On This Day in Jewish History: November 12, 1900
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#onthisday, 1900, Caroline Klein Simon is born in NYC. Simon would grow up to become a pioneer for women in law and public office while also spending significant efforts in Jewish philanthropy.
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Shortly after graduating from NYU Law School, Simon found difficulty getting hired at any law firm in NY, so she began to volunteer as a law clerk for Greenbaum, Wolff, and Ernst.
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At the same time, she found a home in different women’s organizations like the Women’s City Club, League of Women Voters, and Women’s Division of the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies.
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Leading the charge to place women on the jury bench, Simon would finally win the cause in 1937.
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Simon’s first state government job came during WW2 as a member of the State War Council’s Committee on Discrimination in Employment.
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She would stay on after 1945 for over 10 years in the State Commission Against Discrimination writing key laws against racial discrimination.
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In 1957, Simon became the first woman to be nominated for a citywide office and in 1959 Gov. Nelson Rockefeller nominated her as Secretary of State of NY, holding it until 1963. Afterwards, she spent time as a leader in the National Council on Crime and Delinquency.
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Simon didn’t consider herself a feminist, but also would say that for a woman to succeed in her times, she “must look like a girl, act like a lady, think like a man, and work like a dog”.
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For more, see our source: @jewishwomensarchive online
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