Martha Ware
Encyclopedia
Martha Ware was an American
district court
judge
in Plymouth County, Massachusetts
.
and raised in Abington
. An only child, she graduated from Abington High School in 1935 and attended Colby–Sawyer College, where she graduated in 1937 with an associate's degree
in secretarial science.
In 1941 she went on to study at Boston University
and Portia Law School (now the New England School of Law
), where she graduated with an LL.B cum laude in 1941.
in Abington, the first in Plymouth County.
In 1950 she was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives
and served three terms in the Massachusetts General Court
until 1956. During her campaign for the Legislature in 1950 she was stricken with polio
and was bedridden for three months but she won the seat by 13 votes after a recount. Sitting in a wheelchair, she was sworn into office in January 1951.
In 1956 Ware, then 38, was appointed by Governor Christian Herter
as the first female judge in Plymouth County, serving primarily in the state's juvenile court
s until her retirement in 1979.
, the New England College of Law, and the Whitman Mutual Federal Savings Bank (now known as Mutual Bank). Ware received honorary doctorate degree
s from Stonehill in 1979, the New England College of Law in 1988, and Colby–Sawyer in 1994. She was president of Plymouth County's Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and later served as chairman of two area March of Dimes
chapters.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
district court
Courts of Massachusetts
Before 1978, all trial courts except the Land Court were county or local courts funded through the counties. The Massachusetts Trial Court was created by Chapter 478 of the Acts of 1978 that reorganized the courts into seven Trial Court Departments...
judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
in Plymouth County, Massachusetts
Plymouth County, Massachusetts
Plymouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. As of 2010, the population was 494,919. Its county seats are Plymouth and Brockton...
.
Early life
Judge Ware was born in Weymouth, MassachusettsWeymouth, Massachusetts
The Town of Weymouth is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, Weymouth had a total population of 53,743. Despite its city status, it is formally known as the Town of Weymouth...
and raised in Abington
Abington, Massachusetts
As of the census of 2000, there were 14,605 people, 5,263 households, and 3,747 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,469.1 people per square mile . There were 5,348 housing units at an average density of 538.0 per square mile...
. An only child, she graduated from Abington High School in 1935 and attended Colby–Sawyer College, where she graduated in 1937 with an associate's degree
Associate's degree
An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years...
in secretarial science.
In 1941 she went on to study at Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
and Portia Law School (now the New England School of Law
New England School of Law
New England School of Law is a private law school in Boston, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1908 as a law school for women.-History:...
), where she graduated with an LL.B cum laude in 1941.
Career
After passing the state bar in 1942, Ware became the first female selectmanBoard of selectmen
The board of selectmen is commonly the executive arm of the government of New England towns in the United States. The board typically consists of three or five members, with or without staggered terms.-History:...
in Abington, the first in Plymouth County.
In 1950 she was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives
Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...
and served three terms in the Massachusetts General Court
Massachusetts General Court
The Massachusetts General Court is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the Colonial Era, when this body also sat in judgment of judicial appeals cases...
until 1956. During her campaign for the Legislature in 1950 she was stricken with polio
Poliomyelitis
Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an acute viral infectious disease spread from person to person, primarily via the fecal-oral route...
and was bedridden for three months but she won the seat by 13 votes after a recount. Sitting in a wheelchair, she was sworn into office in January 1951.
In 1956 Ware, then 38, was appointed by Governor Christian Herter
Christian Herter
Christian Archibald Herter was an American politician and statesman; 59th governor of Massachusetts from 1953 to 1957, and United States Secretary of State from 1959 to 1961.-Early life:...
as the first female judge in Plymouth County, serving primarily in the state's juvenile court
Juvenile court
A juvenile court is a tribunal having special authority to try and pass judgments for crimes committed by children or adolescents who have not attained the age of majority...
s until her retirement in 1979.
Affiliations
Martha Ware was named a trustee for Colby–Sawyer College, Stonehill CollegeStonehill College
Stonehill College is a private Roman Catholic college located in Easton, Massachusetts, United States, founded in 1948. Situated in North Easton, Massachusetts, a suburban community of 23,329 people, Stonehill is located south of Boston on a campus, the original estate of Frederick Lothrop Ames...
, the New England College of Law, and the Whitman Mutual Federal Savings Bank (now known as Mutual Bank). Ware received honorary doctorate degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
s from Stonehill in 1979, the New England College of Law in 1988, and Colby–Sawyer in 1994. She was president of Plymouth County's Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and later served as chairman of two area March of Dimes
March of Dimes
The March of Dimes Foundation is a United States nonprofit organization that works to improve the health of mothers and babies.-Organization:...
chapters.