Yard, Molly (1912–2005)
Yard, Molly (1912–2005)
American feminist and political activist. Name variations: Mary Alexander Yard. Born Mary Alexander Yard in 1912 in Chengdu, Szechwan province, China; died Sept 21, 2005 in Pittsburgh, PA; dau. of James and Mabelle (Hickok) Yard (both politically liberal American Methodist missionaries); moved to US, 1925; graduate of Swarthmore College, 1933; m. Sylvester Garrett (labor arbitrator), 1938; children: 1 daughter, 2 sons.
In a career that spanned 7 decades, including a term as president of National Organization for Women (NOW), worked as the national secretary (1934), then chair, of the American Student Union (ASU); as a Democrat, made unsuccessful bid for a seat in the Pennsylvania state legislature (1964); worked for passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act in conjunction with the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights; joined NOW and worked for the ratification of Equal Rights Amendment; was senior staff member on NOW Political Action Committee (1978–84), then served as NOW's national political director (1985–87); at 75, was elected to a 4-year term as president of national NOW (1987), serving until 1991; was part of the successful fight against the nomination of conservative Robert Bork to the Supreme Court.
See also Women in World History.