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Planned Parenthood Federation of America Records, 1918-1974 (PPFA I)
106 boxes (41.75 linear ft.)

Collection number: MS 371

Abstract:
The records of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America provide substantial information about the history of the birth control and family planning movement nationally and internationally. The records contain correspondence, memos, minutes, reports, publicity, publications, and congressional and legal materials. They document many aspects of the work of the PPFA and its predecessor organizations, advocacy, medical work, and the activities of its staff and affiliates. The PPFA Records are divided into two portions, PPFA I and PPFA II, this being section I. PPFA I consists of the earlier records of the Federation (1918-74) and is completely organized and open to research. PPFA II consists of records received since 1988, dating from the 1920s to the present, so there is some overlap in dates. PPFA II records are unprocessed and partially restricted.

Terms of Access and Use:

Restrictions on access:

PPFA has put a 25 year rolling closure on its records, therefore, all records that are 25 years old and younger are closed to research use. All records that are dated 1975 or later (in PPFA II) are closed to research use. Permission may be acquired in writing from PPFA to view restricted records.

Restrictions on use:

PPFA has retained copyright ownership of their records, although the Sophia Smith Collection has been authorized to grant permission to researchers to publish from any of the PPFA Records. Permission must be obtained to publish reproductions or quotations beyond "fair use."

Sophia Smith Collection
Smith College
Northampton, MA

Historical Note

In 1921 Margaret Sanger founded the national lobbying organization, American Birth Control League (ABCL) which in 1942 became Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA). Between 1921 and 1942 the organization had two transformations. In 1923 Sanger opened the Birth Control Clinical Research Bureau (BCCRB) for the purposes of dispensing contraceptives under the supervision of licensed physicians and studying their effectiveness. In 1921 when she founded the American Birth Control League (ABCL) it provided institutional backing for the clinics. The BCCRB merged with the ABCL in 1939 to form the Birth Control Federation of America (BCFA). In 1942 the name of the BCFA was changed to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

The name change reflected a redefinition of the organization's goals from family limitation to family planning. While PPFA continued to function as the largest birth control organization in the country, it sought to position itself as a more mainstream and moderate organization committed to a broad range of programs related to reproductive health. Under the leadership of National Director D. Kenneth Rose, the PPFA expanded its programs and services through the 1940s, adding affiliate organizations throughout the country. By the end of World War II, the Federation was no longer solely a center for birth control services or a clearing house for contraceptive information but had emerged as a major national health organization. PPFA's programs included a full range of family planning services including marriage education and counseling, and infertility services. The leadership of the PPFA, largely consisting of businessmen and male physicians, endeavored to incorporate its contraceptive services unofficially into regional and national public health programs by emphasizing less politicized aspects such as child spacing. During the 1950s, the Federation further adjusted its programs and message to appeal to a family-centered, more conservative post war populace, while continuing to function, through its affiliated clinics, as the more reliable source of contraceptives in the country.

From 1942 to 1962, PPFA concentrated its efforts on strengthening its ties to affiliates, expanding public education programs, and improving its medical and research work. By 1960, visitors to PPFA centers across the nation numbered over 300,000 per year.

In the 1950s PPFA began focusing greater attention on global population issues as new concerns arose over the political, social and cultural implications of overpopulation in Asia and around the world. It became active in international birth control work through is membership in the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), which Margaret Sanger helped found in 1952. In 1961 the population crisis debate, along with funding shortages, convinced PPFA to merge with the World Population Emergency Campaign, a citizens fund-raising organization to become PPFA-World Population. (This history is excerpted from The Margaret Sanger Papers Microfilm Edition: Smith College Collection Series)

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The records of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America date from 1918 to the present and document the work of PPFA and its predecessor organizations, national and international, in the areas of advocacy, medical research, legislative reform, public relations, as well as the work of individual administrators, staff, and affiliated organizations. The collection is a significant source of information on all aspects of the history of birth control and family planning, including women's health issues; sex education; women in poverty; international population planning and policy; and the legal, political and social aspects of contraception and abortion. Types of material include correspondence; memoranda; minutes; reports; financial records; legal records; publicity; publications; photographs; audio tapes; video tapes; and posters.

The records are divided into two portions, PPFA I and PPFA II, this being section I. PPFA I consists of the earlier records of the Federation (1918-74), and is completely organized and open to research. PPFA II consists of records received since 1988, dating from the 1920s to the present, so there is some overlap in the dates. The PPFA II Records are unprocessed, but restricted materials (see information on use) have been segregated from those that are open to research. The container list for PPFA II is not online, but a print version is available in the Sophia Smith Collection.


Information on Use
Terms of Access and Use
Restrictions on access:

PPFA has put a 25 year rolling closure on its records, therefore, all records that are 25 years old and younger are closed to research use. All records that are dated 1975 or later (in PPFA II) are closed to research use. Permission may be acquired in writing from PPFA to view restricted records.

Restrictions on use:

PPFA has retained copyright ownership of their records, although the Sophia Smith Collection has been authorized to grant permission to researchers to publish from any of the PPFA Records. Permission must be obtained to publish reproductions or quotations beyond "fair use."

Preferred Citation

Please use the following format when citing materials from this collection:

Planned Parenthood Federation of America Records, Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College, Northampton, Mass.

History of the Collection

The early accessions to the PPFA records were received from Loraine Campbell, Margaret Sanger, and others in the 1970s. Beginning in 1988, the records have come directly from Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

Accruals:

Periodic additions to collection are expected.

Processing Information

Processed by Margery Sly, 1996.


Additional Information
Contact Information
Sophia Smith Collection
Smith College
Northampton, MA 01063

Phone: (413) 585-2970
Fax: (413) 585-2886

Email Reference Form: http://www.smith.edu/libraries/libs/ssc/emailform.html
URL: http://www.smith.edu/libraries/libs/ssc/