Reproductive Rights: Primary Sources

Johnny Fuchko, seven-years-old, holds anti-abortion sign, "Choose Life," at protest on 12th anniversary of U.S. Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade, in Atlanta, Georgia, January 22, 1985.

AJCP178-009b, Atlanta Journal-Constitution Photographic Archives. Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library.

Emory University's Manuscript, Archives and Rare Books Library (MARBL)
Of note are the papers of Georgia lawyer, Margie Pitts Hames, who represented Doe in the Supreme Court case, Doe v. Bolton.

Sallie Bingham Center for Women's History and Culture
at Duke University

Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America
at Harvard University's Radcliff Institute

Sophia Smith Collection
at Smith College

Want to suggest additional resources for this guide?  Have a purchase recommendation?  Want to help with the oral histories projects?  Need assistance with finding resources?  Contact us!

Morna Gerrard

Gender & Sexuality Collections Archivist

mgerrard@gsu.edu

Charlene Martoni

Outreach Librarian for the Social Sciences

cmartonimcelrath@gsu.edu 

To see if the GSU Library (or any other library!) holds materials created by a particular organization, search the library catalog (or any library catalog) using the organization's name (or acronym) as Author. For example:

• Planned Parenthood (will turn up information by state or local chapters as well)
• NARAL (or National Abortion Rights League)

• Archdiocese of Atlanta Pro-Life Newsletter Collection
  The collection includes newsletters (1977-1993) produced by state organizations (Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania ) as well as national organizations (including Americans United for Life, National Right to Life Committee, Stop Planned Parenthood, and Feminists for Life of America) and individuals.

• Nancy N. Boothe Papers
  The Nancy N. Boothe papers, 1980-2009 [bulk 1990-1997], are composed of articles, notes, reports and a wide variety of feminist publications. Much of the material documents the U.N. Fourth World Conference on Women, which Boothe attended as Executive Director of Atlanta's Feminist Women's Health Center. Artifacts, artwork and textiles relate to the conference and to other women's and health issues.

• Committee on Women, Population and the Environment Depo Diaries Records
  Formed in 2001, the Committee on Women, Population, and the Environment (CWPE), a multi-racial alliance of feminist community organizers, scholarly activists, and health practitioners, is committed to promoting the social and economic empowerment of women in a context of global peace and justice; and to eliminating poverty. As an organization, CWPE supports women's right to safe, voluntary birth control and abortion, while strongly opposing demographically driven population policies, challenging the belief that population growth is the primary cause of environmental degradation, conflict, and growing poverty, working to provide a broader analysis that reflects the complexity of these issues.

  The collection consists of correspondence, minutes, and printed materials pertaining to the activities of the Depo Diaries, CWPE's national sotorytelling project. Files include participant forms and questionnaires, promotional flyers, meeting minutes, and printed materials pertaining to reproductive justice and other CWPE activities.

• Georgians for Choice Records
  Formed in 1986, Georgians for Choice brought together 16 women's organizations in an effort to greater impact the protection and expansion of women's reproductive freedom in Georgia. Over time, Georgians for Choice grew to become to a 45 member coalition.Correspondence and printed material, as well as minutes and agendas, financial records, legal records, photographs, audio-visual records, and artifacts including textiles, 1974-2006 (bulk 1982-2006), document the legislative, organizational, advocacy, and educational work of Georgians for Choice to preserve reproductive choice in the state. Reference material documents legal issues, legislation, and various other organizations representing pro-choice and pro-life viewpoints. The Georgians for Choice records also contain materials relating to the administration, fundraising, and manangement of the coalition-based non-profit.
  
  Selected materials from the Georgians for Choice Records have been digitized for preservation and educational puropses. They can be found here.

• Beth Judy Girl Vigilantes Collection
  The Girl Vigilantes were an anonymous group of political activists (men and women) in Atlanta, Georgia, who used images and action to draw attention to reproductive rights and other social issues. They specialized in public statements, usually visual, that combined powerful imagery, wit, and surprise.The collections consists of GIrl Vigilante campaign materials, strategy notes, news clippings, correspondence, one videocassette, and one photograph.

• NARAL Pro-Choice Georgia Records
  NARAL Pro-Choice Georgia described itself as "the political arm of the pro-choice movement." Incorporated in 1980 as the Georgia Abortion Rights Action League (GARAL), it was the Georgia affiliate of the National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL), which had been established in 1969 as The National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws. The broad mission of the organization, ensuring reproductive choices for Georgia women, was to be achieved through both direct lobbying of the legislature and through affecting the electoral process. Specific goals of NARAL Pro-Choice Georgia included effective sex education, accessible birth control, pre- and post-natal care, and coverage of reproductive health issues in health care reform. It also worked toward providing public funding for abortions for those women who needed it, safe access to abortion providers, and continuing availability of abortion services in Georgia.

• Planned Parenthood of Alabama Records
  The Planned Parenthood of Alabama was established in the 1930s. It joined with other local affiliates in 2010 to become part of Planned Parenthood Southeast.
   
