The Pre-Roe Pro-Life Movement in Minnesota and New York

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early as 1969. MCCL’s scope became increasingly exemplary on the national scale before the abortion issue became a national one itself. MCCL’s leaders and the organization as a whole became such a force in the national movements and debate after the decision in part because they had already been contemplating and mobilizing around the issue as “national” years prior to the Roe v. Wade decision. The previous arguments have clearly established MCCL as an early and effective anti-abortion group through its tactics employed in tune with both the medical, political, and religious climate and rhetoric of the state, while also sufficiently addressing its opposition. MCCL spurred chapters around the state, from northern-most Brainerd to the metropolitan area of Minneapolis and St. Paul, and south to Rochester and Red Wing. Not only did MCCL spur action throughout Minnesota itself, but it also inspired action throughout the United States. Beginning in the early 1970s, and increasingly after the Roe v. Wade decision, MCCL also served as a model for other state groups and national groups throughout the country. Other movements later reproduced MCCL’s structure, organization, and tactics to found or further their own state and national efforts toward promoting the anti-abortion cause. Additionally, the earliest leaders of MCCL travelled around the country, visiting fifteen states in 1972, to meet with leaders of other local, state and national groups. 54 Naturally, MCCL leaders soon ascended to national roles. They served on boards and in various positions of national organizations, which gained strength and importance after the Supreme Court decision. This progression stemmed not only from their success in building MCCL as the most popular and successful statewide 54 Marjory Mecklenburg to MCCL Membership, Letter, 21 November 1972, American Citizens Concerned for Life, Inc.: Records, Box 11, Folder: Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life 1972, Gerald R. Ford Library. 39
anti-abortion movement, but also because these leaders helped brainstorm and develop the national organizations themselves, as early as the 1960s. Yet the root of MCCL’s propulsion into the national spotlight started small, as stated previously, in 1968 in George and Alice Hartle’s living room by Lake Harriet in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 55 There, the future founders, presidents, chairmen, board members, writers, editors, and treasurers of future national anti-abortion organizations, who have been traced extensively in this work, met to create one of the nation’s first antiabortion groups. These future leaders were anonymous and typical in title and occupation at the time; yet they would soon be recognized nationwide for their positions and efforts. The very first document MCCL produced, its Articles of Incorporation, highlighted the tactics adopted by other state and national groups. MCCL, as well as those groups modeled after it, was formed “[t]o engage in educational, charitable, scientific or literary activities and projects or purposes, including…[t]o improve and further personal and social responsibility for human life…[t]o inform the public on abortion and related subjects…[t]o foster high standards of medical care in the State of Minnesota…[t]o cause to be published and to distribute treatises, articles, addresses, reports and other publications on any or all subjects related to those above…[and t]o aid and assist individuals, corporations, associates or institutions now or hereafter engaged in furthering any one or more of the aims set forth 55 Kathryn Boardman, “Chance Meeting Led To Anti-Abortion Drive,” St. Paul Dispatch, 4 July 1973, ACCL Records, Box 27, Folder: Admin File: M. Mecklenburg 1973-76 (1), Gerald R. Ford Library. 40
Page 1 and 2: Abortion as a “Medical Problem Br
Page 3 and 4: Table of Contents Acknowledgements
Page 5 and 6: Abbreviations ACCL - American Citiz
Page 7 and 8: this first neighborhood grassroots
Page 9 and 10: in New York, California, and Colora
Page 11 and 12: is a unique and important one to te
Page 13 and 14: major factors led to MCCL’s victo
Page 15 and 16: Well before Blackmun’s 1972 Mayo
Page 17 and 18: Chapter 1: The Pre-History of the C
Page 19 and 20: practice. The law as it stands is t
Page 21 and 22: would have functioned independently
Page 23 and 24: instances also increased awareness
Page 25 and 26: threat of abortion criminalization
Page 27 and 28: the actions of new twentieth-centur
Page 29 and 30: of the MCLTP. 3 In the early 1970s,
Page 31 and 32: from the Great Depression in its se
Page 33 and 34: underestimated his opponents, as MC
Page 35 and 36: who shared a “communitarian ethic
Page 37 and 38: However, the Council did not offer
Page 39 and 40: issue-based and activist politics f
Page 41 and 42: Blake and Fred Mecklenburg and lobb
Page 43: yet united front against abortion l
Page 47 and 48: emerging organizations across the c
Page 49 and 50: the 1970s, and an additional thirte
Page 51 and 52: When news of Roe and Doe broke, MCC
Page 53 and 54: their efforts prior to the decision
Page 55 and 56: the part of state groups and create
Page 57 and 58: physical space in Minneapolis and r
Page 59 and 60: 58 of them were enacted. 37 Even fo
Page 61 and 62: looms as a menace to all mankind an
Page 63 and 64: War.” 56 President Gerald Ford di
Page 65 and 66: the 1976 Republican Party Platform,
Page 67 and 68: should be noted that pro-life activ
Page 69 and 70: with us.” 81 Needless to say, by
Page 71 and 72: ecord of being vindictive.” 90 Ca
Page 73 and 74: decades of involvement. Yet before
Page 75 and 76: nationwide effort organized by the
Page 77 and 78: in drastic (at the extreme, irrecon
Page 79 and 80: and increase political effectivenes
Page 81 and 82: willing to be window dressing - no
Page 83 and 84: Warren Schaller, and others to form
Page 85 and 86: women, which would become the speci
Page 87 and 88: On multiple levels, ACCL became a p
Page 89 and 90: multi-issue approach was a tactic a
Page 91 and 92: asserted, “often a few key people
Page 93 and 94: Lampe, and others) split to form AC
Page 95 and 96:
nomination. Jefferson’s tactics w
Page 97 and 98:
administration. 82 Lampe took over
Page 99 and 100:
and was also a member of Planned Pa
Page 101 and 102:
As previously explored, Mecklenburg
Page 103 and 104:
million; Schweiker’s stance and a
Page 105 and 106:
Almost immediately after her appoin
Page 107 and 108:
The last straw came when Mecklenbur
Page 109 and 110:
on the national scene cautiously, m
Page 111 and 112:
abortion debate she encountered as
Page 113 and 114:
Conclusion Supreme Court Justice Ha
Page 115 and 116:
legislatures, and celebrated occasi
Page 117 and 118:
ecognized nationwide as “one of t
Page 119 and 120:
Bibliography Archives and Interview
Page 121 and 122:
Gorney, Cynthia. Articles of Faith.
Page 123:
Press, Eyal. Absolute Convictions:
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The Pre-Roe Pro-Life Movement in Minnesota and New York

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