Bernice Sandler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bernice Sandler
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Sandler in June 1944
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Bernice Resnick
March 3, 1928 New York City, U.S.
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| Died | January 5, 2019 (aged 90) Washington, D.C., U.S.
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| Education | Brooklyn College (BS) City College of New York (MS) University of Maryland (EdD) |
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| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Jerrold Sandler |
| Children | 2 |
Bernice Resnick Sandler (March 3, 1928 – January 5, 2019) was an American women's rights activist. She is famous for helping create Title IX. This important law is part of the Education Amendments of 1972. It helps stop unfair treatment based on gender in schools and sports.
Many people called her "the Godmother of Title IX." She worked with representatives Edith Green and Patsy Mink, and Senator Birch Bayh. Bernice Sandler received many awards for her work. She was added to the Maryland Women's Hall of Fame in 2010. In 2013, she joined the National Women's Hall of Fame.
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Bernice Sandler's Early Life
Bernice Resnick was born on March 3, 1928, in Brooklyn, New York City. Her parents were immigrants from Russia and Germany. They owned a clothing store. She was supposed to be named Beryl, but a mistake on her birth certificate made it Bernice. Her nickname, "Bunny," came from a Yiddish word related to Bernice.
After high school, Bernice went to Brooklyn College. She studied psychology and graduated in 1948. Brooklyn College was one of the first public colleges in the city to accept both boys and girls. It helped many students from working-class families get a good education.
She then went to City College of New York for her master's degree. This college had recently started letting women into its graduate programs. Bernice earned her master's degree in psychology in 1950. In 1952, she married Jerrold Sandler. They had two daughters, Deborah Jo and Emily Maud.
Bernice Sandler's Career and Activism
Bernice Sandler worked many different jobs. She was a research assistant, a teacher, and a secretary. When she tried to join a graduate program at Indiana University, she was turned down. This was because they had a limit on how many women they would accept. Later, she applied to the University of Maryland. She was first rejected because of her age. She eventually got in and earned her doctorate degree in 1969.
Fighting for Women's Rights
After getting her degree, Bernice applied for many teaching jobs. But she kept getting rejected. In one interview, she was told she "came on too strong for a woman." This made her very frustrated. So, she joined the Women's Equity Action League (WEAL). This group worked to improve women's status through legal actions.
Bernice also worked for the U.S. House of Representatives. She helped organize meetings about unfair treatment based on gender in schools. Later, she worked for the Department of Health. There, she continued to focus on gender discrimination in education.
The Godmother of Title IX
Bernice Sandler found an important government rule. It was an executive order that stopped federal contractors from treating people unfairly. In 1967, this rule was updated to include unfair treatment based on sex. This discovery gave Bernice a way to fight for change.
She worked with the Office of Federal Contract Compliance. She started filing lawsuits against colleges and universities across the country. She filed over 250 lawsuits! These lawsuits got a lot of attention. They showed how many schools were treating women unfairly.
At the same time, Representatives Edith Green and Patsy Mink were also trying to fix this problem. Bernice shared the information she had gathered with them. This helped them hold meetings and write new laws.
Senator Birch Bayh also strongly supported the new law. He worked hard to make sure it passed. In 1972, Title IX became a law. President Richard Nixon signed it. This law had a huge impact on colleges and sports. It made sure that schools could not treat students differently because of their gender. This meant more opportunities for girls and women in sports and education. Because of her important work, Bernice Sandler is known as "the Godmother of Title IX."
Bernice Sandler's Later Work
Even after Title IX passed, Bernice Sandler kept working for women's rights. In 1971, she helped start the Project on the Status and Education of Women (PSEW). This group focused on making education fair for everyone. She led the creation of a newsletter called On Campus with Women. It helped schools understand how to support women better.
Bernice also served on the National Advisory Council on Women's Educational Programs. She was appointed by Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. In 1982, she helped create the term "chilly climate." This describes an environment that makes women feel less confident or less likely to participate.
Throughout the 1990s, Bernice Sandler continued to be an expert on women's issues. She worked with groups like the Center for Women's Policy Studies. She also focused on how to make classrooms more welcoming for women.
Bernice Sandler's Legacy
Bernice Sandler's work on Title IX is shown in several documentaries. These include Rise of the Wahine (2014) and An Unexpected Win: Title IX and the Pinckney Pirates (2015). These films highlight how Title IX changed opportunities for women in sports.
By 2013, Bernice Sandler had received many honorary degrees. These awards recognized her amazing work for women's rights.
Awards and Honors
- Athena Award, Intercollegiate Association of Women Students, 1974
- Boyer Award, Women's Equity Action League, 1976
- National Leadership Award, Institute for Educational Leadership, 1979
- co-Winner Rockefeller Public Service Award, Princeton University, 1976
- Anna Roe Award, Harvard University, 1988
- Georgina Smith Award
- American Association of University Professors 1991
- Woman of Distinction Award, National Association for Women in Education 1991
- Woman of Achievement, Turner Broadcasting System, 1994
- Leadership Matters Award, Institute for Educational Leadership, 1997
- Foremothers Lifetime Achievement Award, National Center for Health Research, 2007
- American Psychological Association Presidential Citation, 2012
- National Women's Hall of Fame, Inductee, 2013
