Florence Allen Inch, M.D. (1875-1954) was an accomplished scholar, physician, community leader, and social reformer who was the first woman to run for public office in Kalamazoo, Michigan, a year before the passage of the 19th Amendment. As a typical woman of her day, she gave up her professional career for the traditional role of wife and mother, but she never abandoned her principles or intellectual and creative pursuits. Aware of the value of the experiences of "ordinary people" for future generations, she wrote a memoir of her childhood in Rochester, New York, which provides a fascinating look at late 19th century middle class life.

Patris is a moving memoir by Florence Ellinwood Allen, the first female judge to sit on any United States federal court. In it, she recounts her childhood in a small Ohio town, her education, and her pioneering work in the legal field. This inspirational book is a testament to Allen's determination and the power of perseverance. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.