Thelma C. Seibert Furry, 1910 - 2000

Thelma C. Furry, known for taking controversial and unpopular stands, was the defender of those who had no voice in their own defense in Summit County, Ohio, and nationally.

Although little is known about her youth except that she grew up in the Kenmore area, Furry stood as a testimony for women who faced incredible odds when it came to accomplishing their goals. Divorced and the mother of a little girl, Furry dropped out of school to work. She later graduated from The University of Akron and obtained a law degree there in 1940, in spite of difficulty with the administration because she was a member of the Communist Party. This was a decision that made her very unpopular during the 1950's because of anti-Communist governmental policies in the United States. She later gave up her membership in the organization, although she never stopped believing in the organization's principles.

Specializing in domestic and juvenile cases, Furry never turned from a difficult task. She often defended those who could not defend themselves and people who had suffered civil rights violations, such as gays and lesbians and AIDS patients. She practiced before the Supreme Court in 1957 and won two cases by unanimous vote.

Furry, who had been influenced by her father's union stand, became the first female trial lawyer in Akron. She continued her practice until shortly before her death at age 90.

Furry received numerous awards and recognitions in her lifetime, including being listed in the 1983 edition of "Who's Who in Akron" and the 1989 Outstanding Alumni Award from The University of Akron School of Law. She was honored in 1994, with the Mary Perkins Rodgers Award for Pioneering, presented by the Woman's History Project of Akron.

In an interview with the Beacon Journal in 1971, Furry said, "I have to be true to myself. I didn't become a lawyer for the money. I consider myself a people lawyer."

Photo courtesy of the Beacon Journal.

--Penny Fox