Women In Public Service (audio)

Faye Wattleton was the first African-American, first woman, and the youngest President & CEO ever elected to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Her father was a factory worker and her mother was a seamstress and a Church of God minister. Wattleton entered Ohio State University at age 17 and, after graduation, taught at a nursing school. She went on to earn her master’s degree in infant care from Columbia University. She is known for her advocacy of family planning and reproductive health, as well as the pro-choice movement. Wattleton was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame and she has received 14 honorary degrees. She served as Co-Founder and President of the Center for the Advancement of Women before becoming Managing Director of Alvarez & Marsal, a business advisory firm in New York City. Faye Wattleton addressed the student delegates at the 1990 Achievement Summit in Chicago while serving as the leader of Planned Parenthood.