History of Planned Parenthood of Illinois
The institution that is today's Planned Parenthood began in the early 1900s with Margaret Sanger, a nurse who advocated for birth control and led the movement to abolish federal and state laws prohibiting publication of information about sexuality, contraception and human reproduction. In 1916, Sanger opened the first birth control clinic and founded Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA).
1923: The Illinois Birth Control League makes family planning available in Chicago by opening a center on Michigan Avenue. Prominent Chicago women support the League and its activities.
1930s: Additional health centers are opened in Chicago.
1938: Four socially prominent women work together to open the Maternal Health Clinic in Springfield. The center was open on two Wednesdays a month.
Early 1940s: In February of 1940 the center in Champaign opened, but was only allowed to serve married women of low income. The war years brought shortages of doctors and nurses, but the center survived.
1947: The medical centers in Chicago are incorporated as a Planned Parenthood Affiliate and become known as Planned Parenthood Association, Chicago Area (PPACA). PPACA assumes the responsibility for reproductive, medical, and educational services in the Chicago area. Twenty-two men and women are elected to the Board of Directors.
Dorothy Emma Howell (1919-2011) married Hugh Ellsworth Rodham (1911-1993) in 1942. Hillary was not born until October 25, 1947 in Chicago.
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