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Donation of West Virginia University College of Law Library, 2021-2023. This material was originally donated to the WVU College of Law Library prior to being transferred to the WVRHC.
Justitia was founded by law student wives June Santee and Pat Simonton on April 11, 1957. The Justitia organization brought the wives of a largely male student population together to support their husbands throughout their three years of study at West Virginia University College of Law. The founders chose the pink carnation and the colors pink and white to represent their organizaion.
Justitia, the Roman goddess of Justice, was considered to be the embodiment of moral justice in Roman mythology, providing justification for the organization's name.
Through all four decades of its existence the mission of Justitia, also known as the Law Students Wives' Club, remained the same:
"The purpose of Justitia shall be to bring about a spirit of cooperation and friendship among its members, to extend to those members opportunities for acquainting themselves with various aspects of the law profession, and to promote the interests of the West Virginia University College of Law."
Throughout the following three decades after its founding - the 60s, 70s, and early 80s - Justitia members held meetings and published Morgantown guides for incoming students and their wives. They raised money through cookbook sales, bake sales and stationery sales and directed those funds toward receptions, dinners, dances, children's parties, hooding ceremonies, and other means of supporting their husbands and law students at the WVU College of Law.
While Justitia primarily remained a group of law student wives, the 1964–1965 Justitia booklet provides the earliest mention of female law students' eligibility in the club. Although the first female student, Alice Westbrook Morrison, graduted from WVU law in 1895, the female student body remained small before significant growth was achieved in the 1960s. Despite this inclusion, the club continued to be referred to as the Law Students Wives' Club. Membership lists from the 60s and 70s record members as "Mrs. John Smith," for example, with the wife's given name following in parentheses. This may suggest that, given the familial orientation of the club, single female law students did not typically pursue Justitia membership. Later membership listings are on a first name basis, making it equally difficult to determine the ratio of law student wives to single or married female law student membership.
The club's first constitution was recorded in 1964-1965. During the 1970s Justitia joined the larger National Law Wives Organization. The last records available for Justitia are for the years 1982-1983. There is no documentation to mark the club's closure.
[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], West Virginia University, Justitia Law Students Wives' Club Records, A&M 5281, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.
The Justitia Law Students Wives' Club Records consists of material related to the Justitia Law Students Wives' Club's activities and upkeep. The collection was compiled by the Justitia Law Students Wives' Club and formats include correspondence, newsletters, photographs, invitations, newspaper clippings, realia, scrapbooks, cookbooks, financial documents, and organizational records.
The records focus on the social activities of the club's members in support of their spouses in law school as well as general maintenance of the club. Subjects covered include the social lives of married women, university organizations, and the WVU College of Law, particularly as it pertains to the opening of the new College of Law on the WVU Evansdale campus in 1974. It also provides insights into the role of women, women's expectations in society, and the social and cultural opportunities available to women and their families.
The records are divided into seven series,: The 1950s, The 1960s, The 1970s, The 1980s, Financial Records, Duplicates, and Scrapbooks.
Series 1. The 1950s: This series contains three photographs of the founders and earliest members of Justitia.
Series 2. The 1960s: This series contains photographs, newspaper articles, newsletters, invitations, organizational records, meeting agendas, and officer's reports.
Series 3. The 1970s: This series contains newspaper articles, photographs, invitations, cookbooks and other publications, organizational records, including meeting agendas, officer's reports and fundraisers held by members of Justitia.
Series 4. The 1980s: This series contains newsletters, photographs, publications and stationery, and organizational records, including meeting agendas, and officer's reports, programs and fundraisers held by members of Justitia.
Series 5. Financial Records: This series includes financial records from the 1970s and 1980s.
Series 6. Duplicates: This series contains duplicate records, forms and other documents used by Justitia.
Series 7. Scrapbooks: This series contains four scrapbooks documenting the activities of Justitia over three decades, the 1960s–1980s.
"Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website
This series contains four facsimile photographs of the founders and earliest members of Justitia with accompanying captions.
