Surname Index
Updated: 20 Mar 2009

Daily Oklahoman, The 
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 
June 21, 1967

McInnis, Jo Ann (Huene)

Seven years after she graduated at the head of her class, she made history as the first woman ever to be elected to a district judge post in Oklahoma City. After serving a special two year term she was defeated in a bid for re-election and returned to private practice.

Monday, she was shot to death in her downtown Oklahoma City law office at 23 Park Ave. Police theorize she was killed by her second husband, William A. Hennessy, whose body was discovered in the same office. Mrs. McInnis and Hennessy were married for a little more than nine months in 1966. They were married Jan 14, 1966, and in October Hennessy filed a divorce petition against her.

Mrs. McInnis, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Leo L. Huene, was born in Marland where she received her early education. She graduated with honors from Ponca City High School in 1944, then attended Oklahoma City University transferring to the University of Oklahoma where she earned her AB degree in 1949.

Two years later she married Neill P. McInnis. The couple had one child, Marilyn Karen "Minmi" McInnis, who was nine earlier this month. She was divorced from McInnis in 1961.

Daily Oklahoman, The
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
June 21, 1967, page 3

BURIAL  IOOF Cemetery, Ponca City
Survivors - daughter, Marilyn "Mimi", mother, Mrs. Hazel V. Huene, a sister, Mrs. L. B. Daniels, Marland and a brother, Bert E. Huene, Newkirk.

Services at First Unitarian Church, NW 13 and Dewey, Smith and Kernke Funeral Home

Daily Oklahoman, The
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
July 2, 1966 page 31

Disbarment action against the husband of Oklahoma's only woman district judge was asked Friday by the Oklahoma Bar Association. The bar filed the action in the Oklahoma Supreme Court against William A. Hennessy, husband of District Judge JoAnn Hennessy. The Oklahoma City attorney is charged with having been convicted of a felony in California. The charge was driving under the influence of alcohol and doing bodily harm to another. [note later article indicate these charges were dismissed

Works Cited

"Article Title Line -- The Article Has No Title." Daily Oklahoman, The (Archives        28 Sept. 2007: Setion/Page Nos.

Hall, Russell D. A History of Judges of Oklahoma and Canadian Counties. vol. 1. 2005th ed. OKC, OK: ACE Bookbinding Co. , 04 Oct. 2007.

Sources:  good faith fair use of sources stated above

Compiled, transcribed and submitted by Marti Graham, Oklahoma County, OKGenWeb Coordinator, February 2009. Information posted for educational purposes for viewers and researchers. The contributor is not related to nor researching any of the above.

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