Kate Stoneman

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Katherine Stoneman

Born

1841

Busti, New York

Died

May 19, 1925

(aged 83–84)

Resting

place

Alma mater

Albany Normal School, Albany

Law School

Occupation

Attorney

Known for

first woman admitted to the

New York State Bar

Association

Katherine Stoneman

(April 1841 – May 19, 1925)

was an early 20th-century

and the first woman admitted to the

Early life and family

[

]

Katherine (Kate) Stoneman was born on her family's farm in Busti,

, New York. She was the fifth of eight children. Her family was in the

lumber business. Her father was also a justice of the peace for several years.

One of her brothers,

, went on to become the Governor of

California. Her brother Edward became a Judge on the Supreme Court of

Illinois.

Education and teaching career

[

]

In 1864, Stoneman began attending the Albany Normal School to pursue her goal

of becoming a teacher. While at school, she worked for the

as a copyist. Kate graduated from Albany Law School of Union

University, a private independent law school founded in 1851.

She graduated in 1866 and began teaching at the Glens Falls Seminary. She

later taught at her alma mater, the Albany Normal School. She was the first

female president of their alumni association, and served as Vice-Principal.

Legal career

[

]

Kate Stoneman was the first woman to pass the New York Bar Exam in 1885. However, her application to the New York Bar

was rejected in the spring of 1886 on the basis of her gender.

With the help of local suffragettes, Stoneman urged

for the introduction and passage of a bill to allow for the admission of all qualified applicants, regardless of race

or gender. The bill was introduced, passed, and signed by Governor David Hill on May 20, 1886, only nine days after her

initial rejection.

12 years after her admission to the bar, Stoneman went on to study law formally at

While studying

law, she continued to teach at the State University of Albany and also clerked for a lawyer in the area. She was the

first woman to graduate from Albany Law School in 1898.

She maintained a law office in Albany from 1889 to 1922.

Honors and awards

[

]

Stoneman died on May 19, 1925, and is buried in

Stoneman was inducted into the

in October 2009.

The eponymous Kate Stoneman Project celebrates and advances women in the legal profession.