Kate Feltham Award Recipient

IWL would like to congratulate Leslie Goddard, the 2009 recipient of the Kate Feltham Award. This award is intended to honor individuals who have made extraordinary efforts to promote equal rights and opportunities for women and minorities within the legal profession and legal justice system in Idaho. Past recipients include Cecil Andrus, Mary Smith, Susan Graham, Cathy Silak, Debora Kristensen, Betty Richardson, Kelly Miller and Deb Nelson.

The namesake of this award, Kate Feltham, has a remarkable place in Idaho’s history. Kate E. Neville was born in Adams, New York on December 20, 1859, just before the Civil War began. She was one of the first graduates of the Iowa State Normal School in Cedar Rapids. She taught school in Ackley, Iowa before moving to Idaho in 1893.

On September 21, 1893, Kate Neville married Lot Feltham in Nampa. Lot served as city attorney for Caldwell from 1893 until 1895. While living in Caldwell, Kate was active in her community and a leader for women’s rights.

* She founded the first free public reading room in Caldwell.
* She was the founding president of the Progress Club, a forerunner of the Future Club in Caldwell.
* She was one of the leaders in the drive to give Idaho women the vote and served as the president of the Caldwell branch of the Idaho Equal Suffrage Association and first vice president of the state organization.
* She taught English and public speaking at the College of Idaho (Albertson College).

By 1910, Kate and Lot were living in the Weiser area. In the 1910 census Kate is listed as a fruit farmer. She was admitted to the practice of law on September 22, 1914, the fifth woman admitted to practice law in Idaho. In 1926 she was appointed the prosecuting attorney for Washington County in Weiser, becoming the first female county prosecutor in Idaho. She remained in the Weiser area after she and her husband divorced. She continued to practice law into the early thirties and died in 1936.

Kate Feltham was an early pioneer for women’s rights and women in the legal profession.

The award will be presented at IWL’s annual board meeting on (date to be announced) at Yen Ching restaurant in Boise for a cocktail hour, dinner and presentation of the award.

Congratulations Leslie!