Judge Alice O. McCollum

CLEO 1972

“I was not really interested in going to law school until I attended CLEO. The professors demonstrated how many laws were enacted to keep African-Americans in “their place.” It was really intellectually stimulating and eye opening. This formed my desire to use my skills to make a difference in our community. As a judge for 35 years, I believe I attained my goal thanks to CLEO.”

Judge Alice O. McCollum received her B.A. in Mathematics from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Law.

On February 9, 1979, Judge McCollum became the first woman to serve as Judge of the Dayton Municipal Court. She served on the Dayton Municipal Court bench for 24 years, having won four consecutive elections, two of which were contested. On November 5, 2002, Judge McCollum was elected Montgomery County Probate Judge. She is the first woman and first African-American to hold this position. She was re-elected in November 2008 and is currently running for her third and final term.

Judge McCollum is a former president of the Dayton Bar Association and the Dayton Bar Association Foundation. She is currently a member of the Ohio Supreme Court’s Commission on Dispute Resolution, having been appointed by the Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice and Justices. Judge McCollum is active in her church as well as numerous professional and civic organizations.