Ann Cooper Hewitt was daughter of engineer and inventor Peter Cooper Hewitt
Aged three, caught with hand down pants and was viewed as feebleminded
In 1934, Ann s mother Maryon had her sterilized without her knowledge
Did so to deprive Ann of millions of dollars from her father s estate, which contained a child-bearing stipulation
Long and tiring court case ensued and Ann sued her mother for $500 million
Trial is detailed in The Unfit Heiress: The Tragic Life and Scandalous Sterilization of Ann Cooper Hewitt, by Audrey Clare Farley