accompanied by male guests. Checks were also placed within equal distance of diners in order to not make any assumptions about who was going to pay for the meal. Diners, however, weren't the only people to experience this feminist set of ethics. Mother Courage made sure to pay each worker the same salary and had each position rotate amongst staff so that, "every woman [had] an appreciation of the problems of every other woman." On May 19, 1975, Mother Courage celebrated its third birthday by hosting a champagne buffet with a cake in the shape of the venus symbol. Over 100 guests were invited (many of whom are famous feminists), including Gloria Steinem, Audre Lorde, Kate Millett, and more. Even though Mother Courage was only open until 1977, it inspired many other feminist restaurants to open up around the country. Author Lucy Komisar once described Mother Courage as "more than a restaurant, this is part of a social movement." Later life and legacy Alexander's papers are held in the Sophia Smith Collection at Smith College and the Schlesinger Library at Harvard University. As her health declined, she stepped back from the movement spotlight, preferring to watch a new generation of activists "lead the change". On May 13, 2008, Alexander died in Palm Harbor, Florida. References External links Dolores Alexander oral history from the Voices of Feminism Oral History Project Papers of NOW officers, 1960–1973: A Finding Aid. Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University. Dolores Alexander papers at the Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College Special Collections Writers from Newark, New Jersey American lesbian writers American feminists American women journalists City College of New York alumni American women restaurateurs Anti-pornography feminists 1931 births 2008 deaths National Organization for Women people Lesbian feminists LGBT people from New Jersey Radical feminists Journalists from New York City New York Radical Feminists members 20th-century American women 20th-century American people 20th-century LGBT people 21st-century LGBT people 21st-century American women