2024 Honoree
Muriel Fox
feminist leader and author
Her new book is The Women’s Revolution: How We Changed Your Life. Inspired at age 94 to write about the extraordinary (but not always fully acknowledged) changes wrought by the women’s movement, the book covers a lifetime spent fighting for equality—on picket lines and in boardrooms. And always with skillful publicity. It covers Fox’s co-founding of the National Organization for Women (NOW) and the powerful NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund (now Legal Momentum), one of the oldest and longest-lasting legal advocacy groups for women. As organizing lieutenant to Betty Friedan and head of NOW’s communications, Fox was central in creating both national NOW and its New York Chapter. Her early success in a top public relations agency—a place that originally said “We don’t hire women writers”—was key to building a publicity effort that introduced the modern women’s movement to the world. She co-founded the Women’s Forum of New York and served as its second president, has served on the boards of international corporations and organizations including the American Arbitration Association, the Child Care Action Campaign, International Rescue Committee, and the United Way of Tri-State. She chairs the Veteran Feminists of America, which documents the achievements of the women’s movement. At age 96, she remains an influential voice in the feminist movement.
Interview
Interview conducted, taped, and edited by Ruth Sergel
Awards Ceremony
Poster
Posters about the honorees are by students from The Imagine Society, where young leaders work with adult mentors to help make the world a better place.
Katie Gaffigan (9th grade) made this poster about Muriel Fox
[Click image to enlarge.]