Marjorie H. Stern

Research by: Kelly Franzese

Edited by: Samantha Yip

"I love to be in a movement that is fighting for something"

-Marjorie Stern (1996)

Marjorie Hefter Stern was a leader in the teacher's unionization movement in California in the late twentieth century. She advocated for women's, teacher's, and senior citizen's rights, along with women's labor unions.

Stern, Mira. Gifted to me.

Early Life

Marjorie Stern was born on September 2, 1918 to Jewish immigrants. Her mother was from France and her father was from Romania. Her mother died shortly after Marjorie's birth, due to the influenza epidemic of 1919. She lived most of her life in a lower-middle class neighborhood in Chicago. She was given the opportunity to explore different religions growing up, and eventually settled on the Jewish Temple her mother and father founded. Marjorie was a very opinionated and strong minded little girl growing up.

Stern, Mira. Gifted to me.

Mid-Life

Charles Stern was studying social work at Chicago University. They met at a meeting for the American Student Union, where Marjorie was secretary. They fell in love and married in December 1939.

In July 1947, Marjorie and Charles moved west to San Francisco. When Marjorie was about 35 years old, she began her college education at San Francisco State University as a social science major. She graduated at the top of her class and began teaching.

https://www.thefire.org/schools/san-francisco-state-university/

Advocacy Work

Marjorie dedicated her life to helping people. She was involved in the woman's rights movement and teacher's union. She created women's committees within teacher unions and labor unions. After she retired from teaching, she moved north to Washington state. There, she advocated for retired union members and the elderly.

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/sfgate/name/marjorie-stern-obituary?id=18472287

Later Years

Marjorie retired in 1981
She joined the Federation of Retired Union Members
She also became a member of an advisory counsel to the Commission on Aging
She became a board member of Senior Action Network

Although Marjorie had retired, she continued to help people and advocate for them. She dedicated her life to helping people and bringing people together.

"History doesn't only happen to men, history is made at home, in the community, in the factories, offices, and fields of America."

- Marjorie Stern (1998)

Marjorie and Her father

https://photos.geni.com/p9/5173/9683/53444837db835eb3/aunt_marjorie_and_gramps_original.jpg

Marjorie and Her Granddaughter Mira

Stern, Mira. Gifted to me.

Bibliography

“Donors.” San Francisco State University. Accessed Jan 24, 2022. https://sfsu.academicworks.com/donors/marjorie-stern.

“1970s: The Politics of Diversity.” CFT A Union of Educators and Classified Professionals. California Federation of Teachers. Accessed Jan 24, 2022. https://www.cft.org/post/1970s-politics-diversity.

Stern, Marjorie. “How to Celebrate National Women’s History Month.” Women’s History Month, American Federation of Teachers, Washington DC. Human Rights and Community Relations Dept., 1998. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED432484.pdf.

Stern, Marjorie. Interview by Paula O’Conner. Washington, D.C. at AFT Headquarters, April 30, 1996.

Images:

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/sfgate/name/marjorie-stern-obituary?id=18472287

https://www.thefire.org/schools/san-francisco-state-university/

https://photos.geni.com/p9/5173/9683/53444837db835eb3/aunt_marjorie_and_gramps_original.jpg

Mira Stern

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