Clara Washington (Burrill) Bruce (1879 - 1947)

Descendants

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Life Events 1.2 Legacy 2 Sources

Biography

Historic Firsts:

➢ Was the first woman to be elected to chair the Boston University Law Review.

➢ Was the first African-American woman in the United States to be elected editor-in-chief of any law review journal.

Life Events

Despite claims, including (likely) her own, Clara Washington Burrill was not born on June 25, 1881, or 1882, or 1883, but most likely June 25 1879, as she was already 11 months old by June 7, 1880, when it is stated her birth month is June. Clara was the fourth child, second daughter born to John Henry Burrill and his wife Clara E. Washington, her birth occurring in Washington, D.C., United States, where her father had been a government employee since the 1860s.^[1]

On June 7, 1880, the Burrill family was living at 1336 Massachusetts Avenue, Washington D.C. Home at the time were John, a laborer for the State Department, his wife, Clara; and their children, Harry, Edmond, Nancy, and the newest baby, Clara herself.^[1] A younger sister would come along in 1881.

On June 7, 1900, Clara was residing at 199 Bank Street, Newark, New Jersey, the home of a fellow schoolteacher's parents. Others there at the time were the head of the household: 54-year-old Virginia-born Frederick Nichols, a caterer; Frederick's wife, Virginia-born Ellen (45); their daughter, New Jersey-born Florence Nichols (22), a music teacher; and a 1-year-old boarder, New Jersey-born Marion Edgeworth.^[2]

After high school, Clara attended Miner Normal School and then spent a year at Howard University before she transferred to Radcliffe College. At Radcliffe she studied history, education, and philosophy, but left in 1903 – without actually gaining her degree – in order to marry.^[3]

At the age of 24 years, Clara (giving her age as 23) and 24-year-old Roscoe Conkling Bruce, son of Blanche Kelso Bruce (the first Black American to serve a full term in the Senate), were married on June 3, 1903, in Washington, D.C.^[4]
Clara and Roscoe would have three children: a daughter, Clara Josephine; and two sons, Roscoe Conkling, Jr. and Burrill Kelso.

On January 2, 1920 Clara was living at 1716 17th Street Washington, D.C., with her family. Home at the time were her husband, Roscoe, an assistant superintendent of schools; their children: 15-year-old Clara, 13-year-old Roscoe Jr, and 10-year-old Burrill; and Roscoe's widowed mother, 63-year-old Josephine Beall (Willson) Bruce.^[5] Clara's sister, Mary, was living next door at 1714, and their brother, Edmond, was living with Mary.

In 1923, with her children mostly grown, she pursued her longtime ambition of studying law – attending Boston University.
➢ While at BU, Clara was elected undergraduate editor of the Boston Law Review (1925–1926), making her the first woman to hold that position at BU, and the first African-American woman in the entire United States to be elected editor-in-chief of a law review. Clara also later contributed several articles to leading law journals.
➢ Hard work and dedication paying off, she was named the 1926 "class day orator," and graduated cum laude.
➢ In October 1926, Clara Washington Burrill Bruce became the third Black woman admitted to the Massachusetts Bar.
➢ Was the first African-American woman lawyer whose son also studied law.

Unfortunately, being female and black went against her in attempts to find employment as a lawyer.^[3]

On April 17, 1930 the Bruce family was living at 2580 Seventh Avenue, Manhattan, New York. Both Clara and Roscoe were managers of real estate. Also resident at the time were their daughter Clara, now married, and Clara's son: 1-year-old Barrington (named for his father, actor Barrington Guy); Roscoe Jr, and his wife Bessie, a stenographer and novelist. Clara's younger son, 20-year-old Burrill, was also at home.^[6]

Clara was also active in politics—she was nominated to the New York State Assembly in 1938, but decided not to run.^[3]

Clara Washington Bruce née Burrill died on January 22, 1947, in Manhattan, New York, United States, aged 68 years,^[7] and was buried on the 27th in Woodlawn Cemetery, Benning, Washington D.C., where her parents had been laid to rest years before.^[8]

An obituary was published on January 27, stating her various occupations as having been manager, director, consultant, trade examiner. ^[9]

Legacy

In 2020 an anonymous donor honored Bruce by establishing a scholarship in her name that will support underrepresented and first-generation students at BU Law.

