Though change may seem relatively slow today, the progress of women in the field of law professorship is something that might have been inconceivable more than a generation or two ago, when it was nearly unheard of for a law school to have even a single woman as full-time faculty. Women in the profession today can give thanks to those trailblazers who came before them and began the inexorable march towards equality that continues to this day. In fact, it is one of DU’s own who is worthy of such thanks.
Possessing an exceptionally keen legal mind, Helen Thorp Street (Class of 1939) received the top score in the state on the 1940 Colorado bar examination. Nevertheless, not a single law firm in Colorado would hire her because of her gender. As current U.S. Senator and former U.S. Representative Mark Udall once noted, “Law was a man’s profession and no one would give her a job.” (Congressional Record, June 7, 2002, E990).
Effectively frozen out of the practice of law, Helen Thorp Street (then Helen Thorp) began teaching law at DU in 1940. In 1941, she became a full-time professor of law at DU. By some accounts, she was “the first woman to teach at an accredited law school in the U.S.” (Abbott, K. (2002, May 31). Obituary: Helen Thorp Street at 89. Rocky Mountain News, p. 17B.) On June 6, 2002, Hon. Mark Udall paid tribute (Part 1 & Part 2 ) to Helen Thorp Street before the House of Representatives, recounting her pioneering role in law professorship, as well as her extensive activism within the Denver and Colorado communities and concluding that “Colorado is a better place because of Helen Thorp Street. I applaud this remarkable woman and the legacy she has left our state, the practice of law, and the example she set for community activists throughout our country. She will be missed by us all.” Though other historical accounts (e.g., Herma Hill Kay, The Future of Women Law Professors, 77 IOWA L. REV. 5 (1991)) indicate Helen Thorp Street may have had a handful of female contemporaries as law school faculty, the role she played cannot be understated.
If you are interested in learning more, check out DU’s Law School Alumni Recollections – Audio Interview Archive to hear about Helen Thorp Street’s life and experiences from the woman herself.
Also, A Centennial History of the University of Denver College of Law: 1892-1992 by Philip E. Gauthier is an excellent resource for further reading. It is available in PDF format broken down by chapters. Material on Helen Thorp Street can be found in Chapter 2. If you would prefer a free hard-copy of this book, please contact Patty Wellinger, or call 303-871-6479.
Possessing an exceptionally keen legal mind, Helen Thorp Street (Class of 1939) received the top score in the state on the 1940 Colorado bar examination. Nevertheless, not a single law firm in Colorado would hire her because of her gender. As current U.S. Senator and former U.S. Representative Mark Udall once noted, “Law was a man’s profession and no one would give her a job.” (Congressional Record, June 7, 2002, E990).
Effectively frozen out of the practice of law, Helen Thorp Street (then Helen Thorp) began teaching law at DU in 1940. In 1941, she became a full-time professor of law at DU. By some accounts, she was “the first woman to teach at an accredited law school in the U.S.” (Abbott, K. (2002, May 31). Obituary: Helen Thorp Street at 89. Rocky Mountain News, p. 17B.) On June 6, 2002, Hon. Mark Udall paid tribute (Part 1 & Part 2 ) to Helen Thorp Street before the House of Representatives, recounting her pioneering role in law professorship, as well as her extensive activism within the Denver and Colorado communities and concluding that “Colorado is a better place because of Helen Thorp Street. I applaud this remarkable woman and the legacy she has left our state, the practice of law, and the example she set for community activists throughout our country. She will be missed by us all.” Though other historical accounts (e.g., Herma Hill Kay, The Future of Women Law Professors, 77 IOWA L. REV. 5 (1991)) indicate Helen Thorp Street may have had a handful of female contemporaries as law school faculty, the role she played cannot be understated.
If you are interested in learning more, check out DU’s Law School Alumni Recollections – Audio Interview Archive to hear about Helen Thorp Street’s life and experiences from the woman herself.
Also, A Centennial History of the University of Denver College of Law: 1892-1992 by Philip E. Gauthier is an excellent resource for further reading. It is available in PDF format broken down by chapters. Material on Helen Thorp Street can be found in Chapter 2. If you would prefer a free hard-copy of this book, please contact Patty Wellinger, or call 303-871-6479.
Written by Marty Witt, Law Librarian Fellow
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