orig. Bella Savitzky
born July 24, 1920, New York, N.Y., U.S.
died March 31, 1998, New York City
U.S. lawyer and politician.
She studied law at Columbia University and subsequently took on numerous union, civil liberties, and civil rights cases, representing several people charged by Sen. Joseph McCarthy . She founded and chaired (196170) the antiwar Women Strike for Peace and later the National Women's Political Caucus. In the House of Representatives (197177), she was known for her flamboyant style, her opposition to the Vietnam War, and her outspoken support for the Equal Rights Amendment, abortion rights, and child-care legislation.