Missouri Legal Trivia
By Joseph Fred Benson
In 1926, African-American Carter G. Woodson, a professor at the University of Chicago and one of the founders of the
Journal of Negro History, set aside the second week in February to be known as Negro History Week. This coincided with
the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas. Dr. Woodson’s goal was to educate Americans about AfricanAmerican cultural backgrounds and the contributions of African-Americans to society. Since 1976, February has been
Black History Month.
March 8, 1911 was the first International Women’s History Day. In 1978, a week in March was set aside for Women’s
History Week. Three years later, Senator Orrin Hatch (R–Utah) and Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland) cosponsored a joint Congressional Resolution proclaiming a National Women’s History Week in March. In 1987, Congress
enacted legislation establishing March as Women’s History Month. This issue is devoted to African-American and Women’s
History Months.
1. In what year was the first all-female law firm established in St. Louis? Was it:
a) 1903; b) 1974: c) 1975; d) 1980.
2. This future United States District Judge argued Duren v. Missouri, 439 U.S. 357 (1979), for the State in the U.S.
Supreme Court. Can you name her?
a) Judge Catherine D. Perry; b) Judge Nanette Laughrey; c) Judge Patricia Breckenridge; d) Dinah Shore.
3. This future Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court represented Duren before the Supreme Court. Is she:
a) Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg; b) Justice Sandra Day O’Connor; c) Justice Sonia Sotomayor; d) Justice Elena Kagan.
4. She was the first woman to be appointed dean (not interim dean) at Saint Louis University Law School. Can you name her?
a) Betsy Ross; b) Annette Clark, M.D., J.D.; c) Mary C. Dahm; d) Lois Lane.
5. Who is the current dean at UMKC Law School?
a) Dean Annette Clark; b) Megan B. Benton; c) Dean Ellen Suni; d) Jane Fonda.
6. This African-American member of The Missouri Bar and former bar examiner is the current mayor of Kansas City. Who
is he?
a) W.E.B. Du Bois; b) Booker T. Washington; c) Marcus Garvey; d) Sylvester “Sly” James.
7. Who was the first African-American to attend and graduate from Washington University Law School? Was he:
a) Walter Moran Farmer; b) Sidney Redmond; c) Raymond Howard; d) Theodore McMillian.
8. Who was the first African-American attorney in St. Louis? Was he:
a) Clyde Cahill; b) U.S. District Judge Henry Autrey; c) Albert Burgess; d) Judge Ronnie White.
9. Can you name the present African-American state Supreme Court judge?
a) Judge Ronnie White; b) Judge George W. Draper, III; c) Judge Michael Calvin; d) Justice Thurgood Marshall.
10. This Harvard Law School graduate and member of The Missouri Bar was co-counsel in Missouri ex rel. Gaines v.
Canada, 305 U.S. 337 (1938). Can you name him?
a) Sidney Redmond; b) Charles Hamilton Houston; c) George W. Draper, Jr.; d) Archibald Cox.
Answers: 1) a; 2) b; 3) a; 4) b; 5) c; 6) d; 7) a; 8) c; 9) b; 10) a.
Joseph Fred Benson is archivist at the Supreme Court of Missouri. He may be reached at Joe.Benson@courts.mo.gov.
Precedent Winter 2013
5