Lillian Exum Clement Stafford was one of the first women in North Carolina to practice law, and the first woman in the South to be elected to a state legislature.

Research:
“Letter from Elias Eller Stafford to Lillian Exum Clement, 1920.” North Carolina Archives. https://fromthepage.com/ncdcr-ncarchives/women-s-history-v5/pc-2804-lillian-exum-papers-b2f25-corr-eller-1920
“Lillian Exum Clement." NCpedia. Accessed on February 19th, 2025. https://www.ncpedia.org/anchor/lillian-exum-clement.
“Public laws and resolutions passed by the General Assembly at its session of 1925.” https://archive.org/details/publiclawsresolu1925nort/
“Wouldn’t Vote?” Asheville Citizen-Times. 11/3/1920. https://www.newspapers.com/image/196317737/
Asheville Citizen. “Society and Personals.” 4/5/1917. https://www.newspapers.com/image/200917154/
Asheville Citizen. “Speakers Heard at Suffrage Meeting.” 3/17/1916. https://www.newspapers.com/image/78407560/
Asheville Citizen. “The Legislative Race.” 10/30/1920. https://www.newspapers.com/image/196310876/
Buncombe County Government. “Lillian Exum Clement Stafford.” Buncombe County Special Collectoins Flickr photoset. https://www.flickr.com/photos/buncombecounty/albums/72157641973318403/
Calder, Thomas. “Asheville Archives: Lillian Exum Clement takes her seat in the House, 1921.” MountainXPress. 3/7/2019. https://mountainx.com/news/asheville-archives-lillian-exum-clement-takes-her-seat-in-the-house-1921/
Chesky, Anne. “WNC History: Lillian Exum Clement's road to Raleigh.” Asheville Citizen Times. 8/3/2024. https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2024/08/03/wnc-history-lillian-exum-clements-road-to-raleigh/74615111007/
Cline, Ned. “First Step.” Our State. Apr 28, 2011. https://www.ourstate.com/lillian-exum-clement/
Cotten, Alice R. "Stafford, Lillian Exum Clement." NCpedia. Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press. Accessed on February 19th, 2025. https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/stafford-lillian.
Ellison, Jon. “Remembering Buncombe’s groundbreaking female legislator.” Carolina Public Press. 2/4/2014. https://carolinapublicpress.org/17570/remembering-buncombes-groundbreaking-female-legislator/
Journal of the House of Representatives of the General Assembly of the State of North Carolina. Session 1921. https://archive.org/details/journalofhouseof1921nort
Kinston Free Press. “Buncombe County Woman Withdraws from Campaign.” 5/28/1920. https://www.newspapers.com/image/75778748/
Letter from Elias Eller Stafford to Lillian Exum Clement, January 12, 1921. https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/letter-from-elias-eller-stafford-to-lillian-exum-clement-january-12-1921/779584?item=779589
Letter from Lillian Exum Clement to Elias Eller Stafford, January 17, 1921. https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/letter-from-lillian-exum-clement-to-elias-eller-stafford-january-17-1921/772715
Matthews, Mrs. A. “Mrs. Exum Clement Stafford.” The Sunday Citizen. 6/14/2025. https://www.newspapers.com/image/200026423/
My Home N.C. “Lillian Exum Clement, NC's first woman legislator | My Home, NC.” N.C. PBS. Via YouTube. 4/18/2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgbroQAtM0Q
Neufield, Rob. “Visiting Our Past: Personal look at Lillian Exum Clement, Asheville's pioneering lawmaker.” Asheville Citizen Times. 2/21/2021. https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2021/02/21/visiting-our-past-look-pioneering-lawmaker-lillian-exum-clement/4515306001/
North Carolina Digital Collections. “Clippings related to Lillian Exum Clement Stafford.” 1916. https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/clippings-related-to-lillian-exum-clement-stafford/766860
North Carolina Digital Collections. “Clippings related to Lillian Exum Clement Stafford.” June 1920. https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/clippings-related-to-lillian-exum-clement-stafford/762410
North Carolina Digital Collections. “Clippings related to Lillian Exum Clement Stafford.” 1921. https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/clippings-related-to-lillian-exum-clement-stafford/764401
North Carolina Digital Collections. “Letter from B. G. Crisp to Lillian Exum Clement, March 22, 1921” https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/letter-from-b.-g.-crisp-to-lillian-exum-clement-march-22-1921/761040
North Carolina Digital Collectoins. Clippings related to Lillian Exum Clement Stafford's death. https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/clippings-related-to-lillian-exum-clement-staffords-death/766201?item=766218
Nothstine, Kellie Slappey. “Lillian Exum Clement Stafford.” North Carolina History Project. https://northcarolinahistory.org/encyclopedia/lillian-exum-clement-1894-1925/
Smith, Anne Chesky. “You Have to Start a Thing: The South’s First Female Legislator, Lillian Exum Clement.” Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center. https://www.history.swannanoavalleymuseum.org/you-have-to-start-a-thing-the-souths-first-female-legislator-lillian-exum-clement/
Swannanoa Valley Museum and History Center. “Lillian Exum Clement.” https://www.history.swannanoavalleymuseum.org/lillian-exum-clement/
The Asheville Times. “Chief Justice Clark Congratulates Woman.” 6/7/1920. https://www.newspapers.com/image/942373558
The Asheville Times. “Miss Clement Takes Oath Tomorrow.” 2/16/1920. https://www.newspapers.com/image/61366064/
The Sunday Citizen. “Brief Sketches of Four Leagues of N.C. Equal Suffrage Association.” 4/21/1918. https://www.newspapers.com/image/200910113/
Vander-Weide, Jacob. “Tombstone Tales: 1st female legislator in the South buried in Asheville.” 828 News Now. 7/27/2024. https://828newsnow.com/news/228822-tombstone-tales-1st-female-legislator-in-the-south-buried-in-asheville/
Waggoner, Martha. “Inscription in Bible links Vanderbilts to Lillian's List.” Times-News. 12/25/2014. https://www.blueridgenow.com/story/news/2014/12/25/inscription-in-bible-links-vanderbilts-to-lillians-list/28325769007/
Whittle, Ashley McGhee. “Asheville Women in History: Catalysts For Change.” Special Collections at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. https://libjournals.unca.edu/specialcollections/asheville/asheville-women-in-history-catalysts-for-change/

