reid," but sally reid's case, sally was an everyday woman.ade her living by taking care of elderly or disabled people she had a young son, and she and her husband separated and then divorced. the boy became severely depressed. and one day took out one of his father's many guns and committed suicide. so sally wanted to be appointed administrator of his estate, and she applied. not for any economic reasons. there was very little there. the father, perhaps out of spite, applied a few weeks later, and a probate court judge said, "sally reid, the law controls what i must do in your case." it reads,"as between persons equally entitled to administer a decedent's estate, males must be preferred to females." and then, someone on the a.c.l.u. board spotted it when-- spotted the idaho supreme court's turn-down, and said, "this is the case that will turn the supreme court in a new direction." and it did. >> rose: when people say that you are to the woman's movement that thurgood marshall was to the civil right's movement? >> i feel very uncomfortable wit

sally reid was the first one, woman from boise, idaho. made her living by caring for disabled people in her home. had a young son, was given custody of the boy when the boy was, quote, of tender years. boy reached his teens, the father applied more custody saying now this boy needs to be prepared for a man's world. sally fought the father's becoming custodian, and she was unsuccessful. she was sadly right. the boy one day was, when he was in a severe depression and he took out one of his father's guns and committed suicide. so sally wanted to be appoint add morer of his i -- administrator of his estate. probate court judge said i'm sorry, but this is what the idaho law says: as between persons equally entitled to administer a decedent's estate, males must be preferred to females. the great thing about sally reid's case is that she took it on her own dime through three levels of the idaho courts. i didn't get involved until there was an appeal to the supreme court. but this was an everyday woman who had such faith in our legal system, fait