Doris Fleischman

Doris Elsa Fleischman Bernays (July 18, 1891 – July 10, 1980), was an American writer, public relations executive, and feminist activist. Fleischman was a member of the Lucy Stone League, a group which encouraged women to keep their names after marriage. She was the first married woman to be issued a United States passport in her maiden name, Doris Fleischman, in 1925.

Personal life

Doris Fleischman was born to a Jewish family in New York City, New York, on July 18, 1891, the daughter of attorney Samuel Fleischman and Harriet Rosenthal Fleischman. She was one of three children, and was the niece of Sigmund Freud through her marriage to Edward Bernays.

Education

Fleischman attended Hunter Normal School before graduating from Horace Mann School in 1909. She went on to study philosophy, psychology, and English at Barnard College and graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1913. While attending Barnard, Fleischman enjoyed painting and singing and earned varsity letters in a multitude of activities, including softball, basketball, and tennis. She also studied music and psychiatry and considered each as a career path. In 1917, Fleischman marched in the first Women's Peace Parade in New York City, New York. At this time, she also became an active advocate in the Women's Suffrage Movement.

Adult life

Fleischman stayed in contact with her childhood friend Edward Bernays throughout her college career. She was friends with his sister, Hella at Barnard, and he helped her get a job at the New York Tribune. In 1919, when Bernays opened a publicity firm, Fleischman was his first hire. They married at New York City Hall in 1922. Immediately after the wedding, she signed into the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel using her maiden name. This was considered extremely unusual and the story made headlines the next morning. She also traveled to Europe, and before doing so, had a passport issued to her under her maiden name. She was the first American woman to do so. Fleischman later became an active member in the Lucy Stone League, which empowered women and urged them to keep their maiden names after marriage.

Fleischman and Bernays became parents to their daughters Doris in 1929 and Anne in 1930. In 1962, Bernays and Fleischman left their home in New York City to move to Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Fleischman died of a stroke in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on July 10, 1980. Her obituary in the New York Times described her as an "enthusiastic feminist."