Manuscripts
Nina Miglionico Collection
Birmingham native and attorney Nina Miglionico was one of few women lawyers in Alabama for much of her early career. As an Italian-American Catholic and a single woman, she graduated from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1936 to find the only job offered her was a secretarial position--and that she would have to learn shorthand to get it. Therefore, she opened her own practice (still open in 2003 with a partner, Samuel Rumore).
Because her clients expected a female attorney to work at reduced rates, Miglionico taught piano lessons to help cover living expenses. By 1963, she had established a reputation as a tough lawyer on behalf of women clients, particularly clients involved in domestic court cases, and that commitment to women's issues led her to run for the newly established Birmingham City Council. Making it to a run-off for the City Council seat, Miglionico then experienced the opposition of the Ku Klux Klan and White Citizens Council, which campaigned against her using the labels "nigger-lover" and "Catholic,” “Dago." Nonetheless, she won the seat, and once in office, she supported public school integration, racial reconciliation, and measures to make public services and spaces available to all Birmingham citizens, Black and White. Shortly before her second City Council election in 1965, a bomb was found on the front porch of Miglionico's home. In 1974, crosses were burned in her front yard. However, she was not daunted and served her constituency well, earning suppport from voters through six campaigns. She served as President of the City Council from 1978 through 1981 and retired from elected office in 1985.
Other trailblazing efforts represented by Miglionico include: president of the Business and Professional Women’s Club of Alabama (1949 – 1951); member of the Committee on Social and Economic Issues of the American Association of University Women, for which she traveled around the country educating citizens about the evils of McCarthyism during the 1950s; presidency, in 1958, of the National Association of Women Lawyers; president of the Alabama Women Lawyers association; Democratic candidate for U.S. Congress from Alabama (1974); first woman president of the Alabama League of Municipalities; founding member of the Women’s Section of the Birmingham Bar Association; president of Alabama Join Legislative Council; and long time co-chair of the Committee for Jury Service for Women in Alabama. These are only a few of Miglionico’s contributions to Birmingham and the state of Alabama.
The Nina Miglionico Collection contains a copy of paperwork submitted to the American Bar Association (ABA) Commission on Women in the Profession by the Women’s Section of the Birmingham Bar Association when the group nominated Miglionico for the ABA’s Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award. This nomination packet includes biographical information, a narrative on the significance of Miglionico’s career, a resume, copies of newspapers articles concerning Miglionico, and letters of support for the nomination from Alabama Supreme Court Associate Justice Janie Shores, Attorney Charles Morgan, and former Birmingham Mayor David Vann, among others. Also included in the collection are newspaper articles and collected documents and correspondence, both photocopies and originals, from white supremacist publications, The Jeffersonian, the Birmingham Independent, and the Augusta (Georgia) Courier, donated to the BCRI by Miglionico. See also interview with Nina Miglionico conducted by Dr. Ed LaMonte for the BCRI Oral History Project. (3 boxes)
3 boxes (2 oversized) 12/30/2004
Correspondence (photocopy)
Letter from Dr. Ed LaMonte to Ms. Nina Miglio
Sample ballot (photocopy)
Photocopy of a sample ballot distributed in 1
Political flyers (photocopies)
Photocopies of two political flyers distribut
News editorial transcript (photocopy)
Photocopy of a transcript of a news editorial
Correspondence (photocopy)
Photocopy of correspondence from Ed Fields, I
Flyer (photocopy)
Flyer created and distributed by Friends of L
Pamphlet (photocopy)
Photocopy of a pamphlet entitled "Alabama Law
Notebook (photocopy)
Notebook containing letters of support, colle
THE THUNDERBOLT newspaper
Original copy of the Birmingham-based Nationa
THE THUNDERBOLT newspaper
Original copy of the Birmingham-based Nationa
THE THUNDERBOLT
Original, undated copy of the Birmingham-base
THE RESISTANCE newspaper
Volume 1, No. 1 of a newspaper called THE RES
AUGUSTA COURIER
Original copy of the segregationist newspaper
THE THUNDERBOLT
Original copy of the Birmingham-based Nationa
THE JEFFERSONIAN newspaper (3)
Three original copies of the Birmingham-based
CPSB Newsletter
Original copy of the newsletter of the Commit
BIRMINGHAM INDEPENDENT
Original copy of the BIRMINGHAM INDEPENDENT,
BIRMINGHAM INDEPENDENT
Original copy of the BIRMINGHAM INDEPENDENT,
BIRMINGHAM INDEPENDENT
Original copy of the BIRMINGHAM INDEPENDENT,
BIRMINGHAM INDEPENDENT
Original copy of the BIRMINGHAM INDEPENDENT,
BIRMINGHAM INDEPENDENT
Original copy of the BIRMINGHAM INDEPENDENT,
ALABAMA INDEPENDENT
Original copy of the ALABAMA INDEPENDENT, a l
ALABAMA INDEPENDENT
Original copy of the ALABAMA INDEPENDENT, a l
women
Birmingham City Council
Nina Miglionico
attorneys
women lawyers
National States' Rights Party
American Bar Association
Thunderbolt
Jeffersonian
Italian American
text only:
0 items
photos:
0 items
multimedia:
0 items
audio:
0 items
< BACK