Martha Angle Dorsett
Encyclopedia
Martha Angle Dorsett was the first woman admitted to the bar in the state of Minnesota
.
, Cattaraugus County, New York
, the daughter of Nicholas Angle and Mary Ewing. She married Charles William Dorsett (28 September 1850-1936) on 29 June 1876. Charles Dorsett ran twice for Governor of Minnesota on the ticket of the Prohibition Party
, but was unsuccessful. She died 8 March 1918 at Minneapolis, Minnesota and is buried at Lakewood Cemetery. She and her husband had at least 6 children, some of them through adoption.
, the first public university in the United States to admit men and women on an equal basis. Dorsett applied for admission to the State Bar of Minnesota
in 1876, the first woman ever to do so. Her application was denied on the grounds that state law only permitted males to practice law. In the words of Judge Young, the one who denied her application, "The lady passed the best examination of any applicant for admission that has been presented for a long time."
She and her husband Charles William Dorsett campaigned in the State legislature to have the statute amended. On 27 February 1877, by a vote of 63 to 30, the House approved, and Mrs. Dorsett was admitted to the bar in 1878.
She served as Treasurer and member of the Board of Directors of Maternity Hospital, located at 2529 4th Avenue South, Minneapolis, which opened on 30 November 1886.
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
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Personal
Martha A. Angle was born 2 April 1851 in RandolphRandolph, New York
There are two places named Randolph in the U.S. state of New York:*Randolph , New York*Randolph , New York...
, Cattaraugus County, New York
Cattaraugus County, New York
Cattaraugus County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 80,317. The county seat is Little Valley.-History:...
, the daughter of Nicholas Angle and Mary Ewing. She married Charles William Dorsett (28 September 1850-1936) on 29 June 1876. Charles Dorsett ran twice for Governor of Minnesota on the ticket of the Prohibition Party
Prohibition Party
The Prohibition Party is a political party in the United States best known for its historic opposition to the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages. It is the oldest existing third party in the US. The party was an integral part of the temperance movement...
, but was unsuccessful. She died 8 March 1918 at Minneapolis, Minnesota and is buried at Lakewood Cemetery. She and her husband had at least 6 children, some of them through adoption.
Professional
Mrs. Dorsett graduated from the University of Iowa College of LawUniversity of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
, the first public university in the United States to admit men and women on an equal basis. Dorsett applied for admission to the State Bar of Minnesota
Minnesota State Bar Association
The Minnesota State Bar Association is a professional association of lawyers, judges, and other legal practitioners, such as clerks, registrars, and paralegals. The MSBA is one of the oldest state bar associations in the United States. The association was organized in 1883 and claims a membership...
in 1876, the first woman ever to do so. Her application was denied on the grounds that state law only permitted males to practice law. In the words of Judge Young, the one who denied her application, "The lady passed the best examination of any applicant for admission that has been presented for a long time."
She and her husband Charles William Dorsett campaigned in the State legislature to have the statute amended. On 27 February 1877, by a vote of 63 to 30, the House approved, and Mrs. Dorsett was admitted to the bar in 1878.
She served as Treasurer and member of the Board of Directors of Maternity Hospital, located at 2529 4th Avenue South, Minneapolis, which opened on 30 November 1886.