Eleanor Bontecou facts for kids

Eleanor Bontecou (February 14, 1891 – March 19, 1976) was an American lawyer and a champion for civil rights. She worked to make sure everyone had fair treatment. Eleanor was also a law professor and a government official.

She worked for the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. War Department. Eleanor also taught law at universities. She became well-known for her efforts in civil liberties and women's rights.

Early Life and Education

Eleanor Bontecou was born in Short Hills, New Jersey. This town is part of Millburn Township. She went to the Beard School in Orange, New Jersey.

In 1913, Eleanor finished her bachelor's degree at Bryn Mawr College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. She earned special scholarships while studying there. Later, she earned her law degree from New York University in 1917. She also studied law at Harvard University with Felix Frankfurter.

Fighting Against Poll Taxes

Eleanor Bontecou helped a group called the Southern Conference for Human Welfare. She gave them legal advice. This group worked to end poll taxes. Poll taxes were fees people had to pay to vote. These taxes often stopped Black American voters from casting their ballots.

She also worked with Ralph Bunche, a political scientist. They studied voting rights in the southern United States. Their study found that low wages for Black Americans made it hard to pay poll taxes. This made it harder for them to vote.

In 1941, Eleanor spoke to a Congressional hearing about poll taxes. This meeting was held by a part of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. She shared details from her long study. It showed how poll taxes affected people's ability to vote.

Career as a Professor

In 1922, Eleanor Bontecou returned to Bryn Mawr College. She worked there as the Acting Dean. She earned her Ph.D. from the Brookings Graduate School in 1928.

After that, she taught for a short time at the University of Chicago. She taught in the School of Social Service Administration. However, she became very ill and spent much of the 1930s in bed. She got better, but the illness affected her for the rest of her life.

Honors and Lasting Impact

Today, a law professorship at Seton Hall University is named after Eleanor Bontecou. This honor recognizes her important work.

In 2011, the Library of Virginia honored her. They named her one of their Virginia Women in History. Her important papers are kept at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum.

Works

• The Poll Tax (1942)
• Freedom in the Balance: Opinions of Judge Henry W. Edgerton Relating to Civil Liberties (1960)
• The Federal loyalty-security program (1974)