Wilma Scott Heide
Encyclopedia
Wilma Scott Heide was an American
feminist
author and social activist who was a leader in the feminist movement
in the United States. Heide was involved in the Pittsburgh Press
case that ended the practice of listing separate help wanted ads for men and women, decided in 1973 by the Supreme Court of the United States
in Pittsburgh Press Co. v. Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations
. She also served as the third national President of the National Organization for Women
(NOW).
to William Robert and Ada Catherine Scott. Her brother was nationally recognized sportscaster Ray Scott. She completed training as a Registered nurse
in 1945 at Brooklyn State Hospital. She attended the University of Pittsburgh
, where she received a Bachelor of Arts
degree in sociology in 1950 and was awarded a Master of Letters
there in 1955. She earned her Ph.D.
in feminist theory
and public policy
in 1978 from the Union of Experimenting Colleges and Universities.
as a resident nurse from 1948 to 1950. She shifted to teaching nursing, starting with a position at the State University of New York at Oswego
in 1950 and 1951, followed by a position at the Pennsylvania State University
from 1957 until 1967, where she ultimately became the school's director of nursing education.
Her involvement in social activism began in the mid-1940s, with her involvement in causes ranging from pre-school and adult education to fundraising and health issues, and she was involved with organizations at the local and national level. She was elected as president of the Pittsburgh chapter of the National Organization of Women in 1967. She served from 1969 to 1972 as commissioner of human relations in Pennsylvania
.
She challenged the practice of the Pittsburgh Press
of separating help wanted classified advertising
by those employers seeking women or men in columns with different headings in a complaint she filed in 1969 to the Pittsburgh Human Relations Commission. The city passed an ordinance banning the practice and the newspaper filed suit, claiming that the restriction violated its rights under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution to freedom of the press. The Supreme Court of the United States
upheld the ban in its 1973 decision in the case Pittsburgh Press Co. v. Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations
, ruling by a 5–4 margin that the practice was discriminatory.
In February 1970, Heide led a group of 20 NOW members who staged a protest at a hearing by the United States Senate
on reducing the voting age to 18, unfurling posters and demanding that consideration be given to passage of the Equal Rights Amendment
, actions that led Senator Birch Bayh
to conduct hearings on the ERA later that year.
She was elected for two terms as NOW's Pennsylvania state president and she had served as chairwoman of the organization's national board.
Heide was elected in September 1971 as NOW's third president, succeeding Aileen Hernandez
. She served two terms in office, stepping down in 1974 after she decided not to run for a third term in office. During her term as president, Heide grew the organization into 700 chapters with 50,000 members worldwide and an annual budget of three-quarters of a million dollars by the time she left office, having started with 3,000 members and a $28,000 budget when she took office in 1971. In 1974 and 1975, she was chairwoman of a NOW national advisory board.
, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
, the National Board of Partners in Housing, the National Coalition for Human Needs and Budget Priorities, the National Women's Political Caucus
and at Social Policy magazine. She wrote a book titled Feminism for the Health of It (ISBN 0-931911-01-X), which she completed shortly before her death.
A resident of Norristown, Pennsylvania
, she died there at Sacred Heart Hospital at age 64 from a heart attack
on May 8, 1985. She had been married to Eugene E. Heide from 1951 to 1972, and they had two daughters together. Heide was the subject of Eleanor Humes Haney
's 1985 book, titled A Feminist Legacy: The Ethics of Wilma Scott Heide and Company.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
feminist
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
author and social activist who was a leader in the feminist movement
Feminist movement
The feminist movement refers to a series of campaigns for reforms on issues such as reproductive rights, domestic violence, maternity leave, equal pay, women's suffrage, sexual harassment and sexual violence...
in the United States. Heide was involved in the Pittsburgh Press
Pittsburgh Press
The Pittsburgh Press is an online newspaper in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, currently owned and operated by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Historically, it was a major afternoon paper...
case that ended the practice of listing separate help wanted ads for men and women, decided in 1973 by the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
in Pittsburgh Press Co. v. Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations
Pittsburgh Press Co. v. Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations
Pittsburgh Press Co. v. Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations, , is a 1973 decision of the United States Supreme Court which upheld an ordinance enacted in Pittsburgh that forbids sex-designated classified advertising for job opportunities, against a claim by the parent company of the Pittsburgh...
. She also served as the third national President of the National Organization for Women
National Organization for Women
The National Organization for Women is the largest feminist organization in the United States. It was founded in 1966 and has a membership of 500,000 contributing members. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S...
(NOW).
Early life
She was born on February 26, 1921, in Johnstown, PennsylvaniaJohnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States, west-southwest of Altoona, Pennsylvania and east of Pittsburgh. The population was 20,978 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Cambria County...
to William Robert and Ada Catherine Scott. Her brother was nationally recognized sportscaster Ray Scott. She completed training as a Registered nurse
Registered nurse
A registered nurse is a nurse who has graduated from a nursing program at a university or college and has passed a national licensing exam. A registered nurse helps individuals, families, and groups to achieve health and prevent disease...
in 1945 at Brooklyn State Hospital. She attended the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
, where she received a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in sociology in 1950 and was awarded a Master of Letters
Master of Letters
The Master of Letters is a postgraduate degree.- United Kingdom :The MLitt is a postgraduate degree awarded by a select few British and Irish universities, predominantly within the ancient English and Scottish universities.- England :Within the English University system MLitts are not universally...
there in 1955. She earned her Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in feminist theory
Feminist theory
Feminist theory is the extension of feminism into theoretical, or philosophical discourse, it aims to understand the nature of gender inequality...
and public policy
Public policy
Public policy as government action is generally the principled guide to action taken by the administrative or executive branches of the state with regard to a class of issues in a manner consistent with law and institutional customs. In general, the foundation is the pertinent national and...
in 1978 from the Union of Experimenting Colleges and Universities.
