LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION paying tribute to the life and accomplishments of
The Honorable Jane Bolin, the first African-American female judge in the
United States of America

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to honor those singu-
lar individuals who devoted their purposeful lives to preserving the
rights and protecting the welfare of the citizens of their community and
the State of New York; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, it is the sense of this Legislative Body to pay
tribute to the life and accomplishments of The Honorable Jane Bolin, the
first African-American female judge in the United States of America; and
WHEREAS, Judge Jane Bolin died on Monday, January 8, 2007, at the age
of 98; and
WHEREAS, The youngest daughter of Gaius C. Bolin and Matilda Bolin,
Jane Matilda Bolin was born on April 11, 1908, in Poughkeepsie, New
York; her father was a lawyer and the first African-American graduate of
Williams College, and her mother died when she was eight years old; and
WHEREAS, Throughout her childhood, she spent a great deal of her time
with her father in his law office; from that exposure, she was deter-
mined to become a lawyer herself; and
WHEREAS, After graduating from high school, Jane Bolin entered Welles-
ley College in 1924, one of only two African-American freshmen women;
her isolated life at Wellesley was made more difficult by the lack of
encouragement she received from her professors; and
WHEREAS, Although she graduated in 1928 as a "Wellesley Scholar" and
one of the top 20 students in her class, her academic advisor discour-
aged her from pursuing a legal career on the grounds that there could be
no future for an African-American woman attorney; and
WHEREAS, Even Jane Bolin's father, who wished to shield her from the
unpleasant side of the legal profession, opposed her interest in the
law; he preferred the more proper life of a teacher for his bright young
daughter; however, she applied and was accepted at Yale University Law
School, and only then did she reveal her plans to her reluctant father
who gave her his guarded blessings; and
WHEREAS, Jane Bolin matriculated at Yale University, and in 1931,
became the first African-American woman to graduate from Yale Law
School; and
WHEREAS, Jane Bolin passed the bar exam in 1932, and practiced in her
father's firm during the first two years of her legal career; after her
marriage to lawyer Ralph Mizelle in 1933, the couple moved to New York;
they practiced together until Jane was hired to become the first Afri-
can-American woman to serve as Assistant Corporation Counsel for the
City of New York; and
WHEREAS, In 1939, Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia appointed the then
31-year-old Jane Bolin to be Judge of the Domestic Relations Court
(renamed the Family Court in 1962), where she served with distinction
for 40 years; and
WHEREAS, In her work as the first African-American woman judge, she
viewed the many different kinds of legal trouble a family could experi-
ence, including spousal abuse and neglected children, as well as homi-
cides committed by juveniles; and
WHEREAS, During her years on the bench, Judge Bolin brought revolu-
tionary changes to New York's legal bureaucracy; among them were the
assignment of probation officers to individuals without regard to race
or religion, and the assurance that private childcare agencies that

received public funding must accept children, regardless of their ethnic
or racial backgrounds; and
WHEREAS, Judge Bolin's only child, Yorke Bolin Mizelle, was born
during her early years on the bench; her husband died two years after
her son's birth, and she was a single parent until her remarriage seven
years later to clergyman Walter Offutt Jr.; he died in 1974, after being
married for 25 years; and
WHEREAS, Judge Bolin retired, quite reluctantly, in 1979, after reach-
ing mandatory retirement age; she went on to serve on the New York State
Board of Regents, where she reviewed disciplinary cases; and
WHEREAS, Judge Bolin served on the National Board of the NAACP, as
well as the boards of the National Urban League, the Child Welfare Leag-
ue and the Dalton School; and
WHEREAS, Judge Bolin, along with Eleanor Roosevelt, helped re-establ-
ish the Wiltwyck School for Boys as a non-sectarian and interracial
rehabilitative center for juveniles; her lifetime of helping people was
recognized by many, including Morgan State University, Western College
for Women, Tuskeegee Institute, Hampton University and Williams College,
all from which she received honorary degrees; and
WHEREAS, Judge Jane Bolin is survived by her son, Yorke; a granddaugh-
ter; and one great-granddaughter; and
WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit, imbued with a sense of
compassion, and comforted by a loving family, Judge Jane Bolin leaves
behind a legacy which will long endure the passage of time and will
remain as a comforting memory to all she served and befriended; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to pay
tribute to the life and accomplishments of The Honorable Jane Bolin,
first African-American female judge in the United States of America; and
be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of Judge Jane Bolin.