Pathfinders like Justice Florence Kerins Murray facilitated institutional change for women in the military, state government, and the courts. In 1945, Lieutenant Colonel Murray was director of the Third Service District for the Women’s Army Corps. The training and administration of military officers like Lieutenant Colonel Murray demonstrated to Congress that women performed a necessary role in the military. In 1948, she was the second woman elected to serve in the Rhode Island General Assembly She helped shape the Family Court, community college system, and state scholarships. She also served on the Newport School Committee and as its chairwoman, she directed the building of three schools, including the new Rogers High School. Senator Murray’s technical and bureaucratic expertise, as well as collaboration with male elected representatives, showed that women could lead in public policy change. In 1956, she became the first female trial judge in Rhode Island. Judge Murray practiced both justice and compassion in the courtroom on a wide range of criminal and civil cases in which she was the final decision maker. In 1978, she became one of nine women in the nation to serve on a state supreme court. She left her mark on the Rhode Island judiciary with thirty-nine years of service. In her military service, elected offices, and appointed judgeships, she sponsored equal rights for women. The Newport County Superior Court is named in her honor - the Justice Florence Kerins Murray Judicial Complex. Under her portrait are these words: Patriot, Public Servant, Distinguished Jurist, and Champion of Rights and Progress of Women.
Biography and image provided by Marian Mathison Desrosiers
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