Devil in the Distance: Aileen Hatfield and the Pursuit of Law

Known as participants of what could be considered the most violent and famous feud in American history, the Hatfields vs McCoys, it may be surprising to learn that the descendants of Devil Anse turned from a life of crime to careers in law. Even Devil Anse’s son, Cap, himself perhaps the most notorious member of the Hatfield clan, would leave his criminal past behind and make his future career as an attorney. Coleman A. Hatfield, Cap’s son, would follow in his father’s footsteps,’ becoming a prominent attorney in West Virginia’s Logan County. His daughter, Elizabeth Aileen Hatfield, (1908 -1946) would step outside the ordinary path expected for women of her generation and enroll in her father’s alma mater, West Virginia University, where she would graduate from the College of Law in 1933 with an LL.B degree. After her graduation Aileen would join the family law office. Aileen was one of the earliest women to graduate from the WVU College of Law in 1933. More importantly, Aileen would be the first woman attorney in Logan County, an impressive feat. While historical information on the feuding Hatfields is voluminous, scant information is available on the legal branch of the Hatfields. Though connected closely with the feudists, the hard work and success of the Hatfield attorneys moved the family beyond the violence of the nineteenth century and into the modern world of the twentieth century. This presentation will examine the life and legal career of Aileen Hatfield, a woman who followed a career path pursued by few women in her time, and the contributions she made as an attorney