Anne X. Alpern | |
|---|---|
 Photo,c. 1960 | |
| Justice of thePennsylvania Supreme Court | |
| In office September 7, 1961[1] – January 1, 1962[2] | |
| Preceded by | Charles Alvin Jones[3] |
| Succeeded by | Henry X. O'Brien[4] |
| Pennsylvania Attorney General | |
| In office January 20, 1959[5] – August 28, 1961[6] | |
| Governor | David L. Lawrence |
| Preceded by | Thomas D. McBride[5] |
| Succeeded by | David Henry Stahl[6] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 25, 1903[7][8] |
| Died | February 2, 1981 (aged 77)[9] |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | University of Pittsburgh |
Anne X. Alpern (December 25, 1903 – February 2, 1981) was an Americanjurist and politician who served as theattorney general for Pennsylvania and was later appointed to theSupreme Court of Pennsylvania. She was the firstwoman to hold either position.
Alpern was born in theRussian Empire and moved with her family toScenery Hill, Pennsylvania, as a young child.[4][9] Alpern earned abachelor's degree in education from theUniversity of Pittsburgh in 1923 and alaw degree from theUniversity of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1927.[4] After graduating law school, she began working as anattorney for a locallaw firm.[4]
In 1934,Pittsburgh city solicitor Ward Bonsall hired Alpern as a temporary assistantcity solicitor, to assist with a backlog of cases after the election ofMayor William N. McNair.[4] The job was unpaid, but Alpern worked long hours and won a number of cases, and she was promoted the next year to first assistant city solicitor.[4] Alpern served in this capacity for several years, under several city solicitors, and at times she served as aninterim solicitor, following the death or termination of an appointed solicitor.[10][11] In 1942, Alpern was appointed byMayor Cornelius D. Scully to become city solicitor herself.[4] She was the first woman ever to serve as solicitor of a major American city.[12]
In 1953, after a distinguished career as city solicitor, Alpern was elected to theCourt of Common Pleas ofAllegheny County as aDemocrat.[4]
In 1959,Governor David L. Lawrence appointed Alpern to serve as theattorney general for Pennsylvania.[4][9] Alpern was the first woman ever to serve as astate attorney general.[13][4]
In 1960, Alpern launched an investigation into allegations ofelectoral fraud involving Democrats inPhiladelphia.[4] Her investigation resulted in the indictment, resignation, or termination of a number of state officials.[14] The investigation had been called for byRepublican officials, notably Republican state chairmanGeorge I. Bloom,[15] but it caused some consternation to Alpern's fellow Democrats, such as Philadelphia Democratic chairmanWilliam J. Green.[9]
Early in 1961,President John F. Kennedy offered Alpern a job as head of theFederal Power Commission, but Alpern turned it down.[4]
On July 26, 1961, Governor Lawrence appointed Alpern to theSupreme Court of Pennsylvania to fill a vacancy created by the resignation ofChief Justice Charles Alvin Jones.[3] She was sworn in on September 7.[1] Because she was appointed, rather than elected, to the court, the law required her to run for a full term in aspecial election that November. She was narrowly defeated in the election byHenry X. O'Brien, a Republican.[4][16] Analysts attributed her loss in part to the support she lost from Democrats on account of her investigation of electoral fraud as attorney general.[4]
After Alpern's defeat, Governor Lawrence appointed her to the seat in the Court of Common Pleas in Allegheny County that had been vacated by O'Brien. In 1962, the University of Pittsburgh awarded Alpern anhonorary degree ofDoctor of Laws. In 1974, Alpern retired from the court and joined the firm of Berkman Ruslander Pohl Lieber & Engel. She died in Pittsburgh in 1981.[4]
In 1994, thePennsylvania Bar Association established the Anne X. Alpern Award, which is awarded annually to a female jurist who demonstrates excellence in the legal profession and makes a significant professional impact on women in the law.[17]
Anne X. Alpern (Resigned August 28, 1961)
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Attorney General of Pennsylvania 1959–1961 | Succeeded by |