Theresa Meikle

Theresa Meikle (August 4, 1893 – August 7, 1967) was an American judge based out of San Francisco County Superior Court. In 1955, she was elected to the post of presiding judge of that court and became the first woman elected to such a position in any major American city.

Theresa Meikle and Edith Wilson

Early life

Meikle was born on August 4, 1893, in Globe, Arizona, the daughter of James Fraser Meikle (1862–1938) and Mary Green. She had one sister, Felicia Carson (1904–1994).[1][2]

She attended University of California, Hastings College of the Law where she was a member of Kappa Beta Phi, a legal honor sorority.[2]

Career

In 1923, Meikle was appointed Assistant District Attorney of San Francisco and Attorney for the State Board of Pharmacy by Governor C. C. Young in November 1927 where she served with the state narcotics division.[1][3]

She was a member the To Kolan Women's Club.[1]

In 1931, Meikle was appointed to preside over the San Francisco Women's Court as judge, the first time a San Francisco criminal court had a female judge. The San Francisco Women’s Court was established in 1916 to provide social justice for women. Women worked in the court as lawyers, assistant district attorneys and, with Meikle, judges. In 1942 Judge Clarence Morris removed Meikle and appointed himself to take her place. The Women’s Court was abolished in 1956 for economic reasons.[4]

In 1942, she was elected to the San Francisco County Superior Court, beating incumbent Everett McKeage by a margin of 1.5 to 1 and becoming the first woman to serve on the court.[5] In April 1955, she was elected presiding judge of the Court, the first female judge to hold such a position in any major city in the United States.[6][2] Meikle retired in 1960 after 17 years on the Superior Court's bench.

Personal life

Meikle previously lived in Ashland, Oregon before moving to California in 1911.[1] She died on August 7, 1967 and is buried at the Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma, California.[2]

References
  1. Binheim, Max; Elvin, Charles A (1928). Women of the West; a series of biographical sketches of living eminent women in the eleven western states of the United States of America. p. 65. Retrieved 8 August 2017. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. "Tuesday, August 8, 1967". Daily Independent Journal. 1967. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  3. "Wednesday, August 9, 1967". Reno Gazette-Journal. 1967. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  4. "Judge Meikle given women's court post". San Francisco Chronicle: 7. 1931. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  5. "S. F. Elects First Woman Superior Judge". The Fresno Bee. 1942-08-26. p. 8. Retrieved 2017-09-19.
  6. San Francisco Public Library's San Francisco History Center (1955). "It Came From the (Photo) Morgue! Judge Theresa Meikle". San Francisco News-Call Bulletin. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
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