Dorothy Jacobs Bellanca

Bellanca was born in Zemel, Russian Empire, as the youngest of four daughters of Harry Jacobs, a tailor, and Bernice Edith Levinson.

[2] In 1914, Bellanca led her union to the more progressive Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America (ACWA) promoting class solidarity and the organization of women.

She attended the founding convention of the ACWA with four other women; became secretary of the Joint Board; and established the Education Department on October 21, 1915.

In that role, she regularly contributed to the ACWA’s paper, Advance, and promoted a culture that involved the union's members and their families.

[2] Jacobs strove to embed a feminist perspective into trade unionism and was dedicated to helping improve conditions for working-class women.

A supporter of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, she helped to organize New York State's branch of the American Labor Party.