Shirley Hufstedler Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Shirley Hufstedler
Hufstedler in 1980

1st United States Secretary of Education
In office November 30, 1979 – January 20, 1981
President	Jimmy Carter
Preceded by	Patricia Harris (Health, Education, and Welfare)
Succeeded by	Ted Bell
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
In office September 12, 1968 – November 30, 1979
Appointed by	Lyndon B. Johnson
Preceded by	Seat established
Succeeded by	Robert Boochever

Personal details
Born	Shirley Ann Mount (1925-08-24)August 24, 1925 Denver, Colorado, U.S.
Died	March 30, 2016(2016-03-30) (aged 90) Glendale, California, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Seth Hufstedler (m. 1949)
Education	University of New Mexico (BBA) Stanford University (LLB)

Shirley Ann Mount Hufstedler (August 24, 1925 – March 30, 2016) was an important American lawyer and judge. She made history as the very first United States Secretary of Education from 1979 to 1981. Before that, she served as a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit for many years. When she became Secretary of Education, she was the highest-ranking woman in the entire federal court system in the U.S.

Growing Up and School
Shirley Hufstedler's Career
Personal Life
Awards and Honors
See also

Growing Up and School

Shirley Ann Mount was born on August 24, 1925, in Denver, Colorado. Her mother's family came to the United States from Germany. They were some of the first settlers in Missouri.

Shirley's father worked in construction. During the Great Depression, her family had to move often so he could find work. Because of this, Shirley changed schools and towns many times, starting in second grade. As a child, she lived in New Mexico, Montana, California, and Wyoming.

A friend of her father's, the famous war reporter Ernie Pyle, became a close friend and mentor to Shirley. She earned a business degree in 1945 from the University of New Mexico. Later, she got her law degree in 1949 from Stanford Law School.

Shirley Hufstedler's Career

Starting her career after law school was tough for Shirley. Her graduating class had only two women. Even though she was a top student, it was hard for a woman to find work in a field mostly run by men.

She began by writing legal papers for other lawyers and doing similar tasks. In 1951, she opened her own law office in Los Angeles. From there, she worked her way up to the Attorney General's Office. She was a special legal advisor for a big case about the Colorado River from 1960 to 1961. This case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Becoming a Judge in California

In 1961, Governor Pat Brown appointed Shirley Hufstedler as a Judge of the Los Angeles County Superior Court. She was elected to this position in 1962 as a Democrat. At that time, she was the only woman among 119 men on the court. Judge Hufstedler is known for starting the practice of "tentative rulings" in American courts. This helps lawyers know what a judge is thinking before a final decision.

In 1966, she was appointed as a judge to the California Court of Appeals.

Serving as a Federal Judge

President Lyndon B. Johnson nominated Shirley Hufstedler to be a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on July 17, 1968. This was a new judge position. The United States Senate confirmed her on September 12, 1968. She officially became a judge on that day. She served as a federal judge until December 5, 1979, when she resigned.

Important Court Decisions

Shirley Hufstedler was involved in several important court cases.

In 1973, a court case called Lau v. Nichols was about whether the San Francisco school district was doing enough for students who didn't speak English. The first decision said the school district was okay. But Judge Hufstedler disagreed. She said that children who couldn't understand English were being completely blocked from getting an education. She compared it to the Brown v. Board of Education case, which said that separate schools for different races were not equal. The U.S. Supreme Court later agreed with Judge Hufstedler and changed the decision.
In Dietemann v. Time, Inc. (1971), Judge Hufstedler wrote the main opinion. This case was about reporters from Life magazine who tricked their way into private homes and secretly recorded people. Judge Hufstedler said this was an invasion of privacy. Her decision helped make it clear that even though the First Amendment protects freedom of the press, there are limits to what reporters can do.

Becoming Secretary of Education

Shirley Hufstedler joined President Jimmy Carter's team in 1979. She was appointed as the very first United States Secretary of Education. As the first person in this role, her main goals were to strengthen how states and the federal government worked together on education. She also focused on making education fair for everyone. Her strong belief in the importance of education helped protect the Department of Education. Even when President Ronald Reagan tried to get rid of it later, her work helped keep it in place.

Later Years and Legacy

Shirley Hufstedler was considered a possible choice for the Supreme Court if a spot had opened up during Jimmy Carter's presidency. In 1981, she left government work. She went back to teaching and practicing law. She taught at many universities across the country, including Stanford Law School.

Shirley Hufstedler passed away on March 30, 2016, at the age of 90.

In 2021, the California Institute of Technology honored Shirley Hufstedler. They renamed a special professorship after her, calling it the Judge Shirley Hufstedler Professorship. This was done to recognize her important contributions and legacy.

Personal Life

Shirley Hufstedler met her husband, Seth Hufstedler, in law school. They got married in 1949. They had one son, Dr. Steve Hufstedler, and four grandchildren.

Awards and Honors

Shirley Hufstedler received many awards and honors throughout her life. She also served on the boards of many important organizations and universities.

Honorary Degrees

She received almost 20 honorary doctoral degrees from American universities, including:

Key Awards

Some of her awards include:

The Marshall-Wythe Medal
Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement
Woman of the Year Award (from the Los Angeles Times and Ladies Home Journal)
American Bar Association's 1995 Gold Medal
Margaret Brent Award
The Learned Hand Award
She was the first woman to receive the American Bar Association medal.

Memberships and Groups

Shirley Hufstedler was the first woman on the Council of the American Law Institute. She was also an active member of many legal groups, such as the American Bar Association and the State Bar of California. She gave lectures in ten different countries around the world. She was also involved in talks with the Soviet Union about nuclear arms control for almost ten years.

Shirley Hufstedler facts for kids

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