The Margaret Sanger Award is an honor awarded annually by the Planned Parenthood Federation of America since 1966. Created to honor the legacy of Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, it is the Federation's highest honor. It is given to individuals to recognize excellence and leadership in the reproductive health and rights movement.
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1967–1969
The first Sanger awards were given in 1966 under four categories, Human Rights, Medicine, Leadership and Service, on the 50th anniversary of Planned Parenthood's founding. The award in human rights was presented to Martin Luther King who was unable to attend due to "pressing business concerning his Chicago movement," his wife, Coretta Scott King, received the award in his place. Carl G. Hartman was awarded with the award in medicine for his research that led to the discovery of basic principles of birth control methods. He was also unable to be present to receive it due to illness. Betty Mary Goetting was the third person to receive the National Margaret Sanger Award for her work in promoting birth control in El Paso, Texas. Lyndon Baines Johnson, then president, received the award in World Leadership for his "vigorous and far-sighted leadership" in implementing a national family planning policy. He sent his labor secretary, Willard Wirtz, to receive it on his behalf. The final award was presented to William Draper for service in voluntary family planning, he was the only recipient who was present to receive the award.
Philanthropist John D. Rockefeller III won the second Sanger Award in World Leadership for 1967. His recognition underscored his being instrumental in organizing the first World Population Conference as well as his founding of the Population Council. After Rockefeller, Ernest Gruening received the 1968 Margaret Sanger Award in World Leadership. At the time he was a Democratic U.S. Senator from Alaska.
Hugh Mackintosh Foot, also known as Lord Caradon, was given the Margaret Sanger Award in World Leadership for his "farsighted leadership in the area of international family planning and population issues" in 1969. At the time, he was the British ambassador to the United Nations. Lord Caradon was a well known supporter of Planned Parenthood, free contraceptives and sex education in schools.
1970
Then a Democratic U.S. Senator from Maryland, Joseph D. Tydings received the Margaret Sanger award in 1970 for "activities related to population and birth control." Tydings was known as a strong proponent for access to reproductive health care having had introducing fifteen bills towards this goal. He also promoted gearing foreign aid to promote reproductive care access.
1971
The 1971 Margaret Sanger Award was presented to Louis M. Hellman for service in the field of voluntary family planning. A physician, at the time of his receiving the award he was the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Population Affairs in the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. He was known for his actions in 1958 when he defied a ban on prescribing contraception in the New York municipal hospital system as part of a citywide campaign supported by Planned Parenthood that was successful in getting the ban repealed. As deputy secretary, he continued his advocacy of access to contraceptives as well as abortion access.
1972
In 1972, Planned Parenthood awarded its former president, Alan Frank Guttmacher, with the award.
1973
Sarah Lewit Tietze and Christopher Tietze, MD
1974
Harriet F. Pilpel, JD
1975
In 1975, Cass Canfield a publishing executive and rose to become Chair of the Board of Harper and Row (now HarperCollins). He was also a former chair of the International Planned Parenthood Federation and the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. He was also noted to have taken a "special interest" in advocating for a Margaret Sanger commemorative stamp from the U.S. Postal Service, realized in 1972 as the Family Planning commemorative stamp.
1976
John Rock, MD
1977
Bernard Berelson, PhD
1978
Julia Henderson Frederick S. Jaffe Edris Rice-Wray, MD, PhD
1979
Alfred E. Moran Robert Packwood
1980
Mary S. Calderone, MD Sarah Weddington, Esq.
1981
William G. Milliken
1982
Madame Jihan Sadat
1983
Katharine Hepburn
1984
Bishop Paul Moore
1985
Guadalupe de la Vega Mechai Viravaidya
1986
Jeannie I. Rosoff
1987
Phil Donahue
1988
Ann Landers Abigail Van Buren
1989
Canadian pro-choice advocate Henry Morgentaler received the 1989 Margaret Sanger Award. He was known for his successful efforts spearheading efforts to repeal Canadian laws restricting access to abortions. Planned Parenthood also noted his "outstanding contributions to expanding the public's understanding of reproductive health and individual rights issues" in presenting him with the award.
1990
Mufaweza Khan
1991
Bella Abzug
1992
Faye Wattleton
1993
Richard Steele, Audrey Steele Burnand, Barbara Steele Williams
1994
Fred Sai
1995
Jane Elizabeth Hodgson, MD
1996
Justice Harry A. Blackmun
1997
Louise Tyrer, MD Robin Chandler Duke
1998
The Reverend Howard Moody
2000
The 2000 Margaret Sanger Award went to Nafis Sadik, a physician and executive director of the United Nations Population Fund. She was presented with the honor at Planned Parenthood's annual Honors Gala concluding its Annual Conference in Washington, D.C.. The Federation cited her efforts to increase access to family planning, first as a physician with her own practice in Pakistan, then as director of Pakistan's national family planning service and finally at the United Nations Population Fund.
2001
In 2001, Planned Parenthood presented the annual Margaret Sanger Award to actress Kathleen Turner in Dallas, Texas. A statement from the organization stated that "millions of women, men and families have been affected by Kathleen Turner's advocacy for increased access to family planning." It went on to cite her "extraordinary efforts" for reproductive health issues. Widely recognized as one of the premier American actors in film and on the stage, Turner had chaired the Federation's Board of Advocates since 1995. She had been active in promoting Planned Parenthood's Responsible Choices Action Agenda through her active appearances at numerous events nationwide, lobbying and multimedia efforts.
2003
Jane Fonda received the 2003 Margaret Sanger Award at Planned Parenthood's annual Planned Parenthood Honors: A Salute to Courage, Integrity, and Leadership gala which culminated its annual conference in Portland, Oregon. Fonda received the award for her "passionate advocacy for reproductive rights and a leader in the field of teen pregnancy prevention." Upon receiving her award, Fonda said she was "going to help you [Planned Parenthood] raise lots of money for your 'Power the Promise' Campaign," continuing her advocacy for reproductive rights. She later went on to establish the Jane Fonda Center for Adolescent Reproductive Health at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia the goal of which was to prevent adolescent pregnancy through training and program development.
2004
Ted Turner Forum for Women, Law, and Development of Nepal K-MET of Kenya
2005
Gloria Feldt
2006
Karen Pearl and Allan Rosenfield, MD
2007
Dolores Huerta
2008
Kenneth C. Edelin, MD
2009
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
2010
Ellen R. Malcolm
2011
Anthony D. Romero
2012
Philip Darney, MD, MSc and Uta Landy, PhD
2013
Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer
2014
Rep. Nancy Pelosi
2015
Dr. Willie Parker
2016
Judy Schwartz and Philip Schwartz