Dorah Sterne

Dorah Sterne (1896 – April 9, 1994), born Dorah Heyman, was an American clubwoman and philanthropist.

Early life
Dorah Heyman was born in Atlanta, Georgia, the daughter of Arthur Heyman and Minna Simon Heyman. Both of her parents were born in the American South. Her father was a lawyer. She graduated from Smith College in 1919.

Career
In Birmingham, Alabama after she married, Sterne was involved with the League of Women Voters, and the Birmingham Little Theater. She served as commissioner of the Birmingham Girl Scout Council, president of the Birmingham branch of the American Association of University Women, and president of the Birmingham chapter of the National Council of Jewish Women. During World War II, the Sternes sponsored families of German Jewish refugees, and helped them settle in Alabama. The Sternes' philanthropic interests extended to libraries, museums, hospitals, mental health, and civil rights in Birmingham. Dorah Sterne took particular interest in prison reform, serving on the 1948 Prison Investigating Committee, and arranging for radios for women prisoners.

Sterne gave an oral history interview to the Birmingham Public Library in 1985. That same year, she was presented with the Smith College Medal, as a distinguished alumna.

Personal life
In 1922, Dorah Heyman married banker Mervyn Hayden Sterne (1892–1973). They had one daughter, also named Dorah, called Dody (1933–1998). Dorah Sterne died in 1994, aged 98 years. The Sterne Family Papers are at the University of Alabama Birmingham Archives.