Karen DeCrow | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Karen Lipschultz (1937-12-18)December 18, 1937 |
| Died | June 6, 2014(2014-06-06) (aged 76) Jamesville,New York, U.S. |
| Alma mater |
|
Karen DeCrow (néeLipschultz; December 18, 1937 – June 6, 2014) was an American attorney, author, activist and feminist. She served as the fourth national president of theNational Organization for Women (NOW) from 1974 to 1977. She was also a strong supporter of equal rights for men inchild custody decisions, arguing for a "rebuttable presumption" ofshared custody after divorce. She also asserted that men as well as women should be allowed thedecision not to become a parent.[1]
Karen Lipschultz was born inChicago, Illinois, to aJewish family, on December 18, 1937.[2][3] She was the oldest child of Samuel Meyer Lipschultz, a businessman, and Juliette Abt Lipschultz, a professional ballet dancer. She graduated fromSullivan High School in 1955 and received a bachelor's degree from theMedill School of Journalism atNorthwestern University in 1959.[2]
After graduating from college, she worked as a writer and editor for a number of magazines and publishing houses, including as a fashion editor atGolf Digest. She married Alexander Kolben in 1960 but they divorced five years later. She was remarried the same year, to Roger DeCrow, a computer scientist, and the couple moved toSyracuse, New York.[2]
DeCrow joined theNational Organization for Women (NOW) in 1967, after she and her female coworkers at a publishing house realized they were earning less than men.[2][4] She was a co-founder of the Syracuse chapter of NOW and became president in 1968. In 1969, she ran for mayor of the city of Syracuse, becoming the first female mayoral candidate in the history ofNew York.[5]
The same year, she andFaith Seidenberg entered the all-male establishmentMcSorley's Old Ale House and were refused service. They sued for discrimination. The case decision made the front page ofThe New York Times on June 26, 1970.[6] The suit,Seidenberg v. McSorleys' Old Ale House (S.D.N.Y. 1970) established that, as a public place, the ale house had violated theEqual Protection Clause of theUnited States Constitution.[7]
After entering law school, she earned her Juris Doctor fromSyracuse University College of Law in 1972, where she was the only woman in the class.[8][9]
In 1972, she was a part of theMs. magazine campaign: “We Have Had Abortions” which called for an end to "archaic laws" limiting reproductive freedom, and encouraged women to share their stories and take action.[10]
In 1981, DeCrow was one of the lawyers for formerNYPD detectiveFrank Serpico in his unsuccessful attempt to overturn achild support order on the grounds that the mother haddeceived him into the pregnancy by lying about taking thecontraceptive pill. DeCrow's decision to defend Serpico in this case attracted some criticism. She told the court “Autonomous women making independent decisions about their lives should not expect men to finance their choice.”[11]
DeCrow was elected president of NOW from 1974 to 1977, during which time she led campaigns to ensure that collegiate sports would be included under the scope ofTitle IX, pressuredNASA to recruit women as astronauts, oversaw the opening of a new NOW Action Center inWashington, D.C., and the establishment of NOW's National Task Force on Battered Women/Household Violence, and participated in a tour of over 80 public debates with antifeminist activistPhyllis Schlafly over theEqual Rights Amendment.[12]
In 1978, DeCrow became an associate of theWomen's Institute for Freedom of the Press.[13] DeCrow was honored by theAmerican Civil Liberties Union in 1985.[14]
In 2009, DeCrow was inducted into theNational Women's Hall of Fame.[8] She died ofmelanoma on June 6, 2014, inJamesville, New York.[4][15]
She was the author of several books, includingThe Young Woman’s Guide to Liberation (1971) andSexist Justice—How Legal Sexism Affects You (1975).[5] DeCrow described her ultimate goal as "a world in which the gender of a baby will have little to no relevance in future pursuits and pleasures—personal, political, economic, social and professional."[5] Toward that end, DeCrow was a supporter ofshared parenting (joint legal and shared physical custody) of children when parents divorce.[16][17] Her position on joint custody was criticized by some in the National Organization for Women: "I've become apersona non grata because I've always been in favor of joint custody," DeCrow said.[18]
| Non-profit organization positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | President of theNational Organization for Women 1974–1977 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
