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Jane Bolin — Portrait
Portrait. Jane Bolin, 1942. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black-and-White Negatives, LC-USF344-007933-ZB, LOT 953, digital ID fsa.8e04218. Image credit & source

Law · Children's rights · Public service

Jane Bolin

1908–2007

HumanitiesUS

In 1939, Bolin became the first Black woman appointed a judge in the United States. During four decades on New York City's family court bench, she advocated for children and challenged racial discrimination in the court system. Her importance extends beyond a milestone appointment to sustained public service.[1],[2]

Read this story

In 1939, Bolin became the first Black woman appointed a judge in the United States. During four decades on New York City's family court bench, she advocated for children and challenged racial discrimination in the court system. Her importance extends beyond a milestone appointment to sustained public service.[1],[2]

Local connection. National civic connection: compare her public-service role with local institutions responsible for children's well-being.

Impact reached: Children and families in New York City; Racial fairness in courts. (Impact describes who was reached; it is not a place of residence.)

Inquiry & making

Inquiry and making prompt

What would make a school rule fair? Explain who it helps and whether anyone needs a different kind of support.

Places

Where Jane was born, had roots or studied, and worked — distinguished from where their impact reached.

Born
Poughkeepsie, New York
Roots / education
Hudson Valley, New York
Worked
Poughkeepsie, New York; New York City
Loading map…
Mapped places for Jane Bolin
RelationshipDocumented placeMap pointSources
BirthplacePoughkeepsie, New YorkPoughkeepsie city, NYCensus representative point[1][2]
WorkPoughkeepsie, New YorkPoughkeepsie city, NYCensus representative point[1][2]
WorkNew York CityNew York city, NYCensus representative point[1][2]
Roots / educationHudson Valley, New YorkNot mapped — Broad state, region, country, or non-geographic identity: no defensible point assigned.

Timeline

  1. 1908

    Born — Poughkeepsie, New York[1],[2]

  2. 1939

    In 1939, Bolin became the first Black woman appointed a judge in the United States.[1]

  3. 2007

    Died[2]

Gallery

Portrait only in this edition; no reuse-supported contextual media has been verified for this figure yet.

Jane Bolin: Portrait
Office of War Information employee, according to the Commons source description; individual photographer not established, LC-USF344-007933-ZB / LOT 953 / fsa.8e042181942 (Commons cataloging; not independently recovered from the inaccessible LOC item page)Portrait.Credit: Jane Bolin, 1942. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black-and-White Negatives, LC-USF344-007933-ZB, LOT 953, digital ID fsa.8e04218.License / rights: Public-domain reuse is supported by the LOC FSA/OWI Black-and-White Negatives collection policy and the exact image provenance. The individual Bolin catalog rights field could not be retrieved.Source recordOriginal-quality file

References

  1. [1]
    Yale University: Jane Bolin

    Supports: 1939 appointment, four decades of service, anti-discrimination work, and birthplace.

  2. [2]
    Historical Society of the New York Courts: Judge Jane Bolin

    Supports: 1908–2007 dates and legal career; broad first-judge wording on that page is corrected here.

Last reviewed 2026-11-08 · Initial research edition · Record ID jane-bolin. A curated, source-informed article — not openly editable and not independently scholar-reviewed. Corrections process.