Clara Burrill Bruce is at once an inspiring example of perseverance and achievement, and a painful reminder of the barriers that many excellent students faced—and too often still face—in gaining full access to the legal profession, says Dean Angela Onwuachi-Willig. Having this scholarship in her name will help BU Law keep opening doors for all qualified students, which is a crucial element of our vision for the future.^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6C7-37Y : 12 November 2020), Clara Burill in household of John H. Burill, Washington, District of Columbia, United States; citing enumeration district ED 22, sheet 247D, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,254,121.
2. ↑ Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T623, 1854 rolls. United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Year: 1900; Census Place: Newark Ward 7, Essex, New Jersey; Page: 13; Enumeration District: 0066; FHL microfilm: 1240964
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} University Newspaper: Corinne Steinbrenner, "Barriers that Bend but Don’t Break," The Record: News and Stories from BU Law, (Boston University School of Law, online, 27 November 2020)
4. ↑ "District of Columbia Marriages, 1811-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XLQB-K5D : 15 January 2021), Roscoe C Bruce and Clara W Burrill, 03 Jun 1903; citing p. 82, Records Office, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 2,108,265. Name: Clara W Burrill; Event Type: Marriage; Event Date: 03 Jun 1903; Event Place: District of Columbia, United States; Sex: Female; Age: 23; Birth Year (Estimated): 1880; Spouse's Name: Roscoe C Bruce; Spouse's Sex: Male; Spouse's Age: 24; Spouse's Birth Year (Estimated): 1879
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNLT-RSZ : 1 February 2021), Clara B Bruce in entry for Roscoe C Bruce, 1920.
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X4GB-YN7 : accessed 6 February 2021), Clara Bruce in household of Roscoe C Bruce, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 1226, sheet 39B, line 52, family 677, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1578; FHL microfilm 2,341,313.
7. ↑ "New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WYM-3XT : 3 June 2020), Clara Bruce, 1947. Name: Clara Bruce; Event Type: Death; Event Date: 22 Jan 1947; Event Place: Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States; Event Place (Original): Manhattan, New York, New York, United States; Address: 1046 Hoe Ave.; Residence Place: N.Y., Bronx, New York; Sex: Female; Age: 65; Marital Status: Married; Race: White; Birth Date: 25 Jun 1881; Birthplace: Washington, District of Columbia; Burial Date: 27 Jan 1947; Burial Place: Washington D.C.; Cemetery: Woodlawn; Father's Name: John Burrill; Father's Birthplace: Virginia; Mother's Name: Clara Washington; Mother's Birthplace: U.S.; Spouse's Name: Roscoe C. Bruce; Certificate Number: cn 2171
8. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 06 February 2021), memorial page for Mrs Clara Washington Burrill Bruce (25 Jun 1879–22 Jan 1947), Find A Grave: Memorial #58916210, citing Woodlawn Cemetery, Benning, District of Columbia, USA; Maintained by Clifford (contributor 47115422).
9. ↑ "United States, GenealogyBank Historical Newspaper Obituaries, 1815-2011", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q53V-8N14 : 18 July 2020), Mrs Clara Burrill Bruce, 1947. Name: Mrs Clara Burrill Bruce; Event Type: Obituary; Event Date: 27 Jan 1947; Event Place: Washington, District of Columbia, United States; Event Place (Original): Washington; Residence Place: New York; Residence Date: 27 Jan 1947; Sex: Female; Age: 65; Occupation: Manager, [Director], [Consultant], [Trade Examiner]; Birth Date: about 1882; Death Date: 22 Jan 1947; Death Place: New York City; Affiliate Image Identifier: 1485F15DA9A1CF20; Relatives: Husband: Roscoe Conkling Bruce; Daughter: Mrs Clara Guy; Son: Roscoe Conkling Bruce Jr; Son: Burrill Bruce

See also:

• Boston University School of Law, A HISTORY OF DIVERSITY AT BU LAW, timeline of diversity

• Women's Legal History — Stanford University

• "Clara Washington Burrill; Boston University," Who's Who in Colored America, Volume 6; pp. 87 & 88 Available as a downloadable e-book in pdf format.