Arabella Mansfield -Lawyer

Arabella Mansfield started out life as Belle Babb (1846-1911). She grew up in a Midwest family that valued education. In 1850, her father left to search for gold in California. He died in a tunnel accident a few years later.

- by Barbara Krasner

Belle's mother moved the family to Mount Pleasant, Iowa. She hoped to give her two children a better chance of receiving a good education.

When the Civil War (1861-1865) began, it drew many young men to fight, such as Belle's brother, Washington. With so many men gone, slots opened for women to enroll in advanced study programs. In the fall of 1862, Belle changed her name to Arabella and entered Iowa Wesleyan College. Washington joined her there after the war. In 1866, Arabella and Washington graduated first and second in their class. The siblings remained close throughout their lives.

That fall, Arabella became one of the country's first female college professors. She taught English, political science, and history at Simpson College in Iowa. But she decided her true interest was law. She became an apprentice at the law firm of H&R Ambler where Washington worked.