This folder contains four facsimile photographs of the founders and earliest members of Justitia with accompanying captions.
This series contains photographs, newspaper articles, newsletters, invitations, organizational papers, meeting agendas, and officer's reports.
Exam period coffee service reports. Founder's Day Luncheon Invitation.
Letter from Sharon Rockefeller. Meeting Agendas. Report of the Social Chairman.
Social Report. Vice President's Report.
Activities suggestions. Purpose of the Office of President.
Agendas
Yearly Report 1968 – 69, Finance Chairman. Corresponding Secretary's Report, April 1969. Telephone Committee Report, 1968 – 69. Purpose of the Office of President Statement.
Report of the Constitutional Revision Committee of Justitia. Membership Committee Report.
Corresponding Secretary's Reports (1961 – 62, 1962 – 63, 1963-64) including records for the expense account (1961 – 62) and mailing list.
Yearly reports from the Secretary, Social Chair, Treasurer, Finance Chair, and Constitutional Revision Committee.
Annual reports from Membership Chair, Treasurer, and Vice President's Report.
Finance Chair, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Chair, and Newsletter Chair.
Membership Chair, Corresponding Secretary's Report, Finance Report, Publicity Chair, Telephone Committee, and the Vice President's Report.
Newspaper articles about Justitia activities.
Barrister's Ball, 1966, November Newsletter, 1966, Faculty Student Cocktail Party: "Under the Yum Yum Tree, 1967."
Various Newsletters and pamphlets
This series contains newspaper articles, photographs, invitations, cookbooks and other publications, organizational papers, including meeting agendas, and officer's reports.
Founder's Day Luncheon Program, 1970.
Founder's Day Luncheon Program, 1973. Letters to Committee Chairs.
Founder's Day Luncheon Program, 1974. Coke and Chatter invitation, Membership Chair Report.
Parliamentary Law pertaining to officers, Justitia booklet. Constitution Report.
Founder's Day Luncheon/Husband's Night Out plans, 1969, Social Chair Report, 1969-70. Corresponding Secretary Reports, 1970, 1971, Vice President's Report, Membership Report, 1970 – 71, Finance Yearly Report, Refreshment Report, Christmas Party Report, Publicity Report.
Treasurer's Annual Report, 1972. Vice-President's Report. Corresponding Secretary's Report, 1972. Membership Chair Report, 1971 – 72. Telephone Committee Report, 1971 – 72. Refreshment Report. Finance Report, 1971 – 72. Justitia Newsletter Report, 1971 – 72. Meeting Programs Report. Special Committee Report, 1971 – 72. Recording Secretary Report, 1971 – 72. Index card typed with tasks for Publicity Chair. Social Chair Report, 1971 – 72. Copy of Social Chair Report, 1971 – 72.
Newspaper clipping: Justitia Officers Installed. Dominion Post, March 22, 1973. Social Report 1972 – 73. Two copies, Special Committee Chair Report, 1972 – 73. Telephone Committee Report. Publicity Chair Report. List of 1972 – 73 Officers. Report of the Social Chair, 1972 – 73. Treasurer Report. Justitia Newsletter Report. Corresponding Secretary's Annual Report. Duties of the Finance Committee Chair. Recording Secretary Report, 1972 – 73. Membership Chair Report, 1972 – 73.
Report of the Social Chair, 1973 – 74.
Two Publicity Chair Reports. Justitia Newsletter Chair Report, 1974. Recording Secretary Report, 1973 – 74. Finance Chair Report. Special Committee Chair Report, 1974 – 75.
Copy of letter from West Virginia University Foundation from the Dean's Office to Justitia President. Membership Report. Corresponding Secretary Report. Refreshment Committee Report. Recording Secretary Report. Report of Social Chair.
Planning notes including a recipe for Choco Covered Cherries. Justitia Meeting Report.
Welcome letter inviting law student wives and female students to join Justitia. Welcome letter to Student Bar Association and First Year Orientation Committee. Justitia Information blank form. Membership Chair Report, 1974 – 75.
