Mildred McWilliams "Millie" Jeffrey (December 29, 1910 – March 24, 2004) was an American political and
social activist
Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in Social change, social, Political campaign, political, economic or Natural environment, environmental reform with the desire to make Social change, changes i ...
during the labor reforms,
women's rights
Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...
, and
civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a nonviolent social and political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized institutional racial segregation, discrimination, and disenfranchisement throughout the Unite ...
.
Biography
Mildred Jeffrey's mother, Bertha McWilliams, who raised Millie alongside six other children, became Iowa's first female registered
pharmacist in 1908 and owned a drugstore in Alton and later in Minneapolis.
Jeffrey attended the
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. ...
as an undergraduate, where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology in 1932. It was here that she began to involve herself in the socialist and progressive movements. As students, she and an African-American classmate worked to integrate restaurants in
Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
. In 1934, she earned her master's degree in social economy and social research from
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College ( ; Welsh: ) is a women's liberal arts college in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Founded as a Quaker institution in 1885, Bryn Mawr is one of the Seven Sister colleges, a group of elite, historically women's colleges in the United ...
.
In 1936, she married another union organizer, Homer Newman Jeffrey. During their marriage, they worked to unionize textile factories in the South and East. Together, they had two children. they divorced in 1950.
Career
Jeffrey became a union organizer in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
in 1935 for the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America. It was there that she met Homer Newman Jeffrey.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, Jeffrey and her husband moved to
Washington, D.C.
)
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, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
to become consultants for the
War Labor Board. There, they became close to the leaders of the
United Auto Workers
The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers (UAW), is an American labor union that represents workers in the United States (including Puerto Rico) ...
,
Walter and
Victor Reuther. In 1944, she moved to
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
after she was offered a position as head of the U.A.W.'s new Women's Bureau. Jeffrey became the first woman to head a department of the U.A.W. After returning veterans resulted in mass postwar layoff of women from factory jobs, she organized the U.A.W.'s first women's conference.
Jeffrey held many other positions within U.A.W.: she ran the union's radio station between 1949 and 1954, became director of its community relations department and aligned the union with many civil rights efforts, and headed the union's consumer affairs from 1968 to 1976, the year she retired.
She worked on the campaign of then Senator
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...
and later managed Senator
Robert F. Kennedy
Robert Francis Kennedy (November 20, 1925June 6, 1968), also known by his initials RFK and by the nickname Bobby, was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 64th United States Attorney General from January 1961 to September 1964, ...
's Michigan state presidential campaign in 1968.
In 1971, she helped establish the
National Women's Political Caucus
The National Women's Political Caucus (NWPC), or the Caucus, describes itself as a multi-partisan grassroots organization in the United States dedicated to recruiting, training, and supporting women who seek elected and appointed offices at all ...
, fighting for ratification of the
Equal Rights Amendment, child care and equal pay legislation. She also became a leader in the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
committee that ensured that half of the delegates to its 1980 convention were women.
In 1977, Jeffrey became an associate of the
Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press
Women’s Institute for Freedom of the Press (WIFP) is an American nonprofit publishing organization that was founded in Washington, D.C. in 1972. The organization works to increase media democracy and strengthen independent media. Mo
Basic info ...
(WIFP).
Jeffrey played a major role in many groups, including the
Coalition of Labor Union Women
The Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of trade union women affiliated with the AFL-CIO. The CLUW is a bridging organization that seeks to create connections between the feminist movement and the la ...
,
Emily's List
EMILY's List is an American political action committee (PAC) that aims to help elect Democratic female candidates in favor of abortion rights to office. It was founded by Ellen Malcolm in 1985. The group's name is an acronym for "Early Money ...
,
Americans for Democratic Action
Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) is a liberal American political organization advocating progressive policies. ADA views itself as supporting social and economic justice through lobbying, grassroots organizing, research, and supporting pro ...
, the
National Abortion Rights League, the
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1920 "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States". T ...
,
the
Democratic Socialists of America
The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is a Left-wing politics, left-wing Democratic Socialists of America#Tendencies within the DSA, multi-tendency Socialism, socialist and Labour movement, labor-oriented political organization. Its roots ...
, and on the peer review board of the
Blue Cross.
Civil Rights
Jeffrey joined the NAACP in the 1940s and marched with
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 1960s.
She registered voters in Mississippi.
Women's Rights
She was instrumental in advancing the name of
Geraldine Ferraro
Geraldine Anne Ferraro (August 26, 1935 March 26, 2011) was an American politician, diplomat, and attorney. She served in the United States House of Representatives from 1979 to 1985, and was the Democratic Party's vice presidential nominee ...
as the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1984. She supported many other women in politics, including the governor of Michigan,
Jennifer M. Granholm. Ms. Jeffrey herself held one office, a position on the board of governors of
Wayne State University
Wayne State University (WSU) is a public research university in Detroit, Michigan. It is Michigan's third-largest university. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 350 programs to nearly 25,000 ...
in Detroit. She served for sixteen years (1974-1990), including three years as chairwoman.
Awards
In 1983, Jeffrey was inducted into the
Michigan Women's Hall of Fame
The Michigan Women's Hall of Fame (MWHOF) honors distinguished women, both historical and contemporary, who have been associated with the U.S. state of Michigan. The hall of fame was founded in 1983 by Gladys Beckwith and is sponsored by the Michi ...
for work in the labor movement and women's rights movement.
In 2000, when she was 90, Jeffrey was awarded the
Presidential Medal of Freedom
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, along with the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by the president of the United States to recognize people who have made "an especially merit ...
, the highest civilian honor, by former President
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
.
Legacy
After her death, the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
recognized Jeffrey with a resolution honoring her life and contributions.
Millie's papersare housed at the
Walter P. Reuther Library at Wayne State University.
Millie Jeffrey Papers
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jeffrey, Mildred
1910 births
2004 deaths
American civil rights activists
Women civil rights activists
American trade union leaders
American women's rights activists
Members of the Democratic Socialists of America
People from Alton, Iowa
Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients
American socialist feminists