Carol Greitzer facts for kids

Carol Greitzer was born on January 3, 1925. She is an American politician who worked in the New York City Council from 1969 to 1991. She was also the first president of NARAL ... America, an organization that supports women's rights.

Early Life and Education

Carol Greitzer was born in Manhattan, a part of New York City. She grew up in the north Bronx. She says her father, Harry Hutter, helped her love New York City. He enjoyed learning about the city's history and often took her sightseeing.

Carol went to Hunter College. After that, she earned a master's degree in English Literature from NYU.

Later, Carol moved to Greenwich Village in New York with her first husband, Herman Greitzer. They later divorced. In November 1990, she married Joshua S. Vogel, who was a lawyer. She still lives in Greenwich Village today.

Making a Difference in Politics

Carol Greitzer believes that moving to Greenwich Village helped her get involved in politics. She joined the Greenwich Village Association. After helping with a campaign for Adlai Stevenson II, she became a member of the Village Independent Democrats in 1956.

In 1960, she ran for president of the Village Independent Democrats. She won against Ed Koch. In 1961, Greitzer decided to run to be a local community leader.

Saving Important Places

Carol Greitzer became very involved in saving historical buildings and organizing communities. One of her first big successes was saving the Jefferson Market Courthouse. She worked with Philip Wittenberg and Margot Gayle. They organized local leaders and children to campaign for the courthouse. They wanted it to become a library.

Their efforts worked! The building was saved from being torn down. It is now the Jefferson Market Library and is still used today.

Greitzer also helped remove cars and buses from Washington Square Park. In 1963, she worked with Shirley Hayes and Ed Koch. They argued that removing traffic would create a better outdoor space for kids. It would also reduce air pollution. Their plan was successful. Carol Greitzer and Ed Koch even pushed the last bus out of Washington Square Park together.

Working in the City Council

When Ed Koch left his job in the New York City Council in 1969, Carol Greitzer decided to run for his open seat. She won the election. She became a New York City Councilwoman, representing Greenwich Village and other areas downtown.

Carol Greitzer served as a Councilwoman for 22 years. She started in 1969 and finished in 1991. She lost her Council seat to Charles Millard that year.

Fighting for Women's Rights

Carol Greitzer's work for important causes continued while she was on the City Council. She became more and more involved in issues that supported women's equality.

Leading NARAL

On September 27, 1969, NARAL's board of directors chose Carol Greitzer as their president. As president, she worked with other women's rights activists. These included Shirley Chisholm, Lana Clark Phelan, Lee Gidding, and Lucinda Cisler.

In 1972, Greitzer went to the 1972 Democratic National Convention. She was there to represent George McGovern. At the convention, Greitzer worked with other women to argue that women's rights should be a very important topic for the Democratic party.

Helping Women with Money

Besides her work as an activist, Carol Greitzer helped start the New York First Women's Bank. In 1973, she worked with Evelyn Lehman, Jane Trahey, Eileen Preiss, Sarah Kovner, Carol Opton, Betty Friedan, Sheldon Goldstein, and Philip Sills. They worked together to create the bank and get money for it.

This bank inspired groups in other cities to open their own women's banks. These banks offered financial advice, workshops, and jobs for women.

In 1989, the First Women's Bank changed its name to the First New York Bank for Business. They said that over time, there was less need for banks specifically for women.

See also

• J. Raymond Jones