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Alumna's Gift Honors Legacy of Women in Law
Mar. 17, 2008 -- Frances Elisabeth Sheridan '59 was one of the few women in her class at the USF School of Law, and, in 1960, she was one of just eight women to pass the California State Bar exam. Similar to Justices Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Sheridan was not offered a position as an attorney, but instead worked as a legal secretary until the social and political landscape changed for professional women.
When she died Jan. 25 at age 80, Sheridan left her estate to the USF School of Law.
"She felt a strong and abiding love for the law school based somewhat on her pioneering status as one of the first women to graduate with a law degree from USF," said Burnie Atterbury, assistant dean for law school development.
Sheridan was born on Oct. 4, 1927, in Wilkes-Barre, Penn., the third of four daughters. Her father was a surgeon and internist and her mother was an accomplished organist and choir director. Sheridan was educated at the Wyoming Seminary in Kingston, and received a bachelor of arts from Manhattanville College in New York City. She then received a master's degree in political science from Columbia University in New York.
While working in San Francisco for the large paper manufacturer Crown-Zellerbach, Sheridan decided to attend law school at USF.
Eventually Sheridan relocated to the Chicago area and worked for Loyola University and then Northwestern University. She developed and wrote case studies and position papers used by the Kellogg School of Business Management. Upon publication, the case studies were included in the curricula of several graduate business schools, including the Harvard University School of Business.
Sheridan's gift is one of the largest estate gifts to the USF School of Law in recent years.
For information on making a gift to the USF School of Law, contact the Office of Development at (415) 422-5457 or lawdevelopment@usfca.edu.
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