henry. Kepley's health and financial issues in her final years are allegorical to the very causes she so passionately fought for, and although she did not live to see the full impact of the national women's suffrage movement, her influence on the movement during its early years helped pave the way for the one of the greatest political achievements in United States history: the19th Amendment.
Works
A Farm Philosopher, A Love Story, Ada H. Kepley, 1912
^Mossman, Mary Jane (2006). The First Women Lawyers: A Comparative Study of Gender, Law and the Legal Professions. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN9781847310958.
^"13 Pioneering Women in American Law – ABA Journal". www.abajournal.com. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
Effingham Museum (June 12, 2017). "Ada Kepley: A Love Story". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
"Letter from Ada H. Kepley to John Muir, 1912 Jul 28". content.cdlib.org. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
January 07, 2023
kepley, harriet, miser, kepley, february, 1847, june, 1925, first, american, woman, graduate, from, school, graduated, 1870, with, degree, from, what, today, northwestern, university, school, that, time, prohibited, from, legal, practice, state, court, rule, t. Ada Harriet Miser Kepley February 11 1847 June 13 1925 was the first American woman to graduate from law school 1 She graduated in 1870 with a law degree from what is today Northwestern University School of Law At that time she was prohibited from legal practice by state court rule that denied women admittance to the bar She finally was admitted to the bar in 1881 but did not practice She was an advocate for women s suffrage and temperance 2 Ada KepleyBorn 1847 02 11 February 11 1847Somerset Ohio USDiedJune 13 1925 1925 06 13 aged 78 Effingham Illinois USEducationOld University of Chicago Northwestern University Law SchoolKnown forAuthor suffragist first American woman to graduate from law school Contents 1 Early life 2 Reformer 3 Poverty and death 4 Works 5 See also 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External linksEarly life EditAda Harriet Miser was born in Somerset Ohio in 1847 Her parents were Henry and Ann M Miser She had a sister Nora Miser Scott Her family moved to St Louis Missouri in 1860 and in 1867 Ada married Henry B Kepley who had his own law practice in Effingham Illinois At his urging Ada attended the Old University of Chicago s law department now Northwestern in Chicago from 1869 to 1870 There she earned her Bachelor of Laws in 1870 She was the first woman to graduate from law school in the United States 3 However Illinois state law denied her admission to the state bar because she was a woman In response her husband Henry Kepley drafted a bill banning sex discrimination in professional occupations it became state law in 1872 Kepley who was more interested in social reform than legal practice did not apply for admission to the bar in Illinois until 1881 when she gained easy admission She also was an ordained Unitarian Minister 4 Reformer EditKepley s legacy was not in the practice of law but rather in her passion for temperance and women s suffrage Her temperance crusade centered around her establishment of the Band of Hope a youth oriented temperance group which focused on educating the youth of the Effingham Illinois area concerning the hazards of alcohol addiction In conjunction with her organization she also published a monthly temperance newspaper entitled The Friend of Home which openly attacked the dram shops saloons and their patrons In 1897 an angered saloon keeper s son broke into Kepley s home and attempted to shoot her with a gun but missed and shot one of her dogs in the foot Kepley s association with nationally known women s movement icons Frances Willard of the Woman s Christian Temperance Union or WCTU and Susan B Anthony co founder of the National Woman Suffrage Association gained Kepley national recognition in these organizations Frances Willard attended a WCTU rally in Effingham at Kepley s request Upon the death of her husband Henry in 1906 the bereaved Ada moved to the Kepley s farm between Watson and Mason Illinois now known as Wildcat Hollow State Forest There Kepley wrote her autobiography entitled A Farm Philosopher A Love Story since edited and re published which she published in 1912 The book was printed by Worman s Printery in Teutopolis Illinois Of the land that is now Wildcat Hollow she writes My farm is in Mason township Effingham County Illinois It has prairie bottom and upland fields and much pasture land The little Wabash River and Fulfer Creek run through it There is much timber on it grand old trees and trees coming on lovely ravines with gray old rocks and ferns and mosses and wild flowers and pools of water where the cattle and other stock drink and things that minister to the sense and love of grandeur and beauty From my upper window I can see the gray old covered wagon bridge a relic of the past that crosses the Wabash River and just beyond that are the great arches of the magnificent concrete Illinois Central Railroad bridge that stretch across the river like an old Roman Aqueduct the old and new in sharp contrast 5 Poverty and death EditWithin the next few years she lost her beloved farm and was forced to move to a small home in Effingham Kepley died in St Anthony s Memorial Hospital in 1925 and she is buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery in Effingham next to her husband Henry Kepley s health and financial issues in her final years are allegorical to the very causes she so passionately fought for and although she did not live to see the full impact of the national women s suffrage movement her influence on the movement during its early years helped pave the way for the one of the greatest political achievements in United States history the19th Amendment Works EditA Farm Philosopher A Love Story Ada H Kepley 1912See also EditBradwell v Illinois 1873 Women in the United States judiciaryReferences Edit Kepley Ada Miser H Women s Legal History Stanford Law School Retrieved September 25 2017 Virginia G Drachman Kepley Ada Harriet Miserfree 11 February 1847 13 June 1925 American National Biography 1999 https doi org 10 1093 anb 9780198606697 article 1100991 Mossman Mary Jane 2006 The First Women Lawyers A Comparative Study of Gender Law and the Legal Professions Bloomsbury Publishing ISBN 9781847310958 13 Pioneering Women in American Law ABA Journal www abajournal com Retrieved September 25 2017 A Farm Philosopher A Love Story Ada H KepleyFurther reading EditVirginia G Drachman Kepley Ada Harriet Miserfree 11 February 1847 13 June 1925 American National Biography 1999 https doi org 10 1093 anb 9780198606697 article 1100991External links EditAda Kepley at the Women s Legal History Biography Project Ada Kepley biography by the Unitarian Universalist Historical Society Effingham Museum June 12 2017 Ada Kepley A Love Story YouTube Archived from the original on December 22 2021 Retrieved September 25 2017 Letter from Ada H Kepley to John Muir 1912 Jul 28 content cdlib org Retrieved September 25 2017 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ada Kepley amp oldid 1116148147, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
