Bertha Rembaugh

Bertha Rembaugh was the first woman to campaign in Manhattan, New York's first district for Justice of the Municipal Court in 1919. As a Republican running in a heavily Democratic district, Ms. Rembaugh waged an uphill battle. Despite losing the election, she was a highly popular candidate and polled 8,231 votes, only 500 fewer than her Democratic opponent. A non-partisan committee of women formed of the Republican, Democratic and Socialist parties gathered to campaign and fundraise for Ms. Rembaugh. When asked for her platform for the position, Ms. Rembaugh replied that she could not see how a Judge of the Municipal Court would need a platform. She could only promise to "run the court as honestly, efficiently, and patiently as possible." She instead argued that the Municipal Court needed a woman judge; with a maximum jurisdiction of $1000, the court mainly dealt with women and children's issues. With over fifteen years of experience as an attorney, Mrs. Rembaugh was well versed in tenant and landlord disputes, dispossess cases, and business problems and regularly worked on behalf of women. Ms. Rembaugh had a wide range of supporters who believed in her superior ability as a lawyer. A New York Tribune article from November 13, 1919, advocated for her thus: "There is no reason why the occupancy of important public office by women of the right kind should be of such rare occurrence as it is at present. And until it becomes more frequent there is occasion for such organized efforts as that made by Miss Rembaugh's campaign committee. It is not so much that women as women need to be represented either on the bench or in the legislative chamber, though in certain cases this argument also holds. The best reason for wishing to use women of high abilities for high posts is that high abilities are rare, whether in men or in women, and that the state has need of them." Bertha Rembaugh graduated from Bryn Mawr College in 1898 with Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees. She then attended New York University Law School, graduating in 1904. She began her work in the legal field with the New York Legal Aid Society, which counsels patrons that cannot afford legal fees. Rembaugh went on to become a well known New York attorney, acting as the attorney-in-charge of the West Side branch of the Legal Aid Society. She also worked with the Henry Street Settlement, trade unions, civic and philanthropic organizations, and the Bar Committee of the Red Cross where she counseled soldiers and sailors. Rembaugh was a regular at night court, where she often volunteered for the unpopular job of representing prostitutes. She took on cases that few lawyers of repute would assent to work on. Ms. Rembaugh was an avid sportsman and would often take her sloop out for weeks at a time to the sea. While she never married, Ms. Rembaugh adopted a young daughter. Graduating from Bryn Mawr with Kate Hepburn, she later became a confidant to Kate's daughter, Audrey Hepburn.