Geffen, Irene Antoinette

1929 Yearbook

GEFFEN, Irene Antoinette (born Newmark), M.A., LL.B., first lady advocate to be admitted in South Africa (1923); daughter of the late Abel Newmark, J.P., Cape Town. Gold Medallist in literature at the South African College in 1916; formerly Lecturer in Psychology and Education at the Witwatersrand University. Born in Cape Town in 1897. Educated at the Good Hope Seminary and the S.A. College, Cape Town, and University College, London. Married to Max Geffen in 1921; has one child. Represents South Africa on the Committee of the International Alliance of Women for Suffrage and Equal Citizenship on Nationality of Married Women: Member of Executive of the National Council of Women of South Africa (Johannesburg Branch) and Chairman of its Laws and Suffrage Committee; Member of Executive of the Goodwill Club; Vice-President of the first Committee of the Students' Jewish Association at the S.A.C. in 1913. Published in 1928 "The Laws of South Africa Affecting Women and Children."

1967/8 Yearbook

GEFFEN, Irene Antoinette. M.A., LL.B. Advocate. Born Cape Town 21st January, 1897, daughter of Abel and Johanna Augusta Newmark. Educated at Good Hope Seminary and South African College, Cape Town, and London University. Formerly Senior Lecturer in Logic and Psychology at University of Cape Town; Senior Lecturer in Psychology and Education at University of Witwatersrand; first woman advocate to be admitted to the Bar in South Africa (June, 1923); first woman to be appointed member of the Prison Visitors' Board; I.S.C. member for Laws for National Council of Women; first Vice-President of the Students' Jewish Association on its formation at the South African College in 1913; sometime Vice-President of the Union of Jewish Women of S.A. Author of "Laws of South Africa Affecting Women and Children"; "Children and Domestic Relations Courts in the United States of America and the Union of South Africa." Served on staff of "Cape Argus." Appointed Carnegie Visitor to the United States and Canada, 1933; Gold Medallist in Literature at the South African College (now University of Cape Town), 1915. Married Max Geffen 30th June, 1921; two daughters. Add.: 304, Sevenoaks, Third Street, Killarney, P.O. Box 6850, Johannesburg.