THE VFA PIONEER HISTORIES PROJECT

Betty Harmon Newcomb

May 23, 1926 – January 13, 2013

“I have three sons, and I felt that much of what we were striving for in the 1970s in the feminist movement would be the most wonderful gift I could give to them.”

Member of League of Women Voters of Indiana, 1959. Co-founded Indiana National Organization for Women (NOW), 1970. Organized and led national caucus, League of Women Voters, to gain endorsement for Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), 1970-1972. Organized and taught the first women’s studies course, Ball State University. Helped form Indiana Women’s Political Caucus, 1970s. Initiated the formation of “Hoosiers for ERA,” 1972. Affirmative Action Director, Ball State. Founded American Association for Affirmative Action (AAAA), 1973. AAAA board for several years, President, 1978-1979. Author of AAAA newsletter. Early implementation of Title IX Policy in colleges and universities across the nation. Vice president of Veteran Feminists of America. Organized two conferences about Title IX in 1998 for VFA. Conceived and led VFA colloquium in Baltimore – “Are We There Yet?” – 2002. It commemorated the 30th anniversary of Title IX, which mandated women’s equal rights in educational institutions. B.A. University of Maryland, 1948.  M.A. in English, Ball State University, 1965.