Cline became the first woman appointed by the U.S. Treasury as appraiser of merchandise at the port of Cleveland, under President Warren Harding.
In early 1922, Genevieve R. Cline was appointed by President Warren G. Harding to serve as appraiser of merchandise at the port of Cleveland, Ohio. This appointment made her the first woman in United States history to hold such a position at a major port, a role within the U.S. Department of the Treasury responsible for assessing the value and classification of imported goods for customs duty purposes.
Prior to this appointment, Cline had spent over a decade working within the Cleveland Custom House, building expertise in customs valuation and trade regulations. Her elevation to appraiser represented a significant breakthrough in a field almost entirely dominated by men, and it demonstrated the federal government's willingness—however rare—to recognize the qualifications of a highly competent woman professional.
The role of merchandise appraiser was technically demanding and carried substantial responsibility, as appraisers determined the dutiable value of imported merchandise, directly affecting government revenue and international trade relationships. Cline's success in this position helped establish her reputation for meticulous, fair, and expert judgment, qualities that would later be cited when she was considered for a federal judgeship.
Her appointment as appraiser is widely regarded as a foundational milestone that paved the way for her historic nomination to the U.S. Customs Court just six years later, making her not only a pioneer in customs administration but also an important precursor to her more famous achievement as the first woman federal judge.