National Lawyer's Wives Correspondence. National Lawyer's Wives Certificate of Affiliation. Justitia Constitution.
Tips for gathering recipes. Three year record of cookbook sales. Sample cookbook pages. Printer's agreement between Herald Law, printer, and Justitia.
Two cookbook:
Special Committee report on upcoming activities. Blank, unsigned printer's agreement from Herald Law, printer. Two copies of Justitia publication
Page mock ups. Copies of printed text for section of Morgantown Guide: Medical Resources for Spouses and Families.
Two copies, Justitia Babysitting Cooperative Rules.
Justitia member information slip. Copy of draft officer installation form. Print copy of Justitia Installation. Five pages of Justitia information, stating purpose, officers and welcome.
Hooding Ceremony Costs Financial Report. Blank form for Daily Athenaeum "Where It's At" column. Five pages of handwritten notes on food, paper goods, and expenses for Hooding Ceremony.
Thank you letter. Delivery receipt from West Virginia Paper, Inc. Justitia Graduation Reception report.
Addresses and labels.
One copy of
Two packages unused place cards in original package.
Special Committee Chair Report, 1972 – 73. List of past Justitia activities, 1973-74. Program evaluation report on activities. Two copies Justitia luncheon programs, 1977. List of activities by other Law School Wives groups. Twenty cent beauty coupon. List of ideas for Student Law Wives (SLW) activities. Newspaper article on self-defense from the Daily Athenaeum, Thursday, Sept. 16, 1976. Abigail Van Buren newspaper article on fire prevention, 1975. Two handwritten pages of program ideas.
Welcome letters. Sports schedule. Maps. National Lawyer's Wives newsletter. Business correspondence. Addressed mailing labels.
National Lawyer's Wives. Memo to Organization Leaders from Carrie Newton, editor of
Also letter regarding Justitia notecards.
Copy of notecard sketch of the Law Center.
Savings Account envelopes.
This series contains newsletters, photographs, publications and stationary, and organizational papers, including meeting agendas, and officer's reports.
Justitia constitution and other documents.
Handwritten proof copy.
Photographs. Blank form. Two mockup/sample copies of Justitia publication,
Addressed mailing labels, 1980. Three copies, Name and Address Booklets for graduating years, 1981, 1982, 1983. Handwritten names and addresses attached to Justitia membership and mailing labels. Maps.
This series contains financial records.
The documents and other items are housed in the original multi pocket folder: Justitia stamp. Checks, deposit record, bank statements and receipts.
The documents are housed in the original multi pocket folder: cancelled checks, bank statements, deposit tickets.
This series contains duplicate organizational papers, forms and documents used by Justitia.
The documents and other items are housed in the original multi pocket folder: Justitia stamp. Checks, deposit record, bank statements and receipts.
1973 Justitia's Annual Husband's Night blank form. 1977 Third Year Class information. Justitia Constitution.
1973 Medical Resources for Spouses and Families information sheet.
1976 – 77 duplicates of information sheets that would be compiled and stapled together to create Justitia handouts for first year wives. These sheets include a title page, welcome, purpose of Justitia, officers and committees, calendar of events, and membership/dues information.
Paper: Model for Functional Reading. Extra sheet of blank mailing labels. Several sheets of carbon paper. Two sheets of blue construction paper with child's drawings.
This series contains three scrapbooks documenting the history of Justitia through photographs, organizational publications and newspaper clippings.
Oblong, brown faux leather with gold trim. 1961-1966. The scrapbook contains newspaper clippings, black & white and color photographs, and Justitia publications. Large red faux leather scrapbook. 1976 – 1977. The scrapbook contains newspaper clippings, photographs, and Justitia publications. Blank Justitia Informer newsletter sheets, extra pages and construction paper were also with the scrapbook. Large tan faux leather scrapbook, 1966-1969.
Oversized green leather WVU scrapbook, 1972-1976.