Rita Garman
Class of 1961
Rita Garman
Class of 1961
A pioneer in breaking down women’s professional barriers in college, law school and on the bench in Illinois, Justice Rita Garman became the second woman to sit on the Illinois Supreme Court and, as of 2011, she remains the longest-serving female judge in Illinois. The 1961 valedictorian of Oswego High School continued her scholarly pursuits by earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in economics from the University of Illinois, where she was one of a handful of women in her classes.