Patricia Theresa "Pat" Maginnis was considered the first abortion rights activist in American history.
11 Facts About Pat Maginnis
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Pat Maginnis was one part of the "Army of Three", the grass-roots collective that would eventually become NARAL Pro-Choice America and that founded the Society for Humane Abortion.
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Pat Maginnis was a political cartoonist, painter, and peace activist.
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Pat Maginnis described her time in Panama and the horrible treatment of pregnant women in the army hospital as her inspiration to advocate for women's reproductive freedoms during her life.
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Pat Maginnis began her activism when she returned to the United States, settling in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1959.
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Pat Maginnis began her activism immediately upon her return to the United States.
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Pat Maginnis canvassed in support of abortion reform bills, before becoming dissatisfied with what she felt was the prioritization of medical professionals over women.
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In 1962, Pat Maginnis founded the Citizens Committee for Humane Abortion Laws, while she attended San Jose State University.
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Pat Maginnis moved the organization to San Francisco in 1963, where she met Rowena Gurner, who was to become a pivotal figure in the organization.
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In 1964, Gurner and Pat Maginnis changed the organization's name to The Society for Humane Abortion, and in 1965, it was incorporated as a non-profit organization in California.
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Pat Maginnis's subjects were informed by her political activism, and often antagonized capitalist interests and conservative policymakers.