This Month in History: August

August 20, 1967 – Wilma Scott Heide and nine other people founded the Greater Pittsburgh Area Chapter of the National Organization for Women. Ms. Heide is elected President.

August 1, 1972 – Led by Jo Ann Evansgardner, Kathy Bonk and Eleanor Smeal, Pittsburgh NOW chapters threatened to challenge the license renewals of area TV stations because of alleged discrimination against women in employment and programming. They reached a negotiated settlement. With the TV stations.

August 26, 1972 – Three women are hired as tenure track faculty to create the Women Studies Program at the University of Pittsburgh.

August 25, 1973 – Under the theme “Give Girls A Chance,” NOW members from across the state demonstrated at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA.

August 26, 1978 – The Southwest Council of NOW chapters sponsored a Walk-a-thon to raise money for the campaign to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment.

AUGUST BIRTHDAYS

August 1, 1943: Barbara Hafer founded the Mon-Yough Rape Crisis Center in 1975, later the Center for Victims of Violent Crimes. She was the first women elected to the Allegheny County Commission (1982-1988). She then served as Auditor General (1988-1996) and Treasurer (1997-2005) of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

August 19, 1928: Phyllis Wetherby has been an active member of Pittsburgh NOW chapters since 1968 and was a founding member of the Women’s Political Caucus and KNOW, Inc, the first feminist press in the United States.