Nurses to Know: Faye Wattleton, Leader in Women’s Health
Faye Wattleton is a pioneering nurse and civil rights advocate, celebrated as the youngest person and the first African American woman to lead the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, serving from 1978 to 1992. Under her leadership, the organization expanded into one of the largest nonprofit health organizations in the U.S., with more than 170 affiliates across 49 states and the District of Columbia.
Who was the famous nurse whose leadership left a lasting mark on reproductive health in America? Her journey is as inspiring as her impact — let’s dive into the life, work, and legacy she built.
Who Is Faye Wattleton?
Early Life
Alyce Faye Wattleton was born to George Wattleton and Ozie Garrett Wattleton on July 8, 1943, in St. Louis, Missouri. She was the only child of her hardworking parents — her father labored in a factory, and her mother was a seamstress and a minister in the Church of God.
Her childhood wasn’t typical. Because her mother traveled often for ministry work, young Faye spent about eight years living with relatives and family friends. Reflecting on those years, Wattleton later said, “I was raised by my parents to believe that it was my obligation to help those with less than I had. Although we were materially poor, the value of my family life was that there was a sense of achievement. We were taught to believe that it was possible to succeed, and that if you didn’t, you didn’t quit.”
Early Nursing Career
At just 16 years old, Wattleton enrolled at Ohio State University, where she pursued a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). After earning her nursing degree in 1964, she quickly moved from student to educator, spending the next two years teaching maternity nursing at the Miami Valley Hospital School of Nursing in Dayton, Ohio.
But behind her confident, professional exterior, she faced a difficult choice. In a time when abortion was illegal, she made a decision to terminate her pregnancy. The procedure had to be done in secret, late at night, without anesthesia, while she continued teaching labor and delivery nurses by day. That painful experience planted the seeds of her fierce commitment to ensuring that women would never have to face such impossible choices alone.
Driven to deepen her impact on women’s health, Wattleton won a full scholarship to Columbia University in New York City. There, she entered a graduate program in maternal and infant health care and earned a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree in 1967.
While studying, Wattleton witnessed firsthand the consequences of inadequate prenatal care, unsafe abortions, and limited access to reproductive health services — particularly among low-income women and women of color. These experiences further fueled her lifelong commitment to challenging the structural inequities that failed women when they needed care most.
Faye then made a deeply personal and difficult decision. Facing a situation few women could openly discuss at the time, she chose to have an abortion. The experience left a profound mark on her — shaping not only her understanding of women’s health but also fueling her passion to ensure that no woman would ever have to face such decisions without safe, compassionate care. It became a driving force behind her later advocacy and leadership in reproductive rights.
After completing her graduate degree, Wattleton returned to Ohio to serve as assistant public health director in Montgomery County. Driven by the conviction that health care was not just a service but also a civil right, she set out to expand prenatal care and maternal health services across the community.
At the same time, she began volunteering with her local Planned Parenthood chapter, drawn to its mission of providing comprehensive reproductive health care and education. Her leadership and vision quickly became apparent, and in 1970, she was named executive director of the Dayton Planned Parenthood board — marking the beginning of a remarkable journey that would soon transform reproductive healthcare on a national scale.
Leading Planned Parenthood
When Faye Wattleton became president of Planned Parenthood in January 1978, she stepped into one of the most visible and politically charged leadership roles in U.S. healthcare. She was not only the first African American and youngest person ever to hold the position, but she also brought a bold new vision that reshaped the organization’s mission and impact.
Under Wattleton’s leadership, Planned Parenthood significantly expanded its health services and reach. By the late 1980s and early 1990s, the organization had grown into one of the nation’s largest nonprofits, with more than 170 affiliates across the states. In this period, Planned Parenthood provided reproductive healthcare, education, contraception, infertility counseling, and prenatal care to millions of people each year.
Wattleton also strengthened the organization’s political engagement at a time when reproductive rights were under intensifying attack. She anticipated and confronted growing opposition from the religious right and conservative policymakers, including efforts to restrict abortion access and cut federal funding for family planning. In 1989, she launched the Planned Parenthood Action Fund to defend reproductive rights through education and legislative action.
Wattleton pushed the federation to take an unapologetically pro‑choice stance, framing it as a defense of women’s autonomy and health rather than a political position. She also guided the organization through turbulent political times, from Reagan-era anti‑abortion policies to restrictive Supreme Court decisions that emboldened state restrictions.
Through her leadership work, Wattleton emerged as one of the nation’s most visible and influential voices fearlessly advocating for reproductive freedom.
Later Life
After stepping down from Planned Parenthood in 1992, Wattleton continued to shape public discourse and policy. She hosted a Chicago‑based television talk show from 1992 to 1995, and then founded the Center for the Advancement of Women, a nonprofit organization dedicated to research and advocacy of women’s rights.
Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Wattleton remained an influential voice in civic life. She published her memoir, Life on the Line, in 1996, sharing insights into her personal journey and her work defending reproductive rights. She also served on the boards of numerous organizations, including Estée Lauder, Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and Columbia University, bringing her leadership experience to corporate and academic arenas.
In a remarkable later‑career shift, Wattleton co‑founded EeroQ, a quantum computing company — an example of her enduring commitment to innovation and progress. Now in her 80s, she continues to advocate for reproductive rights, give speeches at Planned Parenthood events, and mentor emerging leaders in public health, policy, and technology. Her life is proof that a single heart committed to social justice can leave footprints far beyond its own path.
What Did Faye Wattleton Do? Continued Legacy
Beyond Wattleton’s leadership at Planned Parenthood, her wins have been widely recognized through numerous awards and honors, reflecting the profound impact she has had on public health and the countless lives she has touched. Some of her most notable achievements include:
- 1986: Named Humanist of the Year by the American Humanist Association.
- 1992: Awarded the Margaret Sanger Award — Planned Parenthood’s highest honor for leadership in reproductive health and rights.
- 1993: Inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame.
- 1989: Awarded the American Public Health Association’s Award of Excellence.
- 2004: Won the Fries Prize for Improving Health
- 2023: Named to Forbes’ 50 Over 50 — Innovation” list.
For her remarkable achievements, Wattleton has been awarded 12 honorary doctoral degrees, including from Wesleyan University, Northeastern University Law School, and University of Pennsylvania, recognizing the wide-ranging influence of her work on generations of women and communities.
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Care, Lead, and Succeed in Nursing
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Image source: plannedparenthood.org