THE VFA PIONEER HISTORIES PROJECT

Sarah Goddard Power

June 19, 1935 – March 24, 1987

Sarah Goddard Power was widely acclaimed as a major contributor to the advancement of higher education, an advocate for affirmative action and human rights, and a champion of freedom for the international press. As a Regent of the University of Michigan, Sarah Goddard Power worked tirelessly to advance the position of women and minorities in faculty and administrative roles.

A regent of the University of Michigan. Served as deputy assistant secretary in the State Department during the Carter administration, responsible for U.S. policy for WHO, ILO, UNESCO and other specialized U.N. agencies for international women’s programs, human rights and communications. A participant in the U.N. Decade for Women (1975 –1985), was central to the drafting of the World Plan of Action for the economic, social and personal status of women worldwide. The University of Michigan Academic Women’s Caucus established the Sarah Goddard Power Award for members of the university community who had distinguished themselves through their leadership, scholarship, and sustained service on behalf of women, 1983. Active in the Michigan Democratic Women’s Caucus.