Burnita Shelton Matthews
A tenacious attorney who shattered a judicial glass ceiling, becoming the first woman to serve as a U.S. federal district judge.
1894–1988 (age 94)·American judge·Birthday: December 28·The Lost Generation
Biography
Burnita Shelton Matthews was a legal trailblazer who spent her career methodically dismantling barriers for women in the American judiciary. A Mississippi native, she moved to Washington D.C. to attend law school after being denied admission in her home state because of her gender. She practiced law for nearly three decades, specializing in women's suffrage and veterans' rights, before President Harry S. Truman nominated her to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in 1949. Her confirmation battle was fierce, with opponents arguing a woman couldn't handle the court's rough criminal docket. Matthews not only handled it but served with distinction for over two decades, her appointment opening the door for countless women to follow in her footsteps on the federal bench.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Burnita was born in 1894, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Burnita Was Born
The biggest hits of 1894
Burnita's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1894Born
President: Grover Cleveland
1899Started school
President: William McKinley
1907Became a teenager
Financial panic grips Wall Street
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1910Could drive
Halley's Comet makes its closest approach
President: William Howard Taft
1912Could vote
Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage
President: William Howard Taft
1915Turned 21
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1924Turned 30
First Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France
President: Calvin Coolidge"It Had to Be You" — Isham Jones
1934Turned 40
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1944Turned 50
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1954Turned 60
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1964Turned 70
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1974Turned 80
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1988Died at 94
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
Key Achievements
- Became the first woman appointed and confirmed as a United States District Court judge in 1949.
- Served on the influential U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia for 28 years.
- Previously served as the first woman appointed to the U.S. Board of Veterans Appeals.
- Was a practicing attorney for 27 years, advocating for women's suffrage and legal rights.
Did You Know?
She attended law school at night while working as a clerk at the Veterans Administration.
Matthews was a skilled musician who studied at the Cincinnati College of Music before pursuing law.
She was a member of the National Woman's Party and helped draft equal rights legislation.
Her husband, Percy Matthews, was also an attorney and fully supported her career.
“A courtroom is where the law must be applied without regard to the gender of the advocate.”
