Carol Frederick spent her life working for women's equality. She was very active in the fight for passage of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in 1972 while she was an intern with the Illinois Education Association. This was the first year that ERA was debated in the Illinois legislature, but it failed to pass. She then served as the Coordinator of Legislative Affairs for the National Business and Professional Women's Clubs, working as a lobbyist. In 1977 she was appointed by Governor Jim Thompson as the Chairperson of the Illinois Fair Employment Practices Commission, later renamed the Illinois Human Rights Commission. From 1980-1982 she served as the Director of Illinois Planned Parenthood Council, and from 1982-2010 she owned her own business.
Interview Links
Abstract
Interview Session 01 (Audio)
Early career and involvement with ERA movement
Interview Session 02 (Audio)
Lobbying efforts to pass ERA in early years, and political aspirations
Photos
Caption:
Carol’s mother (left) and grandmother (right) in Los Angeles, California in 1943, during World War II.
Where:
Los Angeles, CA
When:
1943
Ownership:
Narrator's photo
Caption:
Carol is sitting in the chair with her cousins surrounding her during a family gathering in Harrisburg, Illinois in 1946.
Where:
Harrisburg, IL
When:
1946
Ownership:
Narrator's photo
Caption:
Carol Burnett with Carol Frederick in 1974 while Burnett waited for a flight at the Springfield Capital Airport.
Where:
Springfield, IL
When:
1974
Ownership:
Narrator's photo
Caption:
Comedian Carol Burnett (left) joined Carol Frederick and Diane Greenholdt (right) in the Illinois statehouse in Springfield in 1975 during that year’s legislative debates on ERA. ERA was hotly debated every year from 1972 through 1982.
Where:
Springfield, IL
When:
1975
Ownership:
Narrator's photo
Caption:
Carol participated in a pro-ERA march in Chicago, IL in 1975.
Where:
Chicago, IL
When:
1975
Ownership:
May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator.
Caption:
Carol (dark blouse in center) took part in a pro-ERA march in Springfield, IL in 1976. The state legislature debated the issue for every year from 1972 to 1982.
Where:
Springfield, IL
When:
1976
Ownership:
May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator.
Caption:
Carol and her daughter Michelle met gubernatorial candidate Jim Thompson in Alton, IL in 1976.
Where:
Alton, IL
When:
1976
Ownership:
Narrator's photo
Caption:
Carol Frederick ran for State Representative from Illinois’s 49th District in 1976. The campaign flyer included three newspaper endorsements for her candidacy.
Where:
When:
1976
Ownership:
May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator.
Caption:
Carol (center, in blue hat) attended the International Women’s Year Conference in Houston, Texas in 1977. By that time, women’s groups were growing increasingly concerned about the fate of the ERA Amendment.
Where:
Houston, TX
When:
1977
Ownership:
Narrator's photo
Caption:
Carol Burnett was back in Springfield again in 1978 to continue her advocacy for passage of ERA. She signed this photo of her, kneeling beside an Illinois specialty plate for Carol Frederick.
Where:
Springfield, IL
When:
1978
Ownership:
May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator.
Caption:
Carol (right) with her daughters Melanie (left) and Michelle (center) on Michelle’s wedding day in East Alton, Illinois in 1980.
Where:
East Alton, IL
When:
1980
Ownership:
Narrator's photo
Caption:
Carol visited Paris, France with her granddaughter Rachel in 2009.
Where:
Paris, France
When:
2009
Ownership:
Narrator's photo
Caption:
Carol Frederick met Carol Burnett once again at the Fox Theater in St. Louis, Missouri in 2012.
Where:
St. Louis, MO
When:
2012
Ownership:
Narrator's photo