• Planned Parenthood of East Central Georgia Records
  The Augusta Area Planned Parenthood was established as an educational affiliate in 1968. In 1972, with the permission of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the organization changed from an educational to a medical affiliate, and it expanded its service area from one county to 14 counties, with clinics operating in Augusta and Savannah. In 1997, Planned Parenthood of East Central Georgia joined with Planned Parenthood of Atlanta to become Planned Parenthood Georgia.

• Planned Parenthood Southeast Records
  The Atlanta, Georgia affiliate of Planned Parenthood was founded in 1964 by Mrs. Herbert (Esther) Taylor. Mrs. Taylor brought together representatives of churches, professionals and businesses to organize what was then called the Planned Parenthood Association of the Atlanta Area, Inc., (PPAA) and later (in the 1980's) simply referred to as Planned Parenthood of Atlanta. At the time of PPAA's founding, Fulton County had one of the highest rates of infant mortality in the nation: statistics showed 50,000 women in greater Atlanta between the ages of 15 and 45 needed family planning services but could not afford a private physician. In 1966, the first Planned Parenthood clinic opened at the Bethlehem Community Center, and by 1974 Planned Parenthood of Atlanta was operating nine clinics throughout the Atlanta area, serving 7, 000 patients a year.

  In 1997, clinic outreach was further expanded when Planned Parenthood of East-Central Georgia joined with Planned Parenthood of the Atlanta Area to become Planned Parenthood of Georgia. In 2010, Planned Parenthood Georgia combined with the Alabama and Mississippi affiliates, and together they became Planned Parenthood Southeast.

  Selected materials from the Planned Parenthood Records have been digitized for preservation and educational purposes. They can be found here.

• Judy Tabb Papers

• Elaine Alexander
  As well as serving as Executive Director of Leadership Atlanta from 1978-1992,Alexander is a life board member of the American Jewish Committee and Southeast Region’s Anti-Defamation League, and she was a founding member of the Black/Jewish Coalition. She was a member of the Executive Committee of the Georgia Commission on the Status of Women from 1976-1979, and served on the board of the Atlanta Women’s Foundation from 1997-2004. She was also the founding president of Vote Choice / A Georgia PAC, and has long been an avid and vocal supporter of Planned Parenthood.

• Nancy N. Boothe
  As the Executive Director of the Atlanta Feminist Women's Health Center, Nancy N. Boothe has presented internationally promoting positive women's health policy. She has commented that the "degree of violence perpetuated against women worldwide is limited only by that which their government refuses to tolerate and when the community says "no more."

• Jennifer Carroll
  Hair stylist Jennifer Carroll was diagnosed with HIV in 1990. Since the late 1990s, she has educated her salon’s clients about the illness, and has worked alongside educators in Troup and Rockdale counties to talk to young people about STDs and the importance of abstinence

• Stephanie Davis
  Stephanie Davis is the executive director of Georgia Women For a Change. She served as the first Policy Advisor on Women's Issues to Mayor Shirley Franklin and in that role, coordinated the "Dear John" campaign to end the prostitution of children in Atlanta. As the first director of the Atlanta Women's Foundation, where she served for 11 years, Davis was responsible for raising several million dollars, establishing an endowment and positioning the Foundation to be the fastest growing women's fund in the country.

• Leola Reis
  Leola Reis

• Roger Rochat
  Dr Roger Rochat completed his residency at Charity Hospital in New Orleans. He joined CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service and was assigned to the Family Planning Evaluation Activity and the Georgia Health Department. One of his first tasks was to determine whether the new Georgia state law legalizing abortion would reduce maternal mortality. Because of restrictive access to services, it would not. A lawyer cited this social inequity in Doe v. Bolton, the Supreme Court case from Georgia that was decided concurrently with Roe v. Wade. In 1981, Dr. Rochat became the first Director of the Division of Reproductive Health for the CDC. In 1985, he developed the Global Health Track in Community Health at Emory, then worked 2 years for USAID in India, and then spent six years developing Maternal and Child Health epidemiology in the Georgia Health Department. After 30 years with CDC, working in 30+ countries and with many State Health Departments, he retired from CDC in 1999, went with his brother briefly to Antarctica, and then joined the Rollins School of Public Health where he has appointments in Departments of Global Health and Epidemiology and in Emory Medical school’s Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics. He serves as Director of Graduate Studies, Hubert Department of Global Health and co-teaches four public health courses related to reproductive health, including The GEMMA Seminar: The Global Elimination of Maternal Mortality from Abortion.  Roger and Susan Rochat have endowed the GEMMA fund to support Emory MPH students conducting international research aimed at eliminating maternal deaths from abortion.

