Mary Thomas: Colorado's First Woman Lawyer
| Publication year | 1992 |
| Pages | 669 |
| Citation | Vol. 21 No. 4 Pg. 669 |
1992, April, Pg. 669. Mary Thomas: Colorado's First Woman Lawyer
I first came across the name of Mary Thomas in August 1991 when I was researching a case which took me to Colorado Supreme Court cases reported in 1891.(fn1) The case caption and headnote immediately caught my attention: In Re Thomas, "Exclusion of Women as Attorneys at Law."(fn2) Within minutes, my original project was deferred(fn3) and since that time, the search for information about Mary Thomas has consumed many hours and led me through a multiplicity of libraries and official records.
Much has been written concerning Mary F. Lathrop, who was admitted to practice in Colorado on June 22, 1895.(fn4) Although she made significant achievements in the law, she was not "Colorado's first female lawyer," as has often been reported.(fn5) Mary Thomas preceded her admission by nearly four years. This article discusses Mary Thomas and her quest for admission to the bar.
Mary Thomas was born Mary D. Sternberg on February 25, 1866, in Mason City, Iowa. She was one of five children of Jay Sternberg and Sarah E. (Harris) Sternberg. Mary had four younger brothers: George, Roy, Harold and Clarence, only the youngest of which was born in Colorado in 1875. The family lived in Webster City, Iowa, for approximately ten years before coming to Colorado in the fall of 1872. Her father had been born in Herkimer County, New York, on September 12, 1835. Her mother had been born in Wisconsin and lived in Hamilton County, Iowa, at the time of her marriage to Jay in May 1865.(fn6)
In the spring of 1873, her father purchased a mill site and erected the Boulder City Flouring-mill, one mile southeast of the town of Boulder on Boulder Creek. It later operated under the name, "The Colorado Roller Flouring Mills Company." It was claimed that this mill was superior to all others in the state because of its use of the "celebrated centennial separator, invented by Mr. Sternberg," which removed pulverized gravel from flour created during the milling process.(fn7)
Sternberg was financially successful and, as the patentee of the Centennial Separator, "refuse to sell (the rights) to anyone in the state, although he has had hundreds of applications for it with large money inducements," giving him "great advantage over all the others." He was described as "jolly," "popular," "highly esteemed" and "one of the leading and most prominent millers in the west."(fn8) He exerted the most influence on Mary and gave her every advantage.(fn9)
Mary attended grade school and the University of Colorado Preparatory School in Boulder. She also attended the University of Colorado in Boulder, but did not graduate.(fn10) Mary was described as "one of Boulder's most popular and sensible ladies" and an "especial favorite" of the mill hands at her father's mill where she worked as an assistant bookkeeper in 1887. She also was an accomplished pianist, having taken lessons since early childhood.(fn11) She was known as and went by the name of Matie.(fn12)
On May 12, 1887, she married William J. Thomas of Central City, Colorado, at her parents' "beautiful" home on the "hill southeast of town."(fn13) In attendance at the wedding was her mentor, James M. North, her cousin, Lambert, and other relatives of both families. At that time, her husband was clerk of the First Judicial District (to which he had been appointed) and County Superintendent of Schools in Central City (to which he had been elected).(fn14) They moved to Central City immediately after the wedding.(fn15)
William Thomas had attended the University of Colorado between the fall of 1879 and the spring of 1884 where he "became a leader of its literary societies" and "was prominent also in oratory."(fn16) In later years, he was referred to as "an old university boy"(fn17) and as "Cupid"(fn18) because of his angelic appearance.
The Thomases had two sons, Jay Edward Thomas, born March 3, 1888, and William LeRoy Thomas, born July 14, 1889.(fn21) Despite her marriage and the subsequent birth of children, Mary Thomas continued her study of the law during this period so as to meet the requirements under Colorado law. She also assisted in the office of the local judge in Central City.(fn22) She was twenty-five years old when admitted...
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