Born in Huntington Township in 1861, Mary attended the New Columbus Academy in Columbia County and became a teacher and worked in small rural schools around Huntington Mills. Her dream, however, was to practice law. She left the area to attend Eastman Business College in New York, graduated in 1893, and began to study law in the offices of Henry W. Palmer. With his sponsorship, she became the first woman admitted to the bar in Luzerne County in October 1895.
As an attorney, Mary often represented the underserved and underrepresented of society. Her efforts to uplift women and families were not limited to the practice of law, however. She was the first woman candidate and elected member of the school board, eventually becoming its first woman president. While serving there, she advocated for better wages and conditions for teachers, as well as access to kindergarten for small children - her main campaign promise.
In addition, Mary partnered with Ellen Webster Palmer - wife of her legal mentor - to form the Boys’ Industrial Association and fight child labor in the mines. Together they became the face of the movement to get children into school and out of the dangerous work, with Ellen making the moral arguments, and Mary supporting the effort with her legal expertise.
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Mary Luella Trescott
Mary Luella Trescott (1861 - 1935) was a truly inspirational woman who shattered expectations for women of her time, earned the respect of her community, and advocated for opportunities for others.
Mary’s legal career and public involvement in a variety of civic organizations was unparalleled in her time. She was the first woman to argue a case in front of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 1901, the first woman named as a referee for the US Bankruptcy Court, and the first woman to run for Judge in Luzerne County - most before women had the right to vote. She continued to forge a path for women and advocate for the rights of women and importance of education until her death in 1935.
