Belva Ann Lockwood

Belva Ann Lockwood was born on October 24, 1830 in Royalton, Niagara County, New York. Belva was the first woman to graduate from a national law school, the first woman to practice law if front of the Supreme Court, and the second woman to run for President of the United States. When she was a kid her father wouldn't let her do any thing she wanted to do, including go to college. On November 8, 1848 she married a man named Uriah H. McNall. They were happily married and on July 31, 1849 she gave birth to a daughter named Lura. But on May 11, 1853 something sad happened, her husband died of tuberculoses. To take care of her family Belva decided to go to school. Lura went to live with Belva's parents. After many rejections she finally she attended Gasport Academy in New York through 1853-1854. From 1854-1857 she attended Genesee Wesleyan Seminary and Genesee College (later to become Syracuse University) in New York. 1857 she took a job at Lockport Union School in Lockport, NY. Belva introduced girls to classes in public speaking, gymnastics and she also encouraged nature walks and skating. The girls loved it but the local families didn't approve. She gave a speech with Susan B. Anthony at the New York State Teacher's Convention in January of 1860 about education for girls. Belva thought about becoming a lawyer. She was unhappy with the fact that men were hired first and women were paid only half of what the men made. In 1866 she moved to Washington D.C. and opened a private coeducational school, she and her daughter Lura taught there. In 1867 she was one of the founders of the first women's suffrage group. Then on March 11, 1868 she married Ezekiel Lockwood, they had one daughter who died of an infant. In 1869 she applied to law school to law school at Columbia College (now George Washington University), Howard University and Georgetown. She was rejected from all because they said that a woman would distract the male students. In 1870, Belva drafted a bill that made it against the law to pay women less money than men, if they were Civil Service employees. The bill was passed in 1872. In 1871 she was one of 15 women admitted to National University Law School (now part of George Washington University). She finished all her courses but none of the women were permitted to go to graduation or get diplomas. She had to write to President Grant to finally get the diploma that she earned from National University. She was the only in the group to get her diploma. Then in 1872 she was awarded a masters degree from Syracuse University. Also in 1872 she campaigned Horace Greeley for President.

On September 24, 1873 she was admitted to the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia. Belva continued to work hard for women's rights and in 1877 she was the lead speaker at the national convention of Women's Suffrage Association. On April 23, 1877 Ezekiel Lockwood died. In 1877 she drafted a bill that would allow women to practice before the Supreme Court. President Hayes signed the bill into law on February 15, 1879. On March 3, 1879 she was the first woman to be admitted to practice before the Supreme Court. In 1884 Belva was nominated by the Equal Rights Party to run for President. She was the second woman to run for president, the first was Victoria Woodhull in 1872. Women could not vote but Belva still won over 4,000 votes and got Indiana's electoral votes. She ran again in 1888. Belva continued to work for women's rights and the peace movement. In 1901, her daughter Laura died. Belva raised Lura youngest child. In 1906 she argued a case before the Supreme Court. The Cherokee Nation was suing the U.S. government for violating a treaty that relocated the tribe in 1838. She won $5 million for the Cherokee Nation. Belva died on May 19, 1917.