Sandra Day O'Conoor, a Great Woman

Sandra Day O'Connor

A Great Woman



MK

December 19th,2005

Sandra Day O'Connor, A Great Woman

Sandra Day O'Connor was born on March 26th, 1930 in El Paso, Texas. She is one of the greatest women in history, at least that's what I think. She is a role model and an unforgettable person. She is well known as the first female Supreme Court Justice. She is presently alive.

Sandra Day O'Connor's parents are Harry A. Day and Ada Mae (Wilkey) Day. Her grandparents are Mamie Scott Wilkey and Willis Wilkey, and Henry Clay Day and Alice Day. Sandra's siblings are Alan and Ann. Henry Clay Day established a 155,000 acre ranch (Lazy B) in the1800's. Sandra Day O' Connor met her husband, John Jay O'Connor III, at Stanford University as a fellow law student. They married in 1952. John and Sandra had three sons; Scott Hampton (born October 8th, 1957), Brian (Born in 1960) and Jay (born in1962).

O'Connor's early childhood was spent on the Lazy B in South Eastern Arizona. As an only child, Sandra got a lot of adult attention and felt lonely sometimes. She used her imagination as a tool to entertain herself.

Sandra Day O'Connor had a lot of exposure to land, and carried many adult responsibilities. She could read at four and was able to load, aim and fire a rifle. Henry Day taught Sandra how to ride a horse and drive a tractor before she was ten. She became a skilled horse back rider at ten. As a child, Sandra Day O'Connor was knowledgeable about the uses of tools, could pick apples when they were just ripe and burn the Lazy B mark on the cattle with a branding iron. Despite her experience with male chores, O'Connor also had a feminine side. On special occasions, she could and knew how to use make-up, wear elegant dresses and walk beautifully on heels.

When Sandra Day O'Connor was eight years old, her mother gave birth to her sister Ann. One year later, Alan was born. Sandra felt like her family was on a norm level. She looked after her siblings a lot. Since Ada Mae wanted the best education for her child, she sent Sandra to live with her grandparents (Mamie and Willis Wilkey) in El Paso.

During Sandra's stay with her grandparents, she attended Radford School for Girls. Radford taught not only academic skills, but social skills. The prissy behavior confused her and she also missed her family.

Sometime in her education at Radford, Sandra became ill and took one year off. Still, Sandra Day O'Connor graduated a year early from Radford and enrolled in Austin High School in El Paso. She was a top student at Austin and graduated early (at sixteen). Sandra only wanted to go to one college (Stanford University), there fore she only applied to that school. Stanford was the "Harvard of the western states". Moreover, Stanford was extremely difficult to get to, especially as a girl. Fortunately, O' Connor was excepted to Stanford in 1946. She majored in economics, which was unusual for a girl.

Stanford was an intimidating school. O'Connor used two traits to help her in Stanford; independence and self discipline. Independence allowed her to break the chains of parental supervision and parent crutches. Self discipline led her into great accomplishments academically. Sandra Day O'Connor transferred to a special program at Stanford after an introductory law course. This program would let O'Connor get an undergraduate and law degree in only six years. The offer attracted her, but Sandra day O'Connor was unaware of the roadblocks that would face her as a female trying to get a job as a lawyer, despite her education.

In 1950, Sandra Day O'Connor was elected senior class president. O'Connor graduated from Stanford University in 1952. She was ranked third in class based on her grades. Sandra Day O'Connor was obviously an intelligent woman.

One influence in Sandra's life was her mother. When Sandra was a young girl, her mother was a college graduate. This was said to be unusual for women then. Sandra's major of economics was weird for women in her time. There fore, Ada Mae influenced Sandra not to stay in the box that all women are placed in. Sandra's grandmother, Ada Mae, is said to be her greatest influence. She was inspired by her grandmother's strength, high expectations and continuous achievements. Ada Mae helped with Sandra's determination. John Jay O'Connor III' s draft into the army influenced Sandra's career. She quit her job to travel with him over seas.

After her graduation from Stanford, Sandra Day O'Connor could not find a law firm that would hire her. Fortunately, she was hired as a legal secretary at one of California's most excellent law firms. Then, in San Mateo, California, she found a job as a law clerk with the county government. Sandra Day O'Connor quit her job as a law clerk in San Mateo to follow her husband overseas. John Jay O'Connor III was sent to Germany as the Army's Judge Advocate General's Corp. . As an army wife, Sandra found a job as a civilian lawyer in the Quarter Master Corps. . Two years later, in Phoenix, Arizona, Sandra Day O'Connor was pregnant with her first son. Knowledgeable that no one would hire her pregnant, O'Connor began a small law firm with Tom Tobin (a friend). This law firm assisted with divorces, wills, real estates, personal injuries, contracts etc. . The two separated after a few years.

With three boys below the age of five, Sandra Day O'Connor gave thought to completely quitting her law career to care for her family. Besides being a full time mother, O'Connor was involved with local politics. For four years, she volunteered as a county committee member for the Republican Party. Sandra Day O'Connor also served on a lot of government commissions (jobs). In 1965, she found a part-time job as an assistant attorney general for Arizona and was a prosecutor. O'Connor did her work "tough and relentlessly" (stated by Christopher Henry), but other attorneys respected her.

In 1969 Sandra Day O'Connor left her position as the state attorney general in politics. A place for