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  • City Councilwoman Erica Strassburger, Jeanne Clark, Alma Speed Fox, Eleanor Smeal, Pat Ulbrich, Mayor Bill Peduto, Jessie RameyEleanor Smeal, Cindy Hundorfean, Brenda Frazier, Evan FrazierPat Ulbrich & Will Zavala after screening 'Changing the Want Ads' at the Pittsburgh Shorts Film FestivalFeatured activists with Jessie Ramey & Pat Ulbrich at Chatham Feminist Alumni Opening ReceptionPat Ulbrich with Hatem Hassen, Will Zavala and Licia Simon at Chatham Feminist Alumni Opening ReceptionFran Barrett, Maureen McHugh and friend at Chatham Feminist Alumni Opening ReceptionViewing ERA March display at Chatham Feminist Alumni Opening Reception

    • In Sisterhood: the Women’s Movement in Pittsburgh©, 1967-1989, is an oral history and multimedia project designed to promote a deeper understanding and appreciation of an inspiring aspect of the region’s history and to highlight how progress was achieved through the hard work and determination of a diverse group of local grassroots activists.

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    Featured Activists

    In Sisterhood: the Women’s Movement in Pittsburgh
  • Phyllis Wetherby (b. 1928) grew up in Forest Hills, a suburb of Pittsburgh. Her father and most men in the community worked for Westinghouse; her mother was a homemaker. She attended public schools before attending Alfred University where, because of the skewed sex ratio during World War II, she had many opportunities to lead campus organizations. She graduated in 1949 and earned a master’s degree in library science from Carnegie Tech in 1950. Phyllis worked for U.S. Steel Research for 29 years, first as a technical editor and later as a research engineer. As a young adult, she was active in the 18th District Democratic party. She met Wilma Scott Heide during a political campaign and was told You sound like a member of NOW. Why aren’t you? She attended a meeting of the Greater Pittsburgh Area Chapter of NOW, paid her dues and became a major figure in the Pittsburgh Women’s Movement. With other NOW members, Phyllis co-founded K.N.O.W., Inc.(1969-1983), the first feminist press in the United States. She became the Convener of the Pennsylvania Women’s Political Caucus (WPC) and co-convener of the Allegheny County WPC in 1971, but left the caucus in 1974 with the sense that it was easier to make politicians out of feminists than feminists out of politicians. Winning passage of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) became the central focus for Phyllis and other Pittsburgh NOW members. During the fight to gain extension of time to ratify and then to ratify the amendment in critical states, Pittsburgh feminists traveled to Washington D.C. and to state capitols to lobby elected officials. They became known as “The Wetherby Wonders” because Phyllis paid to rent the buses to insure there would be a critical mass of feminists lobbying for passage of the ERA.

    Phyllis Wetherby

    Phyllis Wetherby

    Phyllis Wetherby (b. 1928) grew up in Forest Hills, a suburb of Pittsburgh.  She worked at U.S. Steel Research for 29 years, first as a technical editor and later as a research engineer …

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  • Grass Roots Activists

    Grass Roots Activists

    We are recording oral histories with influential leaders and single interviews with feminist activists who were part of the extensive network of individuals and organizations that flourished in sout …

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    • This Month in History

    March 7, 1969 – Members of Greater Pittsburgh Area NOW picketed outside the offices of the Pittsburgh Press to protest the newspaper’s policy of publishing want ads separately for women and men. » Continue Reading