Vivian V. Simpson (19031987) was an American lawyer. She was the first female lawyer in Montgomery County, the first woman elected president of the Montgomery County Bar Association, and the first female

Secretary of State of Maryland The secretary of state of Maryland is charged with the administrative and record-keeping functions of the state government of the U.S. state of Maryland. The secretary of state also holds custody of the Seal of Maryland. Unlike in many state ...

Biography

Simpson was born in 1903 in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

and grew up in

Takoma Park, Maryland Takoma Park is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a suburb of Washington, and part of the Washington metropolitan area. Founded in 1883 and incorporated in 1890, Takoma Park, informally called "Azalea City", is a Tree C ...

, where she would graduate from the high school. She studied teaching at the

University of Maryland The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of M ...

, but soon became involved in a scandal over misconduct by school faculty. In the ensuing trouble, the university blocked Simpson's reentry, and she subsequently sued. The

Maryland Court of Appeals The Supreme Court of Maryland is the highest court of the U.S. state of Maryland. Its name was changed on December 14, 2022, from the Maryland Court of Appeals, after a voter-approved change to the state constitution. The court, which is compose ...

, decided the case ''Woods V. Simpson'' against Simpson, and she subsequently transferred to

George Washington University The George Washington University (GW or GWU) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Chartered in 1821 by the United States Congress, GWU is the largest Higher educat ...

, where she would obtain a B. A. in 1925. She later graduated with honors from the George Washington University Law School after two years. After graduation, she opened a solo law practice in Rockville, Maryland, becoming the first woman to practice law in Montgomery County. In 1938, Simpson became a member of the Board of County Commissioners in Montgomery, Maryland, and became the first woman attorney there.

Herbert O'Conor Herbert Romulus O'Conor (November 17, 1896March 4, 1960) was an American lawyer serving as the 51st Governor of Maryland from 1939 to 1947. He also served in the United States Senate, representing Maryland from 1947 to 1953. He was a Democrat. ...

appointed her to the State Industrial Accident Commission of Maryland, the first woman to serve on the commission. In 1949, she was both the first woman elected president of the Montgomery County Bar Association, and became the first woman to be appointed Secretary of State of Maryland. After a year however, she resigned, saying "I don't like to be at other people's beck and call, I'm too independent for that". The Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award from George Washington University was given to her in 1950. Nine years later, Simpson was the vice-president of the

Maryland State Bar Association The Maryland State Bar Association (MSBA) is a voluntary bar association for the state of Maryland. The association pursues the following mission: "to effectively represent Maryland’s lawyers, to provide member services, and to promote profes ...

, and later on the Judicial Appointments Committee. George Washington University also gave her a Professional Achievement Award in 1959. She retired in 1980, and died in August 1987. The Maryland Bar Association posthumously named her one of the twenty "Lawyers of the Century" in Montgomery County.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Simpson, Vivian V. 1903 births 1987 deaths 20th-century American women lawyers 20th-century American lawyers