Seneca County Museum to Kick Off Third Year of Speaker Series

The Seneca County Museum is proud to announce the start of its third year of the Museum Speaker Series, beginning Thursday, April 27th at 7:00 pm. The free event, with donations welcome, will feature Museum Director Theresa Sullivan presenting, “Let’s Celebrate the Cronise Sisters!”

Doors open at the museum, 28 Clay St., at 6:30 pm.

This year marks the 150th anniversary of Nettie and Florence Cronise becoming the first and second female attorneys, respectively, in the State of Ohio. This milestone was achieved nearly 50 years before women were nationally given the right to vote. Furthermore, 2023 marks the 180th anniversary of Nettie’s birth and the 100th anniversary of her death, making it a fitting time to learn more about these pioneering sisters.

In 1873, the Cronise sisters broke new ground by becoming the first women admitted to the Ohio Bar. At that time, Ohio laws did not provide for the admission of women attorneys. Nettie applied to the district court on April 4th, 1873, and despite vigorous opposition, leading local attorneys, including William Harvey Gibson and George Seney, supported her application. Six months later, Florence, Nettie’s younger sister, was admitted. Together, the sisters opened the first female-owned law practice in Ohio, N. & F. Cronise.

Sullivan’s program promises to shed more light on the fascinating lives of these two trailblazing women, who defied societal norms and paved the way for generations of women lawyers to come.

For more information, please contact the Seneca County Museum at (419) 447-5955 or visit their website at www.senecacountymuseum.com.