Doris Day (1922- ) – Actress, Singer & Animal Rights Activist
Doris Day is an American actress, singer, and animal rights activist. Day began her career in 1939 as a big band singer. Her popularity began to rise after her first hit recording in 1945, “Sentimental Journey.” After leaving Les Brown & His Band of Renown to try a solo career, she started her long-lasting partnership with Columbia Records, which would remain her only recording label. The contract lasted from 1947 to 1967, and included more than 650 recordings, making Day one of the most popular and acclaimed singers of th 20TH century. In 1948, after being persuaded by her agent at the time, Al Levy, she auditioned for Michael Curtiz, which led to her being cast in the female lead role in Romance on the High Seas. Over the course of her career, Day appeared in 39 films. She received an Academy Award nomination for her performance in Pillow Talk, and, in 1989, received the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in motion pictures.
Day’s strong commitment to animal welfare began in 1971, when she co-founded “Actors and Others for Animals.” She started her own nonprofit organization in the late 1970s, the Doris Day Animal Foundation and, later, the Doris Day Animal League. Establishing the annual observance Spay Day USA in 1994, the Doris Day Animal League now partners with the Humane Society of the United States and continues to be a leading advocacy organization. A facility to help abused and neglected horses, called The Doris Day Horse Rescue and Adoption Center, opened in 2011 in Murchison, Texas, on the grounds of an animal sanctuary started by her late friend, author Cleveland Amory. Day contributed $250,000 toward the founding of the center.
We honor Doris Day because her work and dedication as an animal rights activist makes her a Legacy Champ. If you want to be a Legacy Champ in your own special way, then contact The Mendel Law Firm, L.P. for a free initial consultation on estate planning, trust planning, and/or probate issues.
- Thought of the Day - September 27, 2023
- Thought of the Day - September 20, 2023
- Thought of the Day - September 13, 2023
