THE VFA PIONEER HISTORIES PROJECT

Betty Goldman Schlein

April 1, 1931 – June 29, 2018

“I had plenty of talent, and it was political – the gift of organizing. I think I was born with a latent political gene in my DNA, but it took the women’s movement to wake that dormant drive.”

Political activist. Worked to empower women and provide them with lobbying and organization skills. Head of political action committee of Long Island NOW, late 1960s. Elected president of the chapter in 1973. Volunteered in the 1968 congressional elections. Led a group to Washington, D.C. to lobby for ERA. Helped create movements for women’s equality and against domestic violence, 1970s. Helped start and build Long Island Community Foundation and Women’s Fund of Long Island. Worked to restore Eleanor Roosevelt’s home at Val-Kill, founding member of the Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy. Elected as delegate to Democratic National Convention, 1972. Vice chairwoman, New York State Democratic Committee, 1972. Worked to make sure women had equal representation, Democratic National Conventions, 1976 and 1980. Mentored rising female politicians. Graduated, Cornell University, 1952. Master’s degree, early childhood education, Columbia University’s Teachers College. 

Photo. Betty Schlein and Gloria Steinem campaigning in Massapequa in 1975 for passage of the ERA in New York State.