“Suitcase Mary” they called her. Here, at the Mary Bartelme Plaque, we remember a woman of immense compassion. This plaque commemorates Mary Bartelme. She was a true pioneer in juvenile justice.
Mary Bartelme was born in Chicago in 1866. She grew up near Fulton and Halsted Streets. Her parents were immigrants from Germany. She had a happy childhood with lots of siblings. Mary graduated from West Division High School. She then taught in Chicago Public Schools.
Originally, she wanted to study medicine. But a meeting with Myra Bradwell changed her path. Bradwell was the first woman to pass the Illinois bar exam. Mary decided to pursue law. She enrolled in Northwestern University Law School. She graduated in 1894.
In 1897, Mary Bartelme became the Public Guardian of Cook County. She was the first woman in this role. For sixteen years, she found homes for orphaned children. She also managed their estates. People called her “Mother Bartelme” because of her compassion.
Mary was critical of how the courts treated young offenders. In 1913, Judge Merritt Pinckney appointed her as an Assistant Judge. She worked in the Juvenile Court of Cook County. It was said that she was “America’s only woman judge”. Bartelme created a special “Girls Court”. This court heard cases of delinquent girls. All personnel were female. This encouraged girls to speak openly about their problems.
Elected judge in 1923, Mary Bartelme became the first woman elected judge in Illinois. She served in the Juvenile Court. She included social scientists in court proceedings. Mary believed in providing public services to juveniles.
Beyond the courtroom, Mary Bartelme established three “Mary B. Clubs”. These were settlement homes for girls who couldn’t return to their parents. She provided suitcases filled with clothing and toiletries to young women leaving the court system. This earned her the nickname “Suitcase Mary”.
Mary Bartelme retired in 1933. She moved to Carmel, California. She continued to advocate for juvenile justice. She died in 1954. One of her final requests was donations should be made to the Mary B. Clubs. Mary Bartelme was the most important person in the first 25 years of the Cook County Juvenile Court. This plaque ensures her legacy lives on. Mary Bartelme Park is also named in her honor.