Jane Bolin was a remarkable woman who made history as the first black woman to graduate from Yale Law School, the first to join the New York City Bar Association and the New York City Law Department, and the first to serve as a judge in the United States. She was a champion of racial justice and child welfare, and a role model for generations of aspiring lawyers and judges. But how did she die, and what legacy did she leave behind?
Early Life and Education
Jane Matilda Bolin was born on April 11, 1908, in Poughkeepsie, New York. She was an only child of an interracial couple: her father, Gaius C. Bolin, was a lawyer and the first black person to graduate from Williams College, and her mother, Matilda Ingram Emery, was an immigrant from the British Isles who died when Jane was 8 years old.
Jane was inspired by her father’s legal career and his involvement in the NAACP. She also witnessed the horrors of racial violence and discrimination in her hometown and in the media. She decided to pursue a law degree and enrolled at Wellesley College in Massachusetts, where she was one of only two black freshmen. She faced social isolation and prejudice from her white classmates, but she excelled academically and graduated in 1928 in the top 20 of her class.
She then applied to Yale Law School, despite being discouraged by a career adviser at Wellesley who told her that law was not a suitable profession for a black woman. She proved him wrong by becoming the first black woman to graduate from Yale Law School in 1931. She passed the New York state bar examination in 1932 and began her legal practice.
Career and Achievements
Jane Bolin practiced law with her father in Poughkeepsie for a short period before moving to New York City, where she married attorney Ralph E. Mizelle in 1933. They opened up a joint practice and became active members of the Harlem community. Mizelle also became a member of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Black Cabinet, a group of influential African American advisers.
In 1937, Jane Bolin was hired as the first black woman to serve as an Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of New York, working on domestic relations cases. Two years later, she made history again when Mayor Fiorello La Guardia appointed her as a judge of the Domestic Relations Court (later renamed Family Court) on July 22, 1939, at the New York World’s Fair. She was 31 years old and the first black woman to serve as a judge in the United States.
She served on the Family Court bench for four decades, until she reached the mandatory retirement age of 70 in 1979. She presided over cases involving juvenile delinquency, adoption, foster care, child abuse and neglect, and domestic violence. She was known for her compassion, fairness, and integrity. She also fought against racial discrimination and segregation in the court system and in the child welfare agencies. She advocated for children’s rights and welfare, especially for children of color who were often marginalized and mistreated by the system.
She also served on the boards of several organizations that promoted social justice and civil rights, such as the NAACP, the National Urban League, the Child Welfare League of America, and the Harlem YWCA. She received numerous awards and honors for her work, including honorary degrees from Tuskegee Institute, Williams College, Hampton University, Western College for Women, Morgan State College, and Howard University.
Personal Life and Death
Jane Bolin married twice in her life. Her first husband, Ralph Mizelle, died in 1943 from a heart attack. They had one son together, Yorke Mizelle Bolin. Her second husband was Walter P. Offutt Jr., a minister whom she married in 1950. He died in 1974.
Jane Bolin died on January 8, 2007, at the age of 98. She passed away peacefully at a nursing home in Queens, New York. She is buried at Fishkill Rural Cemetery in Fishkill, New York.
She is survived by her son Yorke Mizelle Bolin; two grandsons; two great-grandsons; two great-great-granddaughters; and many relatives and friends who admired her courage and achievements.
Conclusion
Jane Bolin cause of death was natural causes after a long and fruitful life. She was a pioneer who broke many barriers for women and people of color in the legal profession and the judiciary. She dedicated her life to serving justice and protecting children and families. She left behind a legacy of excellence, integrity, and compassion that continues to inspire generations of lawyers and judges today.
