Polk County Women Attorneys is now accepting nominations for

the 2019 Polk County Women Attorneys

Willie Stevenson Glanton Award

The ninth annual PCWA Willie Stevenson Glanton Award will be presented at PCWA's March 2019 luncheon and will recognize a lawyer who exemplifies Willie’s spirit to help others, reach back and help his or her community, working toward the goal of improving that community, whether through a commitment to public service, legislative initiatives, professional activities, or community activities.  Award recipients should also demonstrate a commitment to advocacy and activism in the spirit of Willie’s devotion to “free up people.”  All nominations are encouraged, welcome, and necessary for the continuing success of this award!

Previous recipients of the Willie Stevenson Glanton Award include:

2011—Judge Romonda D. Belcher

2012—Roxanne Conlin

2013—Judge Ruth Klotz

2014—Judge Celeste Bremer

2015—Lori Chesser

2016—Representative Helen Miller

2017—Judge Donna Paulsen

2018—Anjela Shutts

Deadline for nominations is February 22, 2019. Please submit nominations to Katie O’Neill (Kathleen.O’Neill@dia.iowa.gov).  All nominations should include the following:

• Nominator’s name, email, phone number, and address
• Nominee’s name, email, phone number, and address
• Letter of support describing why the nominee should receive this award and how the nominee has worked or is working to carry on the legacy and spirit of Willie Glanton by helping others in his or her community (*do not let this intimidate you; all submissions, however lengthy, will be considered)

Born in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Willie Stevenson Glanton was a woman of firsts. By age 11, she knew that she wanted to be a lawyer and “free up people.” Only the second African American woman admitted to practice law in the State of Iowa, she also became the first African American woman to be appointed a city clerk (1953), assistant county attorney (1955), to serve in the state legislature (1964) and to serve on the Des Moines city council (1980). She “wanted to make an impact for black and women’s rights, which are historically intertwined,” and “felt that our black children needed more black images in politics to stir their interests.” She practiced law with her husband in the 1960’s, when women attorneys were rare. She worked in private practice, followed by 22 years of service in the Des Moines office of the Small Business Administration. She was an advocate and an activist, stating that when she was young, “[w]e learned that no matter how much education we had, we must help others, reach back and help our community. If we don’t do that, we have accomplished nothing. The goal is always to improve our community, wherever we happen to be.”