Lillian Exum Clement Stafford was one of the first women in North Carolina to practice law, and the first woman in the South to be elected to a state legislature.
Research:
<ul>
<li>&ldquo;Letter from Elias Eller Stafford to Lillian Exum Clement, 1920.&rdquo; North Carolina Archives. https://fromthepage.com/ncdcr-ncarchives/women-s-history-v5/pc-2804-lillian-exum-papers-b2f25-corr-eller-1920</li>
<li>&ldquo;Lillian Exum Clement." NCpedia. Accessed on February 19th, 2025. https://www.ncpedia.org/anchor/lillian-exum-clement.</li>
<li>&ldquo;Public laws and resolutions passed by the General Assembly at its session of 1925.&rdquo; https://archive.org/details/publiclawsresolu1925nort/</li>
<li>&ldquo;Wouldn&rsquo;t Vote?&rdquo; Asheville Citizen-Times. 11/3/1920. https://www.newspapers.com/image/196317737/</li>
<li>Asheville Citizen. &ldquo;Society and Personals.&rdquo; 4/5/1917. https://www.newspapers.com/image/200917154/</li>
<li>Asheville Citizen. &ldquo;Speakers Heard at Suffrage Meeting.&rdquo; 3/17/1916. https://www.newspapers.com/image/78407560/</li>
<li>Asheville Citizen. &ldquo;The Legislative Race.&rdquo; 10/30/1920. https://www.newspapers.com/image/196310876/</li>
<li>Buncombe County Government. &ldquo;Lillian Exum Clement Stafford.&rdquo; Buncombe County Special Collectoins Flickr photoset. https://www.flickr.com/photos/buncombecounty/albums/72157641973318403/</li>
<li>Calder, Thomas. &ldquo;Asheville Archives: Lillian Exum Clement takes her seat in the House, 1921.&rdquo; MountainXPress. 3/7/2019. https://mountainx.com/news/asheville-archives-lillian-exum-clement-takes-her-seat-in-the-house-1921/</li>
<li>Chesky, Anne. &ldquo;WNC History: Lillian Exum Clement's road to Raleigh.&rdquo; Asheville Citizen Times. 8/3/2024. https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2024/08/03/wnc-history-lillian-exum-clements-road-to-raleigh/74615111007/</li>
<li>Cline, Ned. &ldquo;First Step.&rdquo; Our State. Apr 28, 2011. https://www.ourstate.com/lillian-exum-clement/</li>
<li>Cotten, Alice R. "Stafford, Lillian Exum Clement." NCpedia. Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press. Accessed on February 19th, 2025. https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/stafford-lillian.</li>
<li>Ellison, Jon. &ldquo;Remembering Buncombe&rsquo;s groundbreaking female legislator.&rdquo; Carolina Public Press. 2/4/2014. https://carolinapublicpress.org/17570/remembering-buncombes-groundbreaking-female-legislator/</li>
<li>Journal of the House of Representatives of the General Assembly of the State of North Carolina. Session 1921. https://archive.org/details/journalofhouseof1921nort</li>
<li>Kinston Free Press. &ldquo;Buncombe County Woman Withdraws from Campaign.&rdquo; 5/28/1920. https://www.newspapers.com/image/75778748/</li>
<li>Letter from Elias Eller Stafford to Lillian Exum Clement, January 12, 1921. https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/letter-from-elias-eller-stafford-to-lillian-exum-clement-january-12-1921/779584?item=779589</li>
<li>Letter from Lillian Exum Clement to Elias Eller Stafford, January 17, 1921. https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/letter-from-lillian-exum-clement-to-elias-eller-stafford-january-17-1921/772715</li>
<li>Matthews, Mrs. A. &ldquo;Mrs. Exum Clement Stafford.&rdquo; The Sunday Citizen. 6/14/2025. https://www.newspapers.com/image/200026423/</li>
<li>My Home N.C. &ldquo;Lillian Exum Clement, NC's first woman legislator | My Home, NC.&rdquo; N.C. PBS. Via YouTube. 4/18/2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgbroQAtM0Q</li>
