ULSTER COUNTY CLERK’S OFFICE CELEBRATES WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH WITH HISTORICAL PROFILE OF DOROTHY FROOKS

Kingston, NY – In celebration of Women's History Month, Ulster County Clerk Nina Postupack proudly presents the latest addition to the "Historical Profiles" series, in partnership with the Saugerties Historical Society. This month's feature showcases the inspiring life and achievements of veteran, author, and lawyer Dorothy Frooks. The display will be exhibited throughout March on the first floor of the Ulster County Office Building located at 244 Fair Street, Kingston.

Dorothy Frooks – Liberty and Justice for All is the newest historical profile from the Ulster County Clerk’s Office.  Saugerties native Dorothy Frooks was a suffragette, military figure, author, and lawyer. She began her public speaking career as a young suffragette, delivering speeches at age eleven. During World War I, she recruited over 30,000 men for service and was awarded the American Patriotic League’s gold medal for her efforts. Frooks served as Chief Yeoman in the Navy and later in the US Army’s Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) office during World War II. She became the first woman lawyer for the Salvation Army and introduced free legal aid for those in need. She also lobbied for the creation of a “poor man’s court” and helped pass the first Small Claims Court in New York City. Throughout her life, Frooks was a passionate advocate for liberty and justice, fighting for the rights of children, widowed mothers, and various other causes.

"Dorothy Frooks was a fearless advocate for justice, an inspiring public speaker, and a trailblazer for women in law and the military. Her tireless efforts to fight for the rights of the underprivileged and oppressed continue to inspire us today," stated County Clerk Nina Postupack. “We are pleased to partner with the Saugerties Historical Society to bring to life the remarkable story of Dorothy Frooks and celebrate her enduring legacy.”

For further information about this or other outreach programs of the Ulster County Clerk’s Office, please contact County Clerk Nina Postupack at (845) 340-3040 or countyclerk[at]co.ulster.ny[dot]us or visit us on Facebook.

“Miss Dorothy Frooks Champion Orator” originally published in the Detroit Times, November 8, 1910. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division.

Dorothy Frooks with President Eisenhower in 1964. From her autobiography “Lady Lawyer” published in 1975 by Robert Speller.