Mary C. Lord, Class of 1945

Mary C. Lord ’45 died on Dec. 18, 2018. She was born October 19, 1923 in Middletown, Ohio to Arthur E. and Mary (Bell) Lord. Mary graduated from Middletown High School and earned her bachelor’s degree from Otterbein in 1945. Mary Lord was just one of five women to receive her law degree from the Ohio State University College of Law in 1951, in a class with more than 200 men.

She was the second woman to practice law in Middletown and the only woman attorney in Butler County for many years. Mary received many awards for her leadership and dedication to community service in Middletown. During her time at Otterbein, Mary was a member of Sigma Alpha Tau, student government, contributor to the Tan & Cardinal and Sibyl yearbook, and was the 1945 Homecoming Queen. Mary and her family helped establish the endowed Lord Family Scholarship for Otterbein students pursuing their educational dreams.

Mary was preceded in death by her three brothers, Seymour Clark Lord ‘39, Roy Lord and Thomas John Lord. She is survived by her nieces and nephews, Jeanne Lord ‘66, Deborah Lord Bennett ‘69, Sara Lord ‘72, Seymour Lord, Thomas A. Lord, Frances Lord and William Lord and cousins Steve Sorg and Lisa Sorg Friedman.