Rosalie Wahl, First Female State Supreme Court Justice, Dies at 88

Article by Chris Steller

Minnesota lost a legend Monday with the passing of longtime Lake Elmo resident Rosalie Wahl.

As MinnPost reported:

“Rosalie Wahl made Minnesota history in 1977, when she was the first woman appointed to the state Supreme Court by Gov. Rudy Perpich.

"Wahl spent 17 years on the court. She died Monday at age 88. ... She was know as a champion for women lawyers and gender fairness.”

The Minnesota Historical Society tells how her family came to Minnesota:

“Growing up in the Depression era, Wahl experienced tremendous personal hardship that forever changed her life. In 1949, Wahl, along with her husband and children, moved to Minnesota to live within an intentional community. The community never took off and the family soon took permanent residence in Lake Elmo, Minnesota.”

The St. Paul Pioneer Press told how she died and what she stood for:

“Wahl was taken to the Regions Hospital emergency room Sunday evening and died of natural causes at 7:15 a.m. Monday, according to her daughter Jenny Blaine.

“‘The courts were her concept of a sacred space, where everybody could be equally treated,’ said Harriet Lansing, a retired Minnesota Court of Appeals judge and close friend of Wahl’s. ‘And she worked so hard to bring that about.’”

Indeed, it was not easy for Wahl even once she reached the state’s high court, the Star Tribune reported:

“‘She had to buck the good ol’ boys,’ said Betty Wilson, a longtime friend and a retired Star Tribune political reporter. “The male establishment lined up against her and gave her a hard time. ...

“‘If you get to be a judge, it sometimes goes to people’s heads,’ Wilson said. ‘Not Rosalie. She was always concerned about those who had trouble.’”

State Supreme Court Justice Alan Page recalled Wahl's influence in a Minnesota Public Radio report:

‘She was very much instrumental in ensuring opportunity of access for women and people of color as judges, but also with her work on the committee that looked into gender bias and racial bias in our judicial system,’ Page said. ‘She was all about ensuring fairness for everyone and access for everyone.’ ...