January 1979

Ferguson Center

In the late 1970s, the Women’s Studies department at the University of Alabama was gaining momentum. The women’s movement had traction behind a series of high-profile leaders such as Shirley Chisholm, Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan, and Bella Abzug. Nicknamed "Battling Bella,” the New York lawyer, politician, and avid social activist was an unapparelled leader in the National Women’s Caucus, which she co-founded in 1971. A year earlier her brazen political campaign slogan turned plenty of heads: “This woman’s place is in the house: the House of Representatives.” When Abzug appeared on campus in 1979 there was a lot of interest. She was also among the first members of Congress to support gay rights introducing the first federal gay rights bill, known as the Equality Act of 1974. Loud, unabashed, and confident she was constantly in the national press. In early 1977, President Jimmy Carter appointed Abzug to head the National Commission on the Observance of International Women’s Year. Her status grew over the next couple of years as she innovated within the administration and oversaw the National Women’s Conference, then served as one of two co-chairpersons of the prestigious National Advisory Committee for Women. However, it all changed suddenly on January 12, 1979, after the first meeting with the advisory committee, Abzug was invited to a private meeting with Jimmy Carter’s chief of staff Hamilton Jordan, and White House counsel Robert Lipshutz where she was dismissed as the co-chair, reportedly due to her criticism of Carter's economic policies. While her speaking engagement had been booked long before she appeared on campus, the timing was auspicious. Cleary still reeling from Carter’s dismissal, Abzug seemed somewhat reserved, even pensive during her speech on campus. She dined with a group from student the Women's Studies department at The Landing and was excited to dine on nothing beyond a simple plate of broccoli. Betty Friedan was celebrated for her 1963 book, “The Feminine Mystique,” which many believed ushered in a new wave of feminism in America. Later she co-founded and was elected president of the National Organization for Women (NOW). Friedan was another featured speaker on campus during the same series. Her reputation walked in the hall at Ferguson Center ahead of her. Surprisingly, she was low-key and seemed almost bored talking about her life and devotion to feminist ideals. However, Freidan lit up when she spoke about her children, especially her oldest son Daniel, a physicist. “I’m just an old-fashioned Jewish mother,” she laughed.