By Jeffrey V. Moy, North Jersey History and Genealogy Center
Lifelong Morristown resident Cora Welsh spent years working with law enforcement to combat juvenile delinquency and domestic violence, and her efforts were so valued by the community that in 1927 Police Chief Herbert Wildey formally appointed Mrs. Welsh the town’s first policewoman.
Carrying a badge, but without arrest authority or a salary, Welsh continued to volunteer her time speaking to civic groups and engaging in a form of “community policing” that sought to confront bad habits and activities before they became serious criminal justice problems.
Welsh was born and raised in Morristown. The daughter of Isaac D. and Harriet Dickerson Lyon, she had one brother Isaac D., who would own a jewelry store at 45 Park Place.
In 1888, Cora married James E. Welsh, whose professional interests mirrored her own. From 1903-1929, he worked as an agent of the Morris County Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Children (SPCC) and the Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), and he also served as Overseer of the Poor for Morristown. Cora and James lived on 21 Morris St., where they raised a son, LeClare L. Welsh.
Long before her work as a policewoman, Cora Welsh was involved with the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), the suffragist, evangelical Christian group that advocated for moderation in all things healthful and a complete avoidance of activities they viewed as harmful, including the consumption of alcohol and tobacco.
Her WCTU background informed her work as the town’s first policewoman during the Prohibition era, when she focused her efforts on juvenile delinquency and domestic unrest.
Welsh ultimately advanced to the position of WCTU President, while also working with the Woman’s Club, the Inter-Racial Committee, and as an active member of the Methodist Church.
Although reportedly in good health, Cora Welsh died suddenly on Dec. 11, 1942, of a heart attack, following a meeting of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, while shopping at the Babbitt Hardware Store on 120 Speedwell Ave.
Welsh was predeceased by her husband James and survived by their son, LeClare, a taxi driver, as well as four grandchildren.
Cora Welsh created a space for women to serve on Morristown’s police force, but it took another 37 years for the town to hire its first full-time policewoman, patrol officer Carol Williams, who rose within the ranks to become chief of police in 1994.
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