Phyllis W. Beck, first female judge on the Superior Court of Pa., has died at 97

Phyllis W. Beck, 97, of Philadelphia, the first female judge on the Superior Court of Pennsylvania, former vice dean at the University of Pennsylvania’s Carey Law School, onetime professor at Temple University’s Beasley School of Law, trailblazing lawyer, award-winning mentor, and philanthropist, died Monday, March 3, at her home in Rittenhouse Square of complications after a fall.

Judge Beck became the first woman to serve on the Superior Court of Pennsylvania in 1981, and her expertise in family law, judicial reform, and merit appointment of judges resulted in many consequential rulings and conclusions over her 25 years on the bench. Gov. Robert Casey named her chair of an important judicial reform task force in 1987 that became known as the Beck Commission, and colleagues said her 1990 decision on a thorny child custody situation was one of several that set important standards for lower courts.

“She took cases where legal issues were undefined and defined them in a practical way,” Susan Gantman, a retired Superior Court judge and former colleague of Judge Beck, told The Inquirer in 2008. “Her rulings were rarely overturned.”

She was appointed to an expanding Superior Court by Gov. Dick Thornburgh and then elected to two 10-year terms. She was the third woman in Pennsylvania history to gain a statewide elected office, and colleagues at the Philadelphia Board of Ethics recently noted her “sound judgment and objective reasoning.”

She retired from the court in 2006, and colleagues at Penn said in a recent tribute that her “pioneering career on the bench and dedication to public service have left an enduring impact on the legal community.”

Judge Beck practiced privately at two firms for seven years after graduating first in her night class at Temple’s law school in 1967. She spoke openly about the misogyny and other obstacles she faced as a young lawyer, and described her early female colleagues in a 2005 speech as a “brave band of sisters who marched into a profession that was not ready for us.”

“She has been a guide, an inspiration, a voice of reason, and a well of unconditional love to so many people.”

She was featured several times in The Inquirer and Daily News, and she wrote book chapters, papers, and articles for Family Law Quarterly and other publications. She and her daughter, Judge Alice Beck Dubow, became the first mother and daughter to serve as judges in Pennsylvania when Dubow was elected in 2007.

Judge Beck taught at Temple from 1972 to 1976 and was vice dean at Penn’s law school from 1976 to 1981. She mentored students, professors, lawyers, and other judges with “sensitivity and kindness,” colleagues said. Her daughter Alice said: “She could see people’s abilities and how they could use them best.”

Outside the courtroom, as board chair and chief financial officer of the philanthropic Independence Foundation, Judge Beck championed health-care reform, civic participation, the arts, and the humanities. She helped establish the foundation’s public interest law fellowships and the Beck Chair in Law at Temple. Foundation colleagues said: “Her lifelong curiosity and dedication inspired everyone around her.”

Catherine Carr, current Independence board chair, said in a tribute: “Phyllis was an exceptional leader who did transformative work.”

“Although the legal establishment has made some progress as to women, it still has miles and miles to go. Women must continue to fight for equality in the profession.”

She was also general counsel for the Barnes Foundation, on advisory boards at Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts and Penn Nursing School, and active with the National Association of Women Judges, Pennsylvania Conference for Women, and other groups.

She earned dozens of distinctions, including awards from the Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Bar Associations, and Temple Law Alumni Association. In 2000, Gov. Tom Ridge named her a Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania for serving as a “tireless advocate in the civic and judicial communities on behalf of women, families, racial equality, and public education.”

Phyllis Harriett Whitman was born Oct. 7, 1927, in Brooklyn. She grew up in the Bronx, was a lifelong honor student, and earned a bachelor’s degree in political science at Brown University’s Pembroke College for Women in 1949. At first, she worked as a researcher at Time Magazine and reporter for the Berkshire Eagle newspaper in Massachusetts.

She met Aaron Beck in college, and they married in 1950, and had sons Roy and Daniel, and daughters Judy and Alice. They lived in Drexel Hill, Wynnewood, and Rittenhouse Square. Her husband died in 2021.

“She bravely opened the door for more women to pursue the legal profession and remained committed to its integrity throughout her career.”

Judge Beck took graduate classes in child development at Bryn Mawr College before going to law school at Temple. She was a Democratic committeeperson in Lower Merion and twice ran unsuccessfully for the township’s school board.

She read contemporary fiction and played tennis. “She was intelligent, energetic, and no-nonsense,” said her daughter Judy.

She doted on her family and hosted special spa vacations for the female members. Her daughter Alice told The Inquirer in 2008: “My mother’s genius is her close relationship with all her children.”

In addition to her children, Judge Beck is survived by 10 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, and other relatives.

Services were held March 6.

Donations in her name may be made to the Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy, 1 Belmont Ave., Suite 503, Bala Cynwyd, Pa. 19004; and Temple University Beasley School of Law, 1719 N. Broad St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19122.