We apologize for missing until now the roaring debate over the possible career advantages of having only one child ignited by the book One and Only: The Freedom of Having an Only Child, and the Joy of Being One. The Atlantic headlined its excerpt from the book “The Secret to Being Both a Successful Writer and a Mother: Have Just One Kid.” Temporarily Impressed by the logic of Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winner Alice Walker's observation, “With one you can move, with more than one you’re a sitting duck,” we decided the one-child career advantage hypothesis was goofy enough to waste three or four minutes testing in the context of well-known successful mother-lawyers. (And yes, we acknowledge the unfairness of not subjecting fathers to the same hypothesis.) The results do not support the hypothesis:
- U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor (3)
- U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (2)
- Michigan Supreme Court Justice Mary Coleman (2)
- Michigan Supreme Court Justice Dorothy Comstock Riley (1)
- Michigan Supreme Court Justice Patricia Boyle (4)
- Michigan Supreme Court Justice Maura Corrigan (2)
- Michigan Supreme Court Justice Mary Beth Kelly (1)
- Michigan Supreme Court Justice Bridget McCormack (4)
- State Bar of Michigan President Julia Darlow (6)
- State Bar of Michigan President Victoria Roberts (2)
- State Bar of Michigan President Julie Fershtman (1)
Whatever.
Update: Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors (2)
