Museum Matters

“Women will be called for Erath Jury Duty next term” was the headline in the December 10, 1954 edition of the Dublin Progress. The headline continued, “Mrs. R. L. Ballow first woman named member of Erath Jury Commission.” “A first has already been set by Judge Oxford, who named Mrs. R.L. Ballow Jr. of Stephenville as one of a three member jury commission.” Serving with Mrs. Ballow was Owen Trice of Dublin and A. H. Eberhart of Bluff Dale. The commission later met to draw a jury panel.

16 men and women were to be summoned for grand jury service.

“The service of women on juries in Texas was authorized in the 1954 November General Election at which time voters passed favorably on the amendment to the State Constitution which made jury service possible for women. In Erath County there was not a large turnout for the election. The vote for women to serve on juries was approved 491 to 716. (Dublin Progress Nov. 5, 1954) Getting down to work, members of the commission work from a poll tax list. Names were written on slips of paper and later drawn to select a list of prospective jurors as instructed by the judge. Six panels of 40 names were drawn for district court and 30 names were drawn for county court.

The U. S. 19th amendment to the Constitution give women the right to vote was introduced into congress in 1878 and was certified 42 years later in 1920. It took 34 years for women to be given the right to serve on juries in Texas.

“Neither Judge Harbin or Judge Oxford would estimate the percentage of women to be named on jury panels for January terms of court. The selection of jury panels is left up to jury commission, so the proportion of women on January jury panels [would] not be known until a report was made by the commission.”

Then in the December 31, 1954 The Dublin Progress states, “Six Erath County women will experience their first opportunity to exercise their new found right of serving on juries on an equal basis with men with the convening of the Erath County grand jury.” They were: Mrs. G.N. Keahey, Bluff Dale; Mrs. G. A. Brown, Stephenville; Mrs. Clarence Rasberry, Dublin; Mrs. J.C. Golightly Rt. 7 Hico; Mrs. Leonard Chaney, Dublin and Mrs. H.A. Loutherback, Stephenville.

In January, the County Court summoned three women and three men for the six person jury to hear a sanity case. The three women called to serve were, Mrs. Lillie Brock, Mrs Leta Barham and Mrs. Mae Pearl Hilburn all of Stephenville.

The three male members were, E.M. Green, Alva Hope and P.J. Cantrell all of Stephenville. As in all county court cases, six persons make up the jury. Jurors were paid the prescribed one dollar. (Dublin Progress Jan. 28, 1955)