BRADLEYMADGE

Interview with Madge Bradley

 

1972-12-21

 

Interviewer: Marriott, Lois

Madge Bradley was the first female judge in San Diego County. She was born in Ukiah, California on November 14, 1904, the second of five children whose parents were grape farmers. Bradley passed the California bar exam in 1933, but did not practice law until 1940 due to the Great Depression. During her career she blazed a number of trails, including being the first woman on the Board of Directors of the San Diego County Bar Association, the first San Diego County woman to be appointed to a State Bar Committee, the first woman in San Diego to serve as a judge, and the first woman to preside over San Diego's Municipal Court. She retired in late 1971 and died in 2000. The Madge Bradley building of the San Diego County Superior Court is named in her honor. In this interview, Bradley discusses many aspects of her background, life, and career. She talks about her family background, the many legal positions she's held (including her private practice), and the current state of the legal system. Bradley also offers her thoughts on Ronald Reagan, who was Governor at the time, and speaks of her interests since retirement. In general, Bradley tends to downplay the prejudice she faced as a woman in her position. Rather, she maintains that temperament and intuition are more important to the practice of law, rather than whether someone is male or female.

Lois Marriott; Madge Bradley; Ronald Reagan; Women in politics; Interviews; Oral histories; Feminism; California bar; Great Depression; San Diego County Bar Association; Judges; San Diego Municipal Court; Madge Bradley Family Court

 

California

© San Diego State University. All rights reserved.

 

 

English

 

Audiocassette

01:19:30

No

 

 

 

Audio

MP3

100.89 MB