Wanda Franz (born 1944)[1] is a West Virginian anti-abortion lobbyist and activist.[2]

Biography

Franz spent her childhood in post-World War II Germany, where her father was stationed. In the 1970s, she attended West Virginia University (WVU) to obtain her doctorate in psychology. While attending WVU, she was asked to speak to anti-abortion activists where she connected her experience in Germany to anti-abortion activism.[3] As a graduate student in 1971, she joined the WVU Right to Life Club.[4]

In 1983, she served as a consultant for the Office of Population Affairs in the Reagan and Bush administrations until 1991.[5] In 1983, Franz wrote the introduction to Reagan's book Abortion and the Conscience of the Nation.[5][6]

From 1991 to 2011, she was the President of the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC).[1] During her tenure as president, Fortune magazine recognized the organization twice as the "most publicly recognized and politically effective pro-life organization."[7] She was also the host of NRLC's daily five-minute radio program, Pro-Life Perspective, for 20 years.[4]

She is president of West Virginians for Life, the largest anti-abortion group in West Virginia,[8] first serving from 1975 to 1990 and then getting the position again in 2011.[9][10] She is working towards the creation of an amendment that specifies that "nothing in this [United States'] Constitution secures or protects a right to abortion."[11][12][13]

Franz retired from her professor of psychology position at WVU in 2003.[5] After retirement, she became a professor emerita of child development in the Division of Family and Consumer Sciences at WVU.[4]

Franz is also President of the James Madison Center for Free Speech,[14] which was co-founded by Senator Mitch McConnell and attorney James Bopp Jr.

Personal life

Franz was married to her husband for 53 years and had three children and 12 grandchildren.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b McBride, Dorothy E.; Keys, Jennifer L. (2018-07-31). Abortion in the United States: A Reference Handbook, 2nd Edition. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9781440853371.
  2. ^ "Wanda Franz | C-SPAN.org". www.c-span.org. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
  3. ^ "Retired educator has spent 20 years battling abortion". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
  4. ^ a b c d "Staff Page, Wanda Franz, PH.D. Interim Executive Director". West Virginians For Life. 20 December 2018. Retrieved 2020-10-28.
  5. ^ a b c McBride, Dorothy E. (2008). Abortion in the United States: A Reference Handbook. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9781598840988.
  6. ^ "ABORTION AND THE CONSCIENCE OF THE NATION". www.nrlc.org. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
  7. ^ Rohlinger, Deana A. (2015). Abortion Politics, Mass Media, and Social Movements in America. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781107069237.
  8. ^ "Campaign Trails: Pro-life group announces local endorsements". The Herald-Dispatch. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
  9. ^ "Staff Page, Wanda Franz, PH.D. Interim Executive Director". West Virginians For Life. 20 December 2018. Retrieved 2020-10-28.
  10. ^ "Abortion on Nov. ballot: 'Historic' Amendment One allows voters to weigh in - Dominion Post". www.dominionpost.com. 22 October 2018. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
  11. ^ writer, Erin Beck Staff. "Constitutional amendment on abortion heads to November ballot". Charleston Gazette-Mail. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
  12. ^ WRITER, Linda Harris STAFF. "Emotions already running high on West Virginia's proposed abortion amendment". WV News. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
  13. ^ O'Reilly, Andrew (2018-08-09). "Abortion on the Ballot: Red states already planning for possibility of Roe rollback". Fox News. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
  14. ^ "Officers and Directors". www.jamesmadisoncenter.org. Retrieved 2021-01-04.

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