Timeline

1903

Born April 12 in Oregon to Rabbi Stephen Wise and Louise Waterman Wise;

family moves to New York two years later

1920-
1924

Begins college at Bryn Mawr, transfers to Radcliffe, graduates from Barnard

1923

Works at Elizabeth Peabody Settlement house while attending Radcliffe

1924

Works in textile mills in Passaic, New Jersey

1925

Studies labor relations at International Labor Office in Geneva

1925-
1928

Attends Yale Law School, editor of Yale Law Journal

1926

Marries Lee Tulin, together they have one son, Stephen

Participates in Passaic mill workers' strike

1929

Becomes first woman referee in Workmen's Compensation Division

1932

Husband, Lee Tulin, dies of leukemia

Prepares Study for the Governors Commission on Medical Costs of Compensation

1934-
1935

Becomes Assistant Corporation Council for Workmen's Compensation Division;

Serves as Counsel and Secretary to Committee on Unemployment Relief,

Prepares its highly critical report

1935

Appointed Justice of Domestic Relations Court,

First woman judge above magistrate in the state

1936

Marries Shad Polier, together they have two children, Trudy and Jonathan

1941-
1942

Leave of absence from court to serve as Special Council to Eleanor Roosevelt, Office of Civilian Defense

1942

Establishes the Wiltwyck School for Boys as non-sectarian and interracial

1943

Publishes Everybody’s Child, Nobody’s Child

1944

Becomes chairman of Louise Wise Services

1958

In the matter of Skipwith, a case dealing with de facto segregation in schools

1971-
1974

Helps initiate and assists in class action suit Wilder v. Sugarman (1974)

1973

Retires from Court;
Director of Juvenile Justice Project of the Children's Defense Fund

1987

Dies on July 31 in New York City

1988

Juvenile Justice in Double Jeopardy published posthumously