Stephanie Kulp Seymour

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Stephanie Kulp Seymour (born October 16, 1940) is a senior United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. She was the first female federal court judge in Oklahoma.[1]

Stephanie Kulp Seymour
Senior Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
Assumed office
October 16, 2005
Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
In office
January 1, 1994 – December 31, 2000
Preceded byMonroe G. McKay
Succeeded byDeanell Reece Tacha
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
In office
November 2, 1979 – October 16, 2005
Appointed byJimmy Carter
Preceded bySeat established by 92 Stat. 1629
Succeeded byJerome Holmes
Personal details
Born (1940-10-16) October 16, 1940 (age 84)
Battle Creek, Michigan
EducationSmith College (BA)
Harvard University (JD)

Background and career

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Seymour was born in Battle Creek, Michigan in 1940, the second oldest of four children. Seymour and her family traveled extensively when she was young, visiting all but three states by car by the time she went to college. Though neither of her parents had a college education, they strongly influenced Seymour to obtain the highest level of education possible.[2] Seymour received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Smith College in 1962, graduating Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude, and her Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 1965.[3][4] At Harvard Law School, she was one of 23 women in a class of 550.[4]

Seymour was in private practice in Boston, Massachusetts from 1965 to 1966, in Tulsa, Oklahoma from 1966 to 1967, in Houston, Texas from 1968 to 1969, and in Tulsa again from 1971 to 1979. In Houston, she was the first woman hired by Baker Botts.[3]

Federal judicial service

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Seymour was nominated by President Jimmy Carter on August 28, 1979, to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, to a new seat created by 92 Stat. 1629. She was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 31, 1979, and received her commission on November 2, 1979. She served as Chief Judge from 1994 to 2000. She assumed senior status on October 16, 2005.[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Crawford, Jan (October 19, 2020). "These three trailblazers paved the way for women in judiciary". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2020-10-20.
  2. ^ Nykolaiszyn, Juliana (May 24, 2011). "Oral history interview with Stephanie Kulp Seymour". Inductees of the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame Oral History Project. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  3. ^ a b c Stephanie Kulp Seymour at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  4. ^ a b Smith College Rally Day: Honors, Hats and a Secret Revealed, Smith College News Release (September 10, 2009).
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Legal offices
Preceded by
Seat established by 92 Stat. 1629
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
1979–2005
Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
1994–2000
Succeeded by