Sarah Weddington was known best for arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court in the landmark Roe v. Wade case, but she had a trailblazing legal and legislative career that spanned decades and was predicated largely on advancing women’s issues, which produced mountains of documents and records. Weddington died in December 2021.
Now, all of her historical papers, pictures, and other artifacts will be part of a permanent collection at Texas Woman’s University.
Weddington’s life was full of firsts: she was the first woman elected to the Texas Legislature representing Travis County; the youngest person (26) to present in front of the highest U.S. court; and first female general counsel for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. President Jimmy Carter named Weddington as his special assistant for women’s issues. Later, she became a distinguished professor at Texas Woman’s University.
The donated documents in the collection span Weddington’s career as an attorney, legislator, public speaker and professor. Among the items are photographs, first edition books, awards, and other artifacts from Weddington’s life, including her time serving in the Texas Legislature, developing arguments in Roe v. Wade, working in the White House and representing the United States on an international scale.
Weddington “spent her entire career fighting for women’s rights and ensuring women had opportunities not just to sit at the table, but to sit at the head of the table;” said Carine M. Feyten, chancellor of Texas Woman’s University. “Sarah Weddington was an exceptional leader and embodied the pioneering spirit that defines Texas Woman’s.”