<li>Neufield, Rob. &ldquo;Visiting Our Past: Personal look at Lillian Exum Clement, Asheville's pioneering lawmaker.&rdquo; Asheville Citizen Times. 2/21/2021. https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2021/02/21/visiting-our-past-look-pioneering-lawmaker-lillian-exum-clement/4515306001/</li>
<li>North Carolina Digital Collections. &ldquo;Clippings related to Lillian Exum Clement Stafford.&rdquo; 1916. https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/clippings-related-to-lillian-exum-clement-stafford/766860</li>
<li>North Carolina Digital Collections. &ldquo;Clippings related to Lillian Exum Clement Stafford.&rdquo; June 1920. https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/clippings-related-to-lillian-exum-clement-stafford/762410</li>
<li>North Carolina Digital Collections. &ldquo;Clippings related to Lillian Exum Clement Stafford.&rdquo; 1921. https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/clippings-related-to-lillian-exum-clement-stafford/764401</li>
<li>North Carolina Digital Collections. &ldquo;Letter from B. G. Crisp to Lillian Exum Clement, March 22, 1921&rdquo; https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/letter-from-b.-g.-crisp-to-lillian-exum-clement-march-22-1921/761040</li>
<li>North Carolina Digital Collectoins. Clippings related to Lillian Exum Clement Stafford's death. https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/clippings-related-to-lillian-exum-clement-staffords-death/766201?item=766218</li>
<li>Nothstine, Kellie Slappey. &ldquo;Lillian Exum Clement Stafford.&rdquo; North Carolina History Project. https://northcarolinahistory.org/encyclopedia/lillian-exum-clement-1894-1925/</li>
<li>Smith, Anne Chesky. &ldquo;You Have to Start a Thing: The South&rsquo;s First Female Legislator, Lillian Exum Clement.&rdquo; Swannanoa Valley Museum &amp; History Center. https://www.history.swannanoavalleymuseum.org/you-have-to-start-a-thing-the-souths-first-female-legislator-lillian-exum-clement/</li>
<li>Swannanoa Valley Museum and History Center. &ldquo;Lillian Exum Clement.&rdquo; https://www.history.swannanoavalleymuseum.org/lillian-exum-clement/</li>
<li>The Asheville Times. &ldquo;Chief Justice Clark Congratulates Woman.&rdquo; 6/7/1920. https://www.newspapers.com/image/942373558</li>
<li>The Asheville Times. &ldquo;Miss Clement Takes Oath Tomorrow.&rdquo; 2/16/1920. https://www.newspapers.com/image/61366064/</li>
<li>The Sunday Citizen. &ldquo;Brief Sketches of Four Leagues of N.C. Equal Suffrage Association.&rdquo; 4/21/1918. https://www.newspapers.com/image/200910113/</li>
<li>Vander-Weide, Jacob. &ldquo;Tombstone Tales: 1st female legislator in the South buried in Asheville.&rdquo; 828 News Now. 7/27/2024. https://828newsnow.com/news/228822-tombstone-tales-1st-female-legislator-in-the-south-buried-in-asheville/</li>
<li>Waggoner, Martha. &ldquo;Inscription in Bible links Vanderbilts to Lillian's List.&rdquo; Times-News. 12/25/2014. https://www.blueridgenow.com/story/news/2014/12/25/inscription-in-bible-links-vanderbilts-to-lillians-list/28325769007/</li>
<li>Whittle, Ashley McGhee. &ldquo;Asheville Women in History: Catalysts For Change.&rdquo; Special Collections at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. https://libjournals.unca.edu/specialcollections/asheville/asheville-women-in-history-catalysts-for-change/</li>
</ul>

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Stuff You Missed in History Class

Lillian Exum Clement Stafford was one of the first women in North Carolina to practice law, and the first woman in the South to be elected to a state legislature.

Exum Clement, Attorney at Law

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