Nursing and social activism
Heide worked in the nursing profession at Chatham CollegeChatham College
Chatham University is an American university with a women's undergraduate college and coeducational graduate programs through the doctoral level, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's Shadyside neighborhood. The campus population of approximately 2,300 includes undergraduate women and graduate...
as a resident nurse from 1948 to 1950. She shifted to teaching nursing, starting with a position at the State University of New York at Oswego
State University of New York at Oswego
State University of New York at Oswego, also known as SUNY Oswego and Oswego State, is a public university in the City of Oswego and Town of Oswego, New York, on the shore of Lake Ontario...
in 1950 and 1951, followed by a position at the Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
from 1957 until 1967, where she ultimately became the school's director of nursing education.
Her involvement in social activism began in the mid-1940s, with her involvement in causes ranging from pre-school and adult education to fundraising and health issues, and she was involved with organizations at the local and national level. She was elected as president of the Pittsburgh chapter of the National Organization of Women in 1967. She served from 1969 to 1972 as commissioner of human relations in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
She challenged the practice of the Pittsburgh Press
Pittsburgh Press
The Pittsburgh Press is an online newspaper in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, currently owned and operated by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Historically, it was a major afternoon paper...
of separating help wanted classified advertising
Classified advertising
Classified advertising is a form of advertising which is particularly common in newspapers, online and other periodicals which may be sold or distributed free of charge...
by those employers seeking women or men in columns with different headings in a complaint she filed in 1969 to the Pittsburgh Human Relations Commission. The city passed an ordinance banning the practice and the newspaper filed suit, claiming that the restriction violated its rights under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution to freedom of the press. The Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
upheld the ban in its 1973 decision in the case Pittsburgh Press Co. v. Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations
Pittsburgh Press Co. v. Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations
Pittsburgh Press Co. v. Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations, , is a 1973 decision of the United States Supreme Court which upheld an ordinance enacted in Pittsburgh that forbids sex-designated classified advertising for job opportunities, against a claim by the parent company of the Pittsburgh...
, ruling by a 5–4 margin that the practice was discriminatory.
In February 1970, Heide led a group of 20 NOW members who staged a protest at a hearing by the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
on reducing the voting age to 18, unfurling posters and demanding that consideration be given to passage of the Equal Rights Amendment
Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution. The ERA was originally written by Alice Paul and, in 1923, it was introduced in the Congress for the first time...
, actions that led Senator Birch Bayh
Birch Bayh
Birch Evans Bayh II is a former United States Senator from Indiana, having served from 1963 to 1981. He was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for president in the 1976 election, but lost to Jimmy Carter. He is the father of former Indiana Governor and former U.S. Senator Evan Bayh.-Life...
to conduct hearings on the ERA later that year.
She was elected for two terms as NOW's Pennsylvania state president and she had served as chairwoman of the organization's national board.
Heide was elected in September 1971 as NOW's third president, succeeding Aileen Hernandez
Aileen Hernandez
Aileen Clark Hernandez is an American union organizer and civil right activist. She was born May 23, 1926, in Brooklyn, NY, of Jamacian-American parents, was educated in New York City, and attended Howard University, where she received a magna cum laude degree in Political Science and Sociology;...
. She served two terms in office, stepping down in 1974 after she decided not to run for a third term in office. During her term as president, Heide grew the organization into 700 chapters with 50,000 members worldwide and an annual budget of three-quarters of a million dollars by the time she left office, having started with 3,000 members and a $28,000 budget when she took office in 1971. In 1974 and 1975, she was chairwoman of a NOW national advisory board.
Post-NOW
Following her NOW presidency she was involved with a wide range of organizations, including the American Civil Liberties UnionAmerican Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Corporation for Public Broadcasting
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is a non-profit corporation created by an act of the United States Congress, funded by the United States’ federal government to promote public broadcasting...
, the National Board of Partners in Housing, the National Coalition for Human Needs and Budget Priorities, the National Women's Political Caucus
National Women's Political Caucus
The National Women's Political Caucus is a national bipartisan grassroots organization in the United States dedicated to recruiting, training, and supporting women who seek elected and appointed offices....
and at Social Policy magazine. She wrote a book titled Feminism for the Health of It (ISBN 0-931911-01-X), which she completed shortly before her death.
A resident of Norristown, Pennsylvania
Norristown, Pennsylvania
Norristown is a municipality in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, northwest of the city limits of Philadelphia, on the Schuylkill River. The population was 34,324 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Montgomery County...
, she died there at Sacred Heart Hospital at age 64 from a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
on May 8, 1985. She had been married to Eugene E. Heide from 1951 to 1972, and they had two daughters together. Heide was the subject of Eleanor Humes Haney
Eleanor Humes Haney
Eleanor Humes Haney was an American feminist theologian and community activist.-Personal:Haney was born in Milford, Delaware, on December 30, 1931. She died on July 10, 1999, in Phippsburg, Maine.-Education:...
's 1985 book, titled A Feminist Legacy: The Ethics of Wilma Scott Heide and Company.
External links
- Wilma Scott Heide Papers.Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University.