The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-12-26
WOMEN WHO
WIN IN TRADE
Mrs. Ellen Spencer Musscy. LII
tBy Isabel stcphen)

Tho career of Mrs. Ellen Spencer
Musscy. one of the best known lawyers
ono. and shows what a woman can do
when she Is thrown on her own re-
sources with u sick husband and
growing family on her hands
Mrs. Mussey is the daughter of Plat
i. Spencer, author OF "Spcnccrian Pen
manship" granddaughter Of Caleb
Spencer. VINO cervcd as Il private in TN,
Rcvolut' on. and t-granddaughtcro of
Major Moses Warrior and also Of Mark
Duty. She is the widow of General
r. DelNan Iussey. she was educated
by private tutors and at Rockford col
loEe. H., ma at Lake Erie College,
JaincSVill.. Ohio.
She received her schooling with no
idea of using her knowledge in pro
fcSsional capacity, for when Mrs. Mus
soy graduated from college profession
and the women who followed husi-
ness; career seemed but an experiment
in the scheme of life.
II began my married life with the
responsibilities of motherhood" Mrs
Mussey told me FOR General Musscv
drcn. when | became mis- bride. Life
went on very happily for US, and it
was not until after two little ones
of my own were added to my treas
urcs that my husbands health began
TO fail had had no thought of a
professional career until he became SO
i'll that IL was Impossible for him TO
20 on with the work.
"But II didn't take me long to de
eide she went on. ~ was already a
graduate in law. and had had a great
deal OF business cduCasion and expert
cnce. 50 I Just made up my mind that
! would tallc up tho thread OF my hus-
bands profession where he must other
wise have let IT drop.
Things were Inherent then from
what they arc nowadays. II was ala
uncommon thing for n woman to pur-
sue professional course. but ! was
capable Of the work. and So l under
took it. Thirty years ago. in the old
residential district. professional men
had their Offices in the house in which
their families lived. | had German
housekecper. who had been with Gen
eral Mussey before | married him. and
1t was she who helped me with the
domestic cu6
Il moved the general down in 4 room
NEXT TO my office, where lie lay on his
couch There were two reasons for
this. First, | didn't want him to feel
his ina hility 10 work more than was
necessary There so closely associ-
Gted with me- he was a partner IN the
business, and did not feel keenly.
rs would otherwise have been tho
case, that life was closing for him.
The other reason was that need, d
him screly. When | didn't know just
what To do. / could 60 right into him
for advice and help anl between clients
and cases ] would run, upstairs and
make bUttouholes N my children's
slips There were fifteen buttorh dies
in cac slip, for those We're Pima fore
days, when the little garments but
toned MI the way down the hack"
From those days when she consult
ed her sick husband who lay in AN
adjoining room, ana worked button
holes in little pinafo:cs between times.
she has worked through thirty years
OF a successful law practice. being to-
day q member OF the bar OF tho high
est courts in the District OF Colum bia.
OF the Court OF Claims, ana OF the SUI
preme Court Of the United states.
Her interest in the progress OF wom-
en- IN the professions led her to estab-
lish IN 1895 the Washington College Of
Law. % which she is dcau-the only
woman dean OF a law school in the
world. This college IS The only one
south OF philadelphia which admits
women 10 study law, and Is growing
rapidly. She has established a post
graduate course In corporation law
international law, etc. ana has per
sonany taught classes In constitutional
law. law contracts, law personal prop
erty, law real property, parliamentary
law, oGuity turisprudencc and equity
pleading, and law OF negotiable instru-
nents.
Legislation District federation wonl-
ems clubs. she drafted q bill enacted