Geraldine Ferraro and Rosalie Wahl



Rosalie Wahl
1st Female Supreme Court Judge
Minnesota 

In his book, "The Good Fight: A Life in Liberal Politics," Walter Mondale recounts his decision to choose a woman as his vice presidential running mate in 1984 and why Geraldine Ferraro was his choice.  And all of that is very important because Mondale and Ferraro changed the political landscape in the United States forever.
Another woman who strode into arenas where women were held at bay is Rosalie Wahl, who was appointed as Minnesota Supreme Court Justice in 1977 by Governor Rudy Perpich - becoming the first female Supreme Court Justice in Minnesota.  I remember the potency of the day I read of her appointment.  A woman on the Minnesota Supreme Court, her expertise, her perspectives diversifying what until that day was a male domain. 

I remain grateful to her for her passion for the law, including a woman's place in that profession and for Governor Perpich for recognizing her as an extraordinary lawyer who would make an extraordinary Supreme Court Justice. 

I never imagined I would get to meet Justice Wahl much less speak to her. All that changed when then retired Justice Wahl presented at a conference at The College of St. Catherine several years ago.  In her remarks she included the "story of the locust" in which she told how locust are able to traverse rivers and streams because the first to cross willingly entering the water to knowing they will die and that their bodies will create a bridge over which the rest can then pass. 

Justice Wahl then told stories of the "locusts" in her life who strongly and powerfully did the hard work of entering perilous territory previously closed to them, how they perservered paving the way for her to be able to become a lawyer and rise to become a Minnesota Supreme Court Justice. I hung on her every word.  She was powerful and approachable, so approachable that I stood in line to speak to her.  Imagine my utter surprise when I told her how much I appreciated her work and her telling of the locust story that she asked for my address and offered to send me a copy - she did and I still have it!

The Minnesota Historical Society is creating a documentary, "She Who Would Giants Fight" of Justice Wahl's life including telling the story of how she "survived the 1978 election challenge by three male lawyers and the tough tactics of the campaign. She goes on to serve on the Court for 17 years, bringing intelligence, compassion and fairness to every decision she makes."

Her biography reads in part, "While on the Supreme Court, Wahl served as its liaison to the Court's Study Commission on the Mentally Disabled and also chaired its task forces on gender fairness and racial bias. Wahl remained on the court for seventeen years until she retired in 1994 at the mandatory age of 70."

Today the Minnesota Women Lawyers hold the annual Rosalie Wahl Leadership Lecture and award the Rosalie Wahl Leadership Award.   Both Rosalie Wahl and Geraldine Ferraro are examples for me of women who like the locust strode into uncharted territories standing strong in their incredible convictions and abilities to lead our state and nation in ways that forever changed the landscape of our lives. 

I will spend the rest of the day and week celebrating the countless women throughout my personal, our state and national history, who have led us potently to today where three of the last four to hold the office Secretary of State for the United States are women:  Madeleine Korbel Albright (1997-2001); Condoleezza Rice (2005-2009) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (2009-current).

Both Geraldine and Rosalie crossed over bridges built by the women locusts before them and they were locusts for generations who benefit from their locust lives.

Thank you Rosalie for changing us. 
Thank you Geraldine for changing us - may you rest in peace.