• Judith Rooks
  While living in Atlanta in the early 1970s, Judith Rooks became head of a Georgia Citizens for Hospital abortions, an organization which fought to get the Georgia abortion laws changed. In addition to her activism, Rooks also worked for the CDC (Center for Disease Control) as an epidemiologist in the Family Planning Evaluation Division where she uncovered revealing statistics regarding the disparity between black and white women who were allowed to have “legal abortions” prior to the change in the state laws. This research was used in the Doe v Bolton case which challenged Georgia’s abortion laws.  She has continued to work as an epidemiologist for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and as the Principal Investigator for the National Birth Center Study at Columbia University. Rooks authored numerous publications about family planning, and women’s health, as well as being an expert in the field of midwifery.

• David Ross
  Attorney David Ross served on the board of directors of Planned Parenthood of Atlanta from 1987-1990, was board chair from 1991-1992, and went on to serve the Planned Parenthood Federation of America from 1993-1994. Ross played a significant role in establishing a corps of local attorneys representing young women who were seeking judicial bypass after the passage of Georgia's parental notification law.

• Kay Scott
  A trained Nurse Practitioner in the field of women's healthcare, Kay Scott was the CEO of Planned Parenthood Southeast since 1980. She has led the organization through two successful mergers, one with Planned Parenthood of East Central Georgia and another with Planned Parenthood Alabama. Kay has been recognized by her peers in Planned Parenthood with the Ruth Green Award (CEO of the year), by the Atlanta Women’s Foundation, the YWCA and the GA Commission on the Status of Women. She received the PPSE Living Legend Award in 2012 for 32 years of service with Planned Parenthood in Georgia.

• Judith Taylor
  As State Public Affairs Chair for the National Council of Jewish Women, Taylor lobbied in the state legislature on issues relating to women, children, and the elderly, including the ERA, changing rape laws, and juvenile justice. She campaigned for the first female Atlanta City Council members and helped to found Vote Choice, a Georgia PAC. She was also a founding mother of the Atlanta Women’s Foundation. the first woman to serve as Vice President of the Planning and Allocation Division of the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta, and the second woman Vice President of its Community and Government Relations Division. Judith is an alumni, as well as alumni chair, trustee and treasurer of Leadership Atlanta, and a lifetime member of the Board of the Southeast Region of the Anti-defamation League.

• Elaine Taylor-Klaus
  A writer, coach and public speaker, Elaine Taylor-Klaus, CPCC, PCC is the co-founder of ImpactADHD.com, a global company dedicated to providing critical skills and support for parents striving to successfully raise children with ADHD. A community entrepreneur and advocate committed to reproductive, women’s, maternal & infant, nutritional, and neurological health, Elaine served on the Executive Committee of Georgia’s Governor’s Council on Maternal and Infant Health under two Governors, and was actively involved with Georgian’s for Choice, NARAL Pro-Choice Georgia, and Planned Paernthood. She is the author of "Live Like You're Doing it on Purpose: 3 Secrets to a Happy Life," a regular columnist for the medical content website, ShareWIK.com, and a contributing author to many publications including Living Without and Attention magazines.

• Sarah Weddington
  After receiving her J.D. degree from the University of Texas, School of Law in 1967, Weddington began a career in law and politics, with a strong interest in women's rights. In 1973, shortly after completing law school, Weddington worked pro bono to represent a group of women who had established an abortion referral program at the University of Texas. Through this association, she successfully argued the landmark case Roe v Wade, and in doing so, became the youngest person to win a case before the Supreme Court. Also in 1973, Weddington began her political career by becoming the first woman elected to the Texas House of Representatives. She continued to serve in this position for three terms. From 1978 until 1981, Weddington served as Assistant to President Jimmy Carter and directed the Administration's work on women's issues and leadership outreach. In 1977, she became the first woman to hold the position of General Counsel of the US Department of Agriculture, and was the first female Director of the Texas Office of State-Federal Relations from 1983 until 1985.

The Women's Printed Collections: Pamphlets includes materials about reproductive justice, and are organized by Liibrary of Congress Subject Headings. Relevant files include:

Abortion
Abortion--Law and legislation
Abortion--Religious aspects
Abortion--United States military
Asian Communities for Reproductive Justice
Committee on Women, Population and the Environment
Condom use--United States
Emergency contraceptives--United States
Equal rights amendments--Abortion
Family planning--Methods--Handbooks
Feminist Women's Health Center
Georgia Right to Life
Gynecologcal examination
HIV infections-- Prevention and control
Human reproductive technology--Social aspects
Motherhood
National Abortion Federation (U.S.)
Parenting--United States--Handbooks, manuals, etc.
Pharmacists--Attitudes--Statistics
Planned Parenthood of Georgia, Inc.
Pro-life movement
Reproductive health
Reproductive rights
Sex education--Legislative and jurisprudence--United States
Sex education--methods--United States
Sexually transmitted diseases
Women--Health and hygene

Image Credit: Planned Parenthood interview at the pedriatics department, Grady Hospital, Atlanta, Georgia, July 29, 1969. AJCP551-71c, Atlanta Journal-Constitution Photographic Archives. Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library.