New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1928-07-18
MRS. WILLEBRAND7
LIKELY choice
May Be Judge il Hoover Is
Elected in Fall

Washington(. July IL (UP) If
Herbert Hoover is elected president
in November. he probably will APP
point the first woman federal judge
In the country's history.
Mrs. Mabel Walker Willebrandt.
assistant attorney general. long has
desired a federal judgeship, and
Hoover, if successful. Is expected
to reward her work for the admin
istration and her woman service in
behalf of his nomination by such a
post. There is no vacancy now on
the federal bench in California, but
she is expected to get the first one.
Mrs. Willebrandt was widely en-
dorsed for vacancy In the north
ern district some months ago. but 1t
was urged against the appointment
that she lived in Los Angeles in the
southern district and the appoint
plent was not made.
4 federal judgeship is about the
only post open to lawyer that Mrs.
Willebrandt has not held. Her
career is literally like that usually
claimed for nominees to high posi-
ton by their publicity agents. be-
ginning 80 years ago in a frontier
house built of sod AMI boards IN
the Texas Panhandle. and getting
brighter as she rose. She has lived
and worked in far more states than
the man she helped nominate.
A charming woman, entirely tenn
mime, she has fought her way up
like a man, and has demanded the
responsibility of a man. When sum-
moned here for an interview re-
garding the post of assistant attor-
ney general. she made 1t plain she
would take the place only if she had
the full authority granted to men
in such positions.
1t was the heritage of pioneer
parents. He father was country
newspaper editor who followed MS
trade here and there. Her mother
was a school teacher. she was Is
before she went TO school, but she
had educated herself, with her
mothers aid before that. 1t was at
Kansas City, Mo, that she walked
into a schoolroom for the first Tune
Before that time, she had follow
cd her parents from the Panhandle
TO Missouri, then 10 Oklahoma IN a
land rush, with her feet dangling
from the back of a covered wagon.
then to Powersville. Mo, when IT
was decided it was about time tor
her to go to school.
At II, she passed the teacher s
er's examination and took her first
post in Buckley. Mich, when her
family took the road again.
The pupils were typical back
woods children and she had her
hands full. She became complete
master of the situation one day
when she overpowered an diversified
youngster who drew a knife on her.
During her days there, she be-
came engaged to the high school
principal When he contracted pneu-
n,onia and was threatened with tu-
berculosis, she married him and TO-
eether they went to the Arizona
desert, where she continued 10
teach, and also attended normal
school, while caring for her hus-
band.
A year then in Michigan, teach
Ing and going to school at the same
time, and then she went TO Los
Angeles as principal of school. She
attended night law school at the
University of Southern California
and in time passed her bar eNaml-
nations and set up as puractlclhs
lawyer. Living in the foreign quar-
ter in these days. she became inter-
ested in the problems of the peo-
pie there, and was instrumental in
esta blishing the post OF public de-
fender In Los Angeles to handle
legal difficulties of the poor.
While law bushes was coming IN
handsomely, Mrs. Willebrandt at the
ga me time was taking an interest IN
LEGISLATION for women, and secured
passage Of measures restoring GER
tain property rights for her sex.
Some $4,000 grateful women en-
dorsed her for the government po-
sition here. When she took 1t, she
made quite a financial sacrifice, for
her legal business was heavy.