In Memoriam: Sylvia Ellison (1911-1976)
Heralded as the lead attorney on the Colgate-Palmolive case, Ellison had worked with Caruthers Berger and Mary Eastwood on Title VII and other women's rights cases under the auspices of Human Rights for Women.
Colgate-Palmolive was one of several cases brought by feminist lawyers that put teeth in Title VII. Thelma Bowe sued the company for creating seniority systems that segregated "light" and "heavy" jobs as a way of disguising gender classifications and making it harder for women to advance into higher positions. The case was won by Bowe in 1969 on appeal. Its effect was to render other companies' so-called "protective legislation" suspect under Title VII.
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