QUEENSLINE
Famed psychologist, TV personality has Far Rockaway ties
ON THE WEB
VISIT US ONLINE AT QNS.COM
CHECK OUT OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES:
www.facebook.com/timesledger
www.twitter.com/TimesLedger
www.instagram.com/qnsgram
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | OCT. 30-NOV. 5, 2020 15
In conjunction with
the Greater Astoria
Historical Society,
TimesLedger Newspapers
presents noteworthy
events in the borough’s
history.
Born Joyce Diane Bauer
on Oct. 20, 1927, Joyce
Brothers was a psychologist,
television personality,
advice columnist and
writer. She is perhaps best
remembered for popularizing
and de-stigmatizing
her profession by providing
advice to guests and
callers to her radio and
television programs.
Brothers earned her
Ph.D. in psychology from
Columbia University in
1953, a time when women
were encouraged to become
housewives and not
pursue a profession.
Early in her career, the
Queens native was also
recognized as an authority
on the sport of boxing and
frequently appeared as a
commentator on sports
television shows.
Joyce Brothers was
raised in a Jewish family
in Far Rockaway. Both of
her parents were attorneys
who were in practice
together.
Brothers recalled that
her father treated her like
a son, so she did not experience
gender as a barrier
to academic and career
success as a child.
After graduating Far
Rockaway High School
in 1943, the future famed
psychologist graduated
Cornell University with
honors in 1947 and earned
her doctorate from Columbia
six years later. She became
a licensed psychologist
in 1958.
Brothers first appeared
on television in 1955. Her
husband’s salary as a
young hospital internist
wasn’t enough to for a family
with a 3-year-old daughter,
so the young housewife
became a contestant on
The 64,000 Question
game show. She answered
an increasingly difficult
series of questions about
boxing to claim the top
prize on the show. The
future celebrity then parlayed
her success on the
show to become co-host of
Sports Showcase with the
journalist Max Kase. She
was one of the first female
sports commentators in
the country.
The young psychologist,
however, wished to use her
platform to practice psychology.
Her first opportunity
was a TV program
where she read letters
seeking advice.
She followed this up
with over ninety appearances
on The Tonight
Show Starring Johnny
Carson, as well as other
programs including The
Dick Cavett Show, Good
Morning America, Entertainment
Tonight, CNN
and Late Night with Conan
O’Brien.
During a six-decade career
as a television personality,
the popular psychologist
also hosted a series
of her own programs such
as The Dr. Joyce Brothers
Show, Ask Dr. Brothers
and Living Easy with Dr.
Joyce Brothers. On occasion,
Dr. Brothers even
helped callers to her programs
who were contemplating
suicide.
Although Dr. Brothers
met with controversy
and criticism for engaging
in “pop psychology” and
counseling strangers who
were not her clinical patients,
throughout her career
she gave a voice to the
pain and alienation many
of her viewers felt.
After the death of her
husband in 1989, Brothers’
most widely read book,
Widow, described her journey
through loss, deep depression
and recovery. She
received thousands of letters
from grateful readers,
which she explained “made
my own pain not only bearable
but worthwhile.”
Dr. Joyce Brothers diedat
her home in Fort Lee,
N.J., in 2013 at age 85. She
was survived by her sister,
a daughter, four grandchildren
and two great-grandchildren.
For further info, call the
Greater Astoria Historical
Society at 718-278-0700 or
www.astorialic.org.
LETTERS POLICY
Letters should be typed or neatly handwritten, and those longer than 300
words may be edited for brevity and clarity. All letters must include the
writer’s name and phone number for verifi cation. Names may be withheld
from publication if requested, but anonymously sent letters will not be
printed. Letters must be received by Thursday noon to appear in the next
week’s paper. All letters become the property of Schneps Media and may
be republished in any format.
LAST WEEK’S TOP STORY:
Whitestone home spooks the neighborhood with creepy
Halloween decorations
SUMMARY: The Whitestone Halloween House opened up this
weekend, welcoming guests to get spooked by the seemingly endless
Halloween decorations placed around the home.
/QNS.COM
/TimesLedger
/qnsgram
/www.astorialic.org
/QNS.COM
/timesledger
/timesledger
/TimesLedger
/qnsgram
/www.astorialic.org
