Dorothy A. "Dottie" Servis died in Missoula on Thursday, Oct. 30, 2014. Perhaps she was best known in Missoula for her tireless work in leading the first effort to save the University Golf Course in 2005 from commercial development. A tree was planted in Dottie's honor in 2012. Her life was one of relentlessly and successfully overcoming challenges. She was born in Chicago in 1924 to loving parents. Her mother woke her up each morning by opening the curtains and declaring, "This is the day the Lord has made. Be glad, give thanks, rejoice!" Her father was a traveling salesman, but when he was home he told her stories and sang Irish tunes. As a child, Dottie lost her older sister and younger brother to death in separate accidents. She escaped sorrow at home by excelling in school, though the family moved multiple times during her childhood.
As valedictorian of her high school class, Dottie was awarded an all-expense paid education at a local college, but her high school debate coach convinced her to refuse it and enroll in the University of Michigan. She worked her way through college with three jobs, and upon graduating enrolled in the University of Michigan Law School. She was one of six women students accepted in a class of 300 students. In 1948, her senior year of law school, desperate for a job, she looked at the posted schedules for the law firm interviews on campus. Prominent on the board was a notice that women students were not invited to the interviews. Finally, she saw a notice from a large Cleveland law firm wanting to interview a woman graduate. Not wanting to work for the government as some of her female classmates were planning to do, and not having an attorney father willing to hire a daughter, Dottie interviewed with the firm and accepted a job as its librarian. She became close to lawyers and staff, many of whom remained friends throughout her career. Her intellect, thoroughness and kindness were evident to all. She noticed an elderly disabled partner lifting books with great difficulty from a bottom shelf in the library. One day, he came in to find the books on a waist-high shelf and she explained that she had been reorganizing the library.
After a couple of years, Dottie left the law firm to move to Michigan to take care of her ailing mother and opened her own law office. She asked one of the partners at her former firm if he had any advice for a young attorney entering private practice. He said, "Stay in your office." She did and her practice grew.
In 1951, Dottie was able to return to Cleveland and started looking for a job. She sent letters to 50 companies she thought would be large enough to have a law department. She did not ask for a job as a lawyer, but described her education and that she was admitted to the bar in Michigan and Ohio. She received 12 letters in return, 11 of which said they had nothing for her, but one from the general counsel of a division of United States Steel Corp. asked her to come in for an interview. He said he needed a secretary and asked if she could take shorthand. She replied that she had her own method of taking notes in law school and could transcribe a letter. He dictated one to her and asked her to type it. When she gave it to him, he noticed that she had changed it a little. She replied that she thought it needed some improvement. He agreed and gave her the job. He promised her that although he couldn't hire her as a lawyer, he would give her legal work to do in addition to her secretarial duties and that she would get a broad overview of the legal issues facing that division. She was always grateful to that mentor for the legal educational opportunity he gave her. After six years, he promised her that he would give her the next job that opened in the department. When a friend of hers was promoted, her mentor gave her the position as a real estate lawyer and called the corporation's general counsel in Pittsburgh who refused, saying there would be no women attorneys. Her mentor hung up the phone and drove to Pittsburgh to discuss the matter. He left having secured a position for the first woman attorney in the corporation.
Dottie moved to the U.S. Steel headquarters in Pittsburgh in 1964, rising through several promotions until her retirement in 1989 as senior general attorney and assistant to the general counsel. She was the highest-ranking woman at U.S. Steel and a valued adviser to the leadership of the corporation. She then became of counsel to the law firm of Reed Smith Shaw & McClay in Pittsburgh until her final retirement in 1997.
A colleague of hers wrote, "When Dorothy retired after 37 years of distinguished service, she was a nationally renowned environmental law and regulation expert. She was beloved by her colleagues, both men and women, for her great knowledge and skill and for her kindness and patience with them as she helped train and mentor many of them. She, of course, was an inspiration to her women colleagues, admired for her courage, competence and accomplishments and for her complete lack of bitterness or self-pity for her early career challenges."
Another wrote, "By using seemingly innate talents, Dorothy made challenges appear easy and empowered young lawyers by her example without the need to burden the process with redundant words of advice. To coin a phrase from popular culture – she just 'did it' so you never doubted your ability to follow her leadership. It was an honor to have been in her company and circle of influence. She always had such great humility. She could never understand why people thought her accomplishments were in any way exceptional. As far as she was concerned, she was just trying to do her job. She will live on in all of those whose lives she touched and careers she impacted."
Dottie was on the Committee of Visitors of the University of Michigan Law School and was a trustee of Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania.
Dottie moved to Missoula in 2000 at the encouragement of a friend. She became active in the Mount Sentinel Women's Golf League, where she developed friendships that lasted the rest of her life. In addition to golf, she enjoyed hiking. At one point late in her career, she was able to hike along a steep narrow trail to the top of the Continental Divide. That evening, another guest at the lodge gave her the Pink Salmon Award for perseverance in swimming upstream in the face of adversity. She was quite proud of that award and it became a symbol for her in facing challenges. She never gave up hope. In her last two years, she was surrounded by young new friends who cared for and loved her and cheered her successes in overcoming physical adversities.
Dottie is survived by her brother, Kenneth Bart Servis of Otsego, Michigan.
A service for Dottie will be held at 2:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14, at the First Presbyterian Church in Missoula.
In honor of Dottie's kindness and in lieu of memorial contributions or flowers, please consider doing something extraordinarily kind for someone today.
Read Dorothy Servis's Obituary and Guestbook on www.missoulafuneralhomes.com.
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