Lillian Schoedler, business executive and world traveller, was born in New York City on September 6, 1891, the oldest of Ulrich and Paula (Franko) Schoedler's five daughters. She attended public school and high school in New York and received her bachelor's degree in economics from Barnard College in 1911. She spent a year as editorial assistant at the Pictorial Review magazine in New York, then rose from first secretary to assistant manager of the Intercollegiate Bureau of Occupations (December 1912-April 1915). After recovering from a nervous breakdown, LS became private secretary to Mr. and Mrs. V. Everit Macy (July 1916-December 1917), leaving to work for six months as executive secretary of the Women's Division of the War Savings Stamn Campaign for Greater New York. After the war LS worked as private secretary to Mrs. Emmons Blaine of Chicago for three years (September 1918-December 1921). In November 1923 LS was appointed executive secretary to the Women's Division of the National Amateur Athletic Federation and remained there until August 1926, when she refused a position with Lou Henry (Mrs. Herbert) Hoover in order to travel. While abroad LS found employment as secretary to the Regional Director of the Far East Division of General Motors Export Division (1926-1928). After returning to the United States LS accepted a position as assistant to Edward A. Filene of Boston; she was responsible for overseeing his charitable work and literary activities, and acted as his hostess (1931-1937). LS was a delegate to the International Chamber of Commerce meeting in Berlin in 1937, and assistant director of the International Business Conference in 1944. She was assistant to Dr. James Shotwell at the United Nations Conference in San Francisco in 1945 as executive secretary of the Committee of Atomic Energy of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
In 1945 LS retired and devoted herself permanently to "vagabonding." Between 1922 and 1963 she travelled to every continent excent Antarctica, often settling down for months or years in a favorite place. She preferred to avoid cities and concentrated on native peoples and customs and exotic scenery. She died in a car accident at the age of 72 in August 1963 while touring the American West Coast.
From the guide to the Papers, 1890s-1963, (Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute)
