Childfree During The Reagan Administration (With Childfree Trailblazer Marie Bernardy)

Today, we’re kicking off the second episode in our series on childfree trailblazers with a conversation with Marie Bernardy. Marie and her husband, Bill, met in 1968 and have been married since 1974. She served as Development Director for Planned Parenthood (in both CA and OR); Vice-President for Development at two CA hospitals, and Executive Director of two library foundations in both California and Oregon. After reading a Time article about the National Organization for Non Parenthood, she and Bill became involved in the St. Louis chapter,helping to grow its membership and visibility. Eventually both Marie and Bill served on theNON/NAOP board, each as President. Marie’s presidency coincided with the dissolution of theorganization in 1982. Marie & Bill made many local and several national appearances (including a Phil Donahue segment on the “Today” show) on behalf of NAOP. We ask her about her experience receiving physical threats, nasty late night phone calls, and a several weeks-long “dialogue” in the newspaper with the Archbishop of St. Louis, who called for their excommunication were some darks spots in an otherwise exciting, fulfilling and educational journey with NAOP.

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