St. Olaf College

Brenda Berkman '73

Contemporary
United States
b. 1951
View objects by this artist.

Brenda Berkman was born in 1951 and graduated from St. Olaf College in 1973.  Following her graduation, she moved to New York City and practiced law with New York University.  In 1977, she alongside 89 other women applied to work for the New York Fire Department and failed the physical test, which prompted a successful class-action lawsuit against the city of New York aimed at creating more gender-equal hiring standards.  

In 1981, she joined the New York City Fire Department, where she worked as a captain for 25 years, retiring in 2006.  During this time she also received master’s degrees in American History and Fire Protection Management.  In 2008, she began making prints, lithography, and art.  She remains an outspoken advocate for gender equality.  

Sources

Berkman, Brenda. “Brenda Berkman Artworks.” Brenda Berkman Artworks, Weebly, https://www.brendaberkmanartworks.com/.
“Brenda Berkman.” NYU Alumni | Changemakers - Brenda Berkman, https://www.nyu.edu/alumni/changemakers/bios/bio-brenda-berkman.php.
“Brenda Berkman.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 16 Sept. 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brenda_Berkman.
“Brenda Berkman, First NYC Female Firefighter.” Yahoo!, Yahoo!, 17 Feb. 2012, https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/brenda-berkman-first-nyc-female-051733369.html.

George Arbanas, ‘20
January 2020