Born: 24 July 1866, United States
Died: 25 July 1954
Country most active: United States
Also known as: NA
The following bio was written by Emma Rosen, author of On This Day She Made History: 366 Days With Women Who Shaped the World and This Day In Human Ingenuity & Discovery: 366 Days of Scientific Milestones with Women in the Spotlight, and has been republished with permission.
Mary Bartelme was an exceptional American judge and lawyer known for her significant contributions to juvenile justice.
In 1897 Mary Bartelme became the first woman appointed Cook County Public Guardian in Illinois. In 1923, she made history again as the first woman elected as a judge in a high jurisdiction court in the state.
She gained recognition across Illinois as a dedicated advocate for children, earning the nickname “Mother Barthelme” due to her compassion toward the girls she dealt with. Additionally, she was known as “Suitcase Mary” because she always ensured that girls sent to foster homes had clean clothes neatly packed in a new suitcase.
The following is excerpted from “400 Outstanding Women of the World and the Costumology of Their Time” by Minna Moscherosch Schmidt, published in 1933.
Mary Bartelme, Judge of the Juvenile Court of Chicago, was born here. She graduated from Northwestern University Law School and was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1894. In 1897 she was appointed as Public Guardian of Cook County, in 1913 she was appointed to the Juvenile Court, served there until elected to the Circuit Court Bench and assigned to the Juvenile Court. She was reelected in 1927 for another six-year term. The Mary Clubs are of her creation and do much for underprivileged girls.