Barron, Jennie L. (Jennie Loitman), 1891-1969

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Jennie Loitman Barron (October 12, 1891 – March 28, 1969) was an American suffragist, lawyer, and judge. She was the first woman to present evidence to a Grand Jury in Massachusetts and the first to prosecute major criminal cases. She was the first woman judge appointed for life to the Municipal Court in Boston (1937), and the first woman appointed to the Massachusetts Superior Court (1959).

Jennie Loitman Barron was born in Boston to Jewish Russian immigrant parents. She attended Girls' High School, graduating as valedictorian at 15. She received a B.A. and a law degree from Boston University, and opened her own law practice after graduating in 1914. In 1918 she married fellow lawyer Samuel Barron Jr., and they practiced together as Barron and Barron. The couple had three daughters: Erma Barron Wernick (b. 1919), Deborah Barron Blazar (1923–1956), and Joy Barron Rachlin (b. 1931).

Jennie Loitman Barron became interested in suffrage while a college student. She was the first president of the Boston University College Equal Suffrage Organization. She was invited by Maud Wood Park to speak at open-air meetings of the Boston Equal Suffrage Association for Good Government. In 1917, she was a street-corner speaker in New York City's suffrage campaign. Once suffrage was granted, Barron worked with the League of Women Voters to address irregular marriage and divorce laws across the country. She wrote the League's official statement arguing for women to serve on juries.

Barron was elected to the Boston School Committee from 1926 to 1929, the first mother to serve.

Barron was an early president of the Massachusetts Association of Women Lawyers. In 1918 she organized a campaign to allow women to become notaries. She was an assistant Massachusetts Attorney General from 1934 to 1935. In 1937 she was named associate justice of the Boston Municipal Court, and served for twenty years. In 1959 Barron became an associate justice of the Massachusetts Superior Court, where she served until her death in 1969.

Barron was also the first female United States delegate to the United Nations Congress on Crime and Juvenile Delinquency.

She is remembered on the Boston Women's Heritage Trail.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Paul A. Freund papers Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
referencedIn Woman's rights collection, 1853-1958 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn McCulloch, Catharine Waugh, 1862-1945. Papers in the Mary Earhart Dillon collection, 1869-1945 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Ames, Blanche, 1878-1969. Papers, 1860-1961 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Script, 1960. Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Flagg, Mildred Buchanan, 1886-1980. Papers, 1876-1955 (inclusive), 1900-1955 (bulk). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
creatorOf Barron, Jennie L. (Jennie Loitman), 1891-1969. Papers, 1911-1969 (inclusive). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Ames, Blanche. Papers, 1860-1961 (inclusive). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
creatorOf Papers, 1911-1969 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn McCulloch, Catharine Waugh, 1862-1945. Papers in the Mary Earhart Dillon Collection, 1869-1945 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Maud Wood Park papers, 1844-1979 (bulk 1886-1951) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn Sheldon Glueck papers Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
creatorOf Barron, Jennie L. (Jennie Loitman), 1891-1969. Correspondence with Johan Thorsten Sellin, 1955. University of Pennsylvania Library
referencedIn Woman's rights collection, 1853-1958 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Records of the President of Radcliffe College, 1960-1972 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Barron, Jennie L. (Jennie Loitman), 1891-1969. Papers, 1911-1969 (inclusive). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Park, Maud Wood, 1871-1955. Papers in the Woman's Rights Collection, 1870-1960 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Maud Wood Park papers, 1844-1979 (bulk 1886-1951) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
creatorOf Jennie Loitman Barron Papers Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center at New England Historic Genealogical Society
referencedIn Park, Maud Wood, 1871-1955. Papers in the Woman's Rights Collection, 1870-1960 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith American Association of University Women corporateBody
correspondedWith American Jewish Committee corporateBody
associatedWith Ames, Blanche Ames, 1878-1969 person
associatedWith Barron, Jennie L. (Jennie Loitman), 1891-1969. person
correspondedWith Beth Israel Hospital corporateBody
associatedWith Boston (Mass.) School Committee corporateBody
correspondedWith Boston Symphony Orchestra corporateBody
correspondedWith Boston University corporateBody
associatedWith Bunting, Mary Ingraham, 1910-1998 person
correspondedWith Delta Kappa Gamma corporateBody
associatedWith Flagg, Mildred Buchanan, 1886-1980. person
associatedWith Freund, Paul Abraham, 1908-1992 person
associatedWith Glueck, Sheldon, 1896- person
correspondedWith Hadassah corporateBody
associatedWith King, Martin Luther, Jr., 1929-1968 person
associatedWith Massachusetts Association of Women Lawyers corporateBody
associatedWith Massachusetts. Municipal Court (Boston) corporateBody
associatedWith Massachusetts. Superior Court corporateBody
associatedWith McCulloch, Catharine Waugh, 1862-1945 person
associatedWith Park, Maud Wood, 1871-1955 person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Africa
Boston MA US
Cambridge (Mass.)
Subject
Suffrage
Civic leaders
Courts
Jewish judges
Jewish judges
Jewish women
Jewish women
Jews
Judicial records
Mother of the Year Award
Philanthropists
Voluntarism
Women
Occupation
Judges
Lawyers
Activity

Person

Birth 1891-10-12

Death 1969-03-28

Information

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SNAC ID: 85802515