Mary Frances Garrigus Explained

Mary Frances Garrigus (1891-1918) was Montana's first Native American female lawyer.^{[1] [2]}

She was born on August 22, 1891, in Columbus, Montana, to William Garrigus and Margaret Porter.^[3] Her Crow ancestry came from her maternal side. She graduated from Billings High School in 1912.^[4] In 1918, Garrigus became the first Native American female admitted to practice law in the state upon obtaining her Juris Doctor from the University of Montana Law School, .^{[5] [6]} Garrigus died on November 30, 1918, in Billings, Montana, after having contracted the Spanish flu while working as a volunteer nurse.^{[7] [8]}

See also

• List of first women lawyers and judges in Montana

Notes and References

1. Web site: Women in Law. Montana Judicial Branch.
2. Web site: Mary Frances Garrigus '18. S. Diane. s. 2015-08-06. Montana's Early Women Lawyers: Trail-blazing, Big Sky Sisters-in-Law. en. 2019-08-30.
3. Web site: Mary Frances Garrigus (1891-1918). Find a Grave.
4. Web site: Commencement Week at Billings High School Will Start This Afternoon. May 26, 1912. The Billings Gazette. en. 2019-08-30.
5. Web site: First Native American woman UM law school grad was an Absarokee girl. 2019-04-18. Stillwater County News. en. 2019-08-30.
6. Web site: University of Montana kicks off Indian Law Week. Szpaller. Keila. missoulian.com. 15 April 2019 . en. 2019-08-30.
7. Book: Dedication and History, School of Law, Montana State University, September 6, 1961. 1961. School of Law. en.
8. Web site: Memorial Row. www.umt.edu. en. 2019-08-30.