[1] Seymour was born in Battle Creek, Michigan in 1940, the second oldest of four children.
Seymour and her family traveled extensively when she was young, visiting all but three states by car by the time she went to college.
[2] Seymour received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Smith College in 1962, graduating Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude, and her Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 1965.
[3] Seymour was nominated by President Jimmy Carter on August 28, 1979, to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, to a new seat created by 92 Stat.
She was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 31, 1979, and received her commission on November 2, 1979.