The Honorable Phyllis Harriett Whitman Beck, a ground-breaking retired judge of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania, former vice dean of Penn Carey Law, and a former member of the Penn Nursing Board of Advisors, died on March 3. She was 97.

Born in 1927, in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in the Bronx, Judge Beck graduated from Hunter College High School in 1945, then attended Pembroke College for Women at Brown University, earning an AB magna cum laude and with honors in political science in 1949. Before pursuing law, she worked as a researcher for TIME magazine and as a reporter for the Berkshire Eagle in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Judge Beck then attended Temple University Beasley School of Law’s evening division, earning a JD and graduating first in her class in 1967. Upon graduating, she was initially denied approval to take the bar exam by the Delaware County Ethics Committee, which questioned her moral fit as an attorney if she was “neglecting her responsibilities to her household and children.” She spoke openly about the misogyny and other obstacles she faced as a young lawyer, and described her early women colleagues in a 2005 speech as a “brave band of sisters who marched into a profession that was not ready for us.”

After graduating, Judge Beck practiced law privately for eleven years. In 1972, she became a visiting associate professor at Temple University, and two years later, she joined Temple’s faculty full time. At Temple, she directed the Beasley School of Law’s graduate legal studies and clinical programs and served as associate general counsel of the campus Legal Aid chapter. In 1976, Penn’s Law School appointed her vice dean (Almanac November 9, 1976), a role in which she led many of the school’s administrative processes and served as dean of students. While at Penn, she also served on the Committee on Open Expression. Judge Beck also held a faculty appointment at Villanova University’s Charles Widger School of Law.

In 1981, Judge Beck left Penn to become the first woman appointed to the Pennsylvania Superior Court (which was expanded that year from eight to 15 members with a series of appointments, including hers). She was only the third woman in Pennsylvania history to gain a statewide elected office, and colleagues at the Philadelphia Board of Ethics noted her “sound judgment and objective reasoning.” She brought her expertise in family law, judicial reform, and merit appointment of judges to a 25-year tenure on the bench, retiring in 2006. Then-Pennsylvania governor Robert Casey named her chair of an important judicial reform task force in 1987 that became known as the Beck Commission, and colleagues said her 1990 decision on a thorny child-custody situation was one of several that set important standards for lower courts.

After retiring from the bench, Judge Beck remained in public service as general counsel of the Barnes Foundation, chair of the advisory board of Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts, mediator for the Superior Court and in asbestos cases for the First Judicial District, and vice-chair of the Ethics Board of the City of Philadelphia. Beginning in 1993, Judge Beck also served as the chair of the Independence Foundation, a philanthropic organization investing in people and programs that enrich the life experiences of the residents of the Philadelphia area. With the support of the Independence Foundation, Judge Beck established the Phyllis W. Beck Chair in Law at Temple University, which is bestowed upon notable leaders or outstanding scholars in law or a related field to the faculty.

In 1997, Judge Beck received the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Brennan Distinguished Jurist Award, which recognizes a jurist who adheres to the highest ideals of judicial service. Eight years later, she received the Justice Sandra Day O’ Connor Award from the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Women in the Profession Committee. The O’Connor Award recognizes an outstanding woman attorney who exemplifies the qualities that Justice O’Connor has demonstrated in her life and work. In 2000, Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge named her a Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania for serving as a “tireless advocate in the civic and judicial communities on behalf of women, families, racial equality, and public education.”

“Judge Beck’s pioneering career on the bench and dedication to public service have left an enduring impact on the legal community, both locally in Philadelphia and beyond,” said Sophia Z. Lee, dean of Penn Carey Law and the Bernard G. Segal Professor of Law, in a tribute to Judge Beck. “She bravely opened the door for more women to pursue the legal profession and remained committed to its integrity throughout her career. We are proud and honored that her legacy includes Penn Carey Law and mourn this tremendous loss to our community.”

Judge Beck is survived by her sons, Roy and Daniel; her daughters, Judy and Alice; 10 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and other relatives. Donations in her name may be made to the Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy, 1 Belmont Avenue, Suite 503, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004; and Temple University Beasley School of Law, 1719 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122.