STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MISSOURI RESEARCH CENTER-ST. LOUIS
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS
This collection is stored off site. Please allow 3-5 business days for retrieval. The Planned Parenthood Association of St. Louis donated its records to the Western Historical Manuscript Collection, University of Missouri St. Louis on May 13, 1998
The history of the Planned Parenthood Association of St. Louis is the story of the birth and maturing of a local community organization. It is the story of a group of women and men who shared a common idea which they shaped into goals and objectives and actively worked to achieve. The organization which grew from their efforts has existed locally for fifty years. It has bee fifty years filled with successes, controversies, and some failures. The telling of its history is valuable and worthwhile for these reasons alone, but Planned Parenthood has significance beyond the strictly and narrowly institutional. It was and remains an integral part of a larger social movement-the birth control movement of the United States.
Within the national movement, a wide variety of motivations, goals, plans expectations, tactics, and strategies existed. Over the course of its history, the movement changed its ends and means several times. Local leaders selected theories that could best be adapted to the St. Louis community.
At the outset, one must define the terms “birth control” and “movement.” The term “birth control” was first coined by Margaret Sanger in April, 1914. She used the term as a catch-work to enhance public discussion of contraception by conveying a more positive impression than the more negative “contraception” or “prevention of conception.” Birth control becomes even more of a catch-word than Sanger intended.
SCOPE AND CONTENT
Planned Parenthood Records, document board minutes, correspondence, newsclipings and historical information.
FOLDER LISTING
BOX 1 (008263)
1. Anatomy Charts, n.d.
2. Annual Report, 1932-1951
3. Board Minutes, 1947-1955
4. Board Minutes, 1970-1980
5. Board Minutes, 1981-1984
6. Board Minutes, 1981-1984
7. Correspondence, 1940’s
8. Correspondence, 1950’s
9. Correspondence, 1970’s
10. Correspondence, 1990’s
BOX 2 (008264)
11. Family Life, 1945-1955
12. Historical, 1938-1960
13. History, 1932-1982
14. Infertility, 1944-1957
15. Marital Counseling, 1947
16. Newsclippings, 1946-1997
17. Sociological Aspects, 1937-1957
BOX 3 (on site)
18. 45 RPM records: “The Pill” by Loretta Lynn,“ Tatiana
Y. Johnny”
19. 16mm films: “Love Toad” and “A Quickie”
INDEX
Anatomy, f. 1
Infertility, f, 14
Marital Counseling, f. 15
(314) 516-5143
E-MAIL: whmc@umsl.edu