Louise Raggio
Encyclopedia
Louise Raggio was a Texas
lawyer
for more than fifty years. She was the first female prosecutor
in Dallas County, Texas. She spearheaded a coalition to establish the Marital Property Act of 1967, and the Texas Family Code.
. She attended the University of Texas where she earned her Bachelor's degree
summa cum laude in 1939. She married Grier Raggio, who was then a government lawyer, in 1941. During her years of raising three sons she attended Southern Methodist University
at night earning her law degree
by 1952.
in 1954 and was put in charge of child support, delinquent fathers, juvenile court and family law. While working as a prosecutor, she learned that married women had fewer rights in Texas than single women, i.e. married women in Texas had limited property rights and couldn't take out bank loans or start their own businesses without their husband's approval. One of her quotes in the KERA Texas TrailerBlazer about her sums up the situation of a woman at the alter in Texas: "When a a man and woman got married, they were one, and he was the one."
Louise Raggio began to fight for the rights of women and became the first female prosecutor in Dallas County, Texas. Joining her husband, Grier Raggio, in 1956 to form the law firm, Raggio & Raggio, she began to work to change the particularly bad laws in Texas concerning women. The Marital Property Act of 1967 became the foundation for the current Texas Family Code. She was nicknamed "The Texas Tornado".
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
for more than fifty years. She was the first female prosecutor
Prosecutor
The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...
in Dallas County, Texas. She spearheaded a coalition to establish the Marital Property Act of 1967, and the Texas Family Code.
Biography
Louise Hilma Ballerstedt was born into a German immigrant family on June 15, 1919 at her grandmother's home in Austin, TexasAustin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. She attended the University of Texas where she earned her Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
summa cum laude in 1939. She married Grier Raggio, who was then a government lawyer, in 1941. During her years of raising three sons she attended Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
at night earning her law degree
Law degree
A Law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law. Such degrees are generally preparation for legal careers; but while their curricula may be reviewed by legal authority, they do not themselves confer a license...
by 1952.
Early career
Louise Raggio found a job working as an assistant district attorney in Dallas CountyDallas County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,218,899 people, 807,621 households, and 533,837 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,523 people per square mile . There were 854,119 housing units at an average density of 971/sq mi...
in 1954 and was put in charge of child support, delinquent fathers, juvenile court and family law. While working as a prosecutor, she learned that married women had fewer rights in Texas than single women, i.e. married women in Texas had limited property rights and couldn't take out bank loans or start their own businesses without their husband's approval. One of her quotes in the KERA Texas TrailerBlazer about her sums up the situation of a woman at the alter in Texas: "When a a man and woman got married, they were one, and he was the one."
Louise Raggio began to fight for the rights of women and became the first female prosecutor in Dallas County, Texas. Joining her husband, Grier Raggio, in 1956 to form the law firm, Raggio & Raggio, she began to work to change the particularly bad laws in Texas concerning women. The Marital Property Act of 1967 became the foundation for the current Texas Family Code. She was nicknamed "The Texas Tornado".
Marital Property Act
The Marital Property Act of 1967 was Raggio's best-known accomplishment. The Act helped married women to manage their own property, borrow money from banks in their own right, and establish financial discussions without having to have the presence of her husband. Before this act married women in Texas were subject to the most restrictive laws in the United States.Quotations
- "Every person has the ability to do something the world needs. You do not have to be talented, good looking, or smart. Success means you have found your niche and used your best efforts to try to solve the problems." -Louise Raggio
Death
Louise Raggio died on January 23, 2011.see www.raggiolaw.com/LouiseRaggioTribute.htm for information and links to videos.Awards and honors
- 1967, State Bar of Texas President's Citation of Merit Award for work onMarital Property Act
- 1967, Y.W.C.A. of Dallas Award
- 1970, Zonta of Dallas Award for Community service
- 1972, Southern Methodist University Outstanding Alumni Award
- 1974, Business and Professional Women Extra Mile Award, for leadership in law reform
- 1979, Women’s Center of Dallas Award for Service to Women
- 1980, American Bar Association Award for Family Law Service
- 1985, Business and Professional Women of Texas, Woman of the Year Award
- 1985, Texas Women's Hall of Fame inductee (legal category)
- 1985, Chairman of Board of Trustees Award, Texas Bar Foundation
- 1987, President’s Award for Outstanding Lawyer of the Year, State Bar of Texas
- 1988, Trustee Emeritus Award, Texas Bar Foundation
- 1990, Unitarian of the Year Award, Dallas
- 1990, International Women's Forum Award, “Woman That has Made a Difference”
- 1992, Southern Methodist University Outstanding Law Alumni Award. * 1993, Sarah T. Hughes Outstanding Attorney Award, given by the State Bar of Texas
- 1993, Dallas Bar First Outstanding Trial Lawyer Award
- 1994, National Business Women Owners Association Award
- 1994, American Civil Liberties Union Thomas Jefferson Award
- 1995, Girls, Inc. “She Knows Where She’s Going” Award
- 1995, North Texas Association of Women Journalists, Courage Award
- 1995, Margaret Brent Outstanding Woman Lawyer Award, given by American Bar Association
- 1996, LL.D honoris causa, from Southern Methodist University, Dallas
- 1996, Texas Trailblazer Award
- 1997, Women in Executive Leadership Award
- 1997, Dallas Bar Foundation Award for Distinguished Career and Civic Contribution
- 1997, Texas Bar Foundation Ethics and Professionalism Award
- 1997, North Texas Legal Services Equal Justice Award
- 1999, Texas Women of the Century Award
- 1999, Veteran Feminist of America Award
- 2000, Gillian Rudd Award from National Business Women owners Association
- 2000, Fortune Magazine: one of fifteen Heroes in Hall of Fame
- 2001, Individual Rights and Responsibilities Award, State Bar of Texas
- 2002, Lifetime Achievement Award, Family Law Section, American Bar Association
- 2004, Texas Center for Professionalism and Legal Ethics Sandra Day O'Connor Award.
Sources
- "Texas Tornado" The Life of a Crusader for Women's Rights and Family Justice", by Louise Ballerstedt Raggio and Vivian Anderson Castleberry, Kensington Publishing Corp, New York City: 2003; ISBN 0-8065-2452-9