Mary Jane Spurlin
Judge
Biography
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The basics
Quick Facts
| Intro | Judge | |
| Places | United States of America | |
| was | Judge | |
| Work field | Law | |
| Gender |
| |
| Birth | 16 January 1883, Salem, Polk County, Oregon, U.S.A. | |
| Death | 4 June 1970 (aged 87 years) |
The details
Biography
Mary Jane Spurlin (January 16, 1883 – June 4, 1970) became Oregon's first woman judge when appointed by Governor Walter M. Pierce and sworn into office on April 1, 1926. She presided over the District Court of Multnomah County. On April 9, 1927, Spurlin was elected president of the Portland Federation of Women's Clubs.
Life
A graduate of Lewis & Clark Law School, Spurlin wrote in 1935 about the negative reactions the public had to uniformed police officers, adding that policewomen in street dress had an advantage over uniformed patrolmen in gaining the confidence of "parents of troublesome children."
She was a member of the Women Lawyers Association of Oregon.