THE VFA PIONEER HISTORIES PROJECT
Helen Z. Pearl
September 12, 1938 – October 4, 2015
“I am not afraid to use the ‘F’ word. I am a feminist.”
Attorney, activist and public servant. A “founding mother” of Connecticut Permanent Commission on the Status of Women, 1972. Member, American Association of University Women, (AAUW President 1970-1972). Represented the AAUW in ConnERA and helped to secure ratification of the federal ERA in Connecticut, 1974. Debated federal and state constitutional gender equality throughout Connecticut, 1970s-1980s. Feminist representative, Minority Advisory Board, local CBS-TV affiliate. Served as counsel on national board of Veteran Feminists of America. Bachelor with honors, Vassar College, 1959. Juris Doctor, University of Connecticut School of Law, 1978.
More About Helen:
- Obituary
- Veteran Feminists of America
- Helen’s comments, Publication Debut of Barbara Love’s, Feminists Who Changed America 1963-1975, Columbia University Faculty House and Barnard College, NYC, November 2006
- Feminism and Its Values, an Intergenerational Dialogue, Cromwell CT, April 16, 2005
- Archives
- People for Question #1 was a “Political Committee” registered with the office of the Secretary of State. Its purpose was to promote passage by the voters of the State Constitutional Amendment prohibiting discrimination on account of sex. The State Chairperson was Helen Z. Pearl. Part of the Connecticut State Library Repository
- Vassar Newspaper & Magazine Archive
- Cited in Barbara Love’s book, Feminists Who Changed America 1963–1975, page 335