WASHINGTON - September 22 - I am writing with the sad news that Molly Yard, an indefatigable advocate for women’s rights, passed away last night in her sleep in Pittsburgh at the age of 93. Molly had suffered a major stroke in 1991, but kept working until the late 1990s at the Feminist Majority. Throughout her long life, Molly worked for women’s rights, civil rights, workers’ rights, and social justice.

Molly served as the political director and a leader of the campaign to pass the Equal Rights Amendment for the National Organization for Women in the late 1970s and 1980s, and was the president of NOW from 1987 until 1992. Yard led the March for Women’s Lives to keep abortion and birth control safe and legal in 1989. She was also active in Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) and the Democratic Party, leading George McGovern’s presidential campaign in Pennsylvania in 1972. One of her first jobs out of college was special assistant to Eleanor Roosevelt.

She was a brilliant strategist and a tireless organizer for campaigns for social justice who could always rally the troops. She was a leader in winning equal representation for women within the Democratic Party on all levels. She worked for countless women’s candidacies and made sure that NOW and the Feminist Majority kept equal representation for women and the winning of elected office for women high on the agenda of the women’s movement.

Her energy, commitment, and dedication were unmatched, and she would never get discouraged. She saw the women’s rights struggle as a process, and she was there for the long haul. She instilled her spirit for the fight for women’s rights in three generations of women.

Among Molly’s many contributions to the women’s movement was helping to popularize the gender gap in voting and public opinion. She helped convince her brother-in-law, Lou Harris, the dean of pollsters in the early 1980s, to separate out his polls by gender, which at the time was not the norm. Harris’ polls on Reagan broken out by gender made it clear that the gender gap was real and has had a lasting impact on politics.

Molly recognized the importance of Title IX, the landmark 1972 legislation prohibiting sex discrimination in federally funded educational programs. As NOW’s political director from 1985 to 1987, and then as president of NOW, she helped lead the victorious fight to restore Title IX after the devastating 1984 Supreme Court decision in the Grove City case. Molly was so dedicated to equal educational and sports opportunities for women and girls, that even after her stroke and her presidency of NOW, she led the Feminist Majority’s Task Force on Title IX to ensure it would never be gutted again. Time after time in the 1990s, she helped beat back attempts to weaken Title IX.

Molly worked for women’s rights long after she suffered her stroke. She organized one of the largest delegations for the Feminist Expo in 1996, and gave her last major speech at Feminist Expo 2000, inspiring seasoned feminist activists and young feminist leaders alike.

Molly was nothing if not a dedicated fundraiser for the causes to which she dedicated her life. I remember speaking at an event during the Equal Rights Amendment campaign, asking attendees to consider making a contribution to defray the costs of the campaign. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Molly barreling toward me. She took the mike from my hand and said that my ask was too soft. She asked everyone in that room to dig into their pockets a little deeper, and no one could say no to Molly.

In Molly’s memory, I am establishing two new funds to continue the work Molly cared so passionately about. Molly was always a leader working to save Title IX and protect equal educational opportunities for women and girls. The Molly Yard Title IX Fund will fight any attempt to weaken or gut Title IX. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to the Molly Yard Title IX Fund.

I am also establishing the Molly Yard Equal Representation Fund to continue Molly’s work to win equal representation for women in Congress and the state legislatures. Molly was committed to increasing women’s political power, and she was a leader of the Feminist Majority’s successful Feminization of Power campaign to inspire more women to run for political office. If you would like to make a gift in her honor, please click here.

Molly’s indomitable spirit touched so many of our lives. I invite you to share your remembrances of or tributes to Molly on my new blog, The Smeal Report.

There will be a Washington, DC celebration of Molly Yard’s life in the coming weeks. The Feminist Majority, the National Organization for Women, Americans for Democratic Action, and the countless progressive groups with which Molly worked will participate. If you are in the area, I hope you will be able to join us. Please check back at www.feminist.org for the details.

For Equality,
Eleanor Smeal
President
Feminist Majority

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