Lehman, Edith A. (Edith Altschul), 1889-1976

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Edith Louise Altschul was born in San Francisco on August 8, 1889 to Charles and Camilla Altschul. Charles, a successful banker with Lazard Freres, moved the family to New York City in 1901. Edith attended Dr. Sach's Girls School and Miss Jacoby's School (now the Calhoun School) and took a nursing course after graduation. She met Herbert H. Lehman, a partner in the Lehman Brothers investment firm, at a picnic. They were married on April 28, 1910 and would have three children, Peter, John, and Hilda.

Edith considered her marriage her career and the most important aspect of her life, but she was also deeply involved in social welfare and philanthropy. She organized a social service committee to care for the family needs of hospitalized patients. This endeavor led to the creation of Mount Sinai Hospital's first professional social service department, and she remained closely associated with the hospital for many years thereafter.

Lehman was also involved with the Henry Street Settlement, which provided health care and other assistance to new immigrants and the poor living in the Lower East Side of New York City. In 1948 the Lehman's built Pete's House, a youth center at Henry Street Settlement dedicated to the memory of their son Peter, who was killed in World War II. Peter had volunteered as a youth leader at the Settlement.

In 1917, Edith Lehman became a charter member of the Play Schools Association, which promoted play as vital to the mental and physical health of children. The organization partnered with schools, hospitals, and other institutions to provide opportunities for creative play. Lehman would work with the organization for over fifty years, serving as president and as Chairman of the Board from 1966 until her death in 1976.

Edith Lehman was also involved in the Jewish communities of New York and a member of the American Jewish Committee and the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies, among other organizations. She was a supporter of Israel, and first visited the country in 1949 with her husband. The Edith Lehman High School in Dimona, Israel, was dedicated to her.

In 1961, the Lehman's built the Lehman Children's Zoo (now the Tisch Zoo) in New York City's Central Park in honor of their 50th wedding anniversary. Although the zoo was renovated in 1997, the bronze Lehman Gates still stand at the entrance.

After her husband's death in 1963, Edith Lehman established several major endowments and institutions in his honor, including contributions to Mount Sinai Hospital Medical School and the establishment of the Lehman Professorship in Pediatrics at that institution; the Lehman Educational Fund, which offers scholarships for African American college students; and the Lehman School of Ethics at the Jewish Theological Seminary. She also supported Williams College, Herbert Lehman's alma mater, and financed and endowed the Lehman Suite at Columbia University's School of International and Political Affairs.

In recognition for her dedication to social causes, Edith Lehman was awarded honorary doctor of humane letters degrees from Williams College and Mount Sinai School of Medicine, as well as a doctor of laws from Columbia University.

Edith Altschul Lehman died on March 8, 1976, in New York City.

From the description of Edith Altschul Lehman papers, 1856-1976 [ Bulk Dates: 1963-1976]. (Columbia University In the City of New York). WorldCat record id: 489374786

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Alexander Woollcott correspondence, ca. 1856-1943 (inclusive), 1920-1943 (bulk). Houghton Library
referencedIn Burlingham, Charles Culp, 1858-1959. Papers, 1876-1960 Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
creatorOf Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute. Director's Office Records of David Brooke, 1969-1994 (bulk 1980-1994) Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, The Clark
referencedIn Ferry, Elinor. Papers, 1944-1988 Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
referencedIn Sheldon Glueck papers Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
creatorOf Play Schools Association. Correspondence with Marian Anderson, 1965-1974. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
referencedIn Papers of Ida Pruitt, 1850s-1992 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
creatorOf Edith Altschul Lehman Papers, 1856-1976 [, Bulk Dates: 1963-1976]. Columbia University. Rare Book and Manuscript Library
referencedIn George S. Messersmith papers University of Delaware Library - Special Collections
referencedIn Ferry, Elinor. Papers, 1944-1988 Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
referencedIn Burlingham, Charles Culp, 1858-1959. Papers, 1876-1960 Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
referencedIn International Institute of Rural Reconstruction. Records, 1914-1999. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
creatorOf Cunningham, Charles Crehore, 1910-1979. Curatorial Office Records of Charles Cunningham, 1973-1977. Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, The Clark
referencedIn Kirstein, Louis Edward, 1867-1942. Business records, 1909-1942 Harvard Business School, Knowledge and Library Services/Baker Library
referencedIn Frank Altschul Papers, 1884-1986, [Bulk: 1925-1980]. Columbia University. Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Altschul, Frank, 1887-1981 person
associatedWith American Jewish Committee. corporateBody
associatedWith Burlingham, Charles Culp, 1858-1959 person
associatedWith Burlingham, Charles Culp, 1858-1959. person
associatedWith Cunningham, Charles Crehore, 1910-1979. person
associatedWith Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York. corporateBody
associatedWith Ferry, Elinor person
associatedWith Glueck, Sheldon, 1896- person
associatedWith Henry Street Settlement (New York, N.Y.) corporateBody
associatedWith Herbert H. Lehman Collections (Columbia University) corporateBody
associatedWith International Institute of Rural Reconstruction. corporateBody
associatedWith Kirstein, Louis Edward, 1867-1942. person
spouseOf Lehman, Herbert H. (Herbert Henry), 1878-1963 person
associatedWith Messersmith, George S., (George Strausser), 1883-1960 person
associatedWith Play Schools Association. corporateBody
associatedWith Play Schools Association. corporateBody
correspondedWith Pruitt, Ida person
associatedWith Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute. corporateBody
correspondedWith Woollcott, Alexander, 1887-1943 person
Place Name Admin Code Country
New York City NY US
Central Park (New York, N.Y.)
Central Park Children's Zoo (New York, N.Y.)
San Francisco CA US
Subject
Children's zoos
Governors' spouses
Humanitarianism
Jews
Jews
Social settlements
Women
Zoo
Occupation
Women philanthropists
Activity

Person

Birth 1889-08-08

Death 1976-03-08

Female

Americans

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