GRACE STORY DORRIS

1887-1968

By W. Harland Boyd

            Grace Story Dorris, a native California, graduated from the University of California, at Berkeley, and became a teacher in the Kern County Union High School in 1911-1913 and 1915-1916.  In 1913, she married Wiley C. Dorris, a Bakersfield attorney, and for several years she worked as his law clerk.  During World War I, Wiley announced his candidacy for a seat in the California Assembly, but he decided instead to join the United States Navy. When her husband withdrew his candidacy, Grace herself decided to be a candidate for the Assembly seat.

            Accordingly, she stated her qualifications and stand on several current issues. She was a university graduate, school teacher, and knew “the fundamental principles of jurisprudence.”  In the university, schoolroom, and law office she had “developed careful habits of thought,” as well as acquaintance  “with all sorts of conditions of men and women.”  She pledged she would be independent and act according to her “own conscience and the best interest of the people.”

            In order to “save food and fuel during the war” and “to save humanity for all time,” she favored a national prohibition amendment.  While recognizing the recent progress in the development of labor laws, she supported even more effective efforts “to bring the war to a speedy and victorious end” and planning of postwar jobs for those who would be leaving the armed forces and wartime industries.  In addition she favored better control of flooding rivers and dividing of the great land holdings.  Another of her concerns was full equality of “man and woman before the law,” including equality in the inheritance of property.

Two things favored Grace’s candidacy California women were afforded the right to vote in 1911, and many men were away with the armed forces.  She and three other women were elected to the Assembly in 1918.  Scarcely had they been seated, when Grace introduced a resolution urging Congress to support the woman suffrage amendment then under consideration.  She also sought the breakup of large land holdings in the hope of bringing more land into production.  She also favored a better water distribution system, limiting the hours of domestic workers, and a program of public defenders and prosecutors in the courts.  She was elected to the Assembly again in 1922-1925.  Interestingly enough, several of her legislative proposals became law after she had left office.