History of Phyllis Schlafly in Timeline

Phyllis Schlafly was a prominent American conservative activist and attorney known for her staunch opposition to feminism and the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). A figurehead of the New Right, she mobilized conservative women, arguing the ERA would undermine traditional family values and harm women. Her organization, Eagle Forum, became a significant force in conservative politics. Schlafly's activism played a key role in the ERA's failure to be ratified, and she remained a vocal advocate for conservative social and political causes throughout her life.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

August 15, 1924: Birth of Phyllis Schlafly

On August 15, 1924, Phyllis McAlpin Stewart, later known as Phyllis Schlafly, was born. She became an American attorney, conservative activist, and anti-feminist figure.

Others born on this day/year

1932: Father's Unemployment

In 1932, during the Great Depression, Phyllis Schlafly's father, John Bruce Stewart, faced long-term unemployment.

1944: Graduation from Washington University

In 1944, Phyllis Schlafly graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a Bachelor of Arts degree and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

1944: Patent of rotary engine

In 1944, Phyllis Schlafly's father, John Bruce Stewart, was granted a patent for a rotary engine.

1945: Master's Degree from Radcliffe

In 1945, Phyllis Schlafly received a Master of Arts degree in government from Radcliffe after attending Harvard.

1946: Researcher at American Enterprise Institute

In 1946, Phyllis Schlafly became a researcher for the American Enterprise Institute and worked on Claude I. Bakewell's successful campaign for the United States House of Representatives.

October 20, 1949: Marriage to John Fred Schlafly Jr.

On October 20, 1949, Phyllis Schlafly married attorney John Fred Schlafly Jr., a member of a wealthy St. Louis family.

June 1952: Keynote Speaker at Illinois Republican Convention

In June 1952, Phyllis Schlafly was the keynote speaker at the Illinois state convention of the Republican Party. She accused the Truman administration of "demoralizing our children by bad examples, drafting our men, and confiscating our family income."

July 1952: First Republican National Convention

In early July 1952, Phyllis Schlafly attended her first Republican National Convention as part of the Illinois delegation, where she endorsed U.S. Senator Robert A. Taft for the party's presidential nominee.

1957: Co-authors ABA Report

In 1957, Phyllis Schlafly played a major role with her husband in writing the "American Bar Association's Report on Communist Tactics, Strategy, and Objectives."

1960: Mention in "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel"

In 1960, Phyllis Schlafly is mentioned in "Marvelous Radio", the seventh episode of the third season of the comedy TV series "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel", where the main character, Midge, considers participating in a live radio commercial for Schlafly but ultimately refuses due to her views.

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1960: Republican National Convention Alternate Delegate

In 1960, Phyllis Schlafly was elected to serve as an alternate delegate to the Republican National Convention from Illinois' 24th congressional district, where she helped lead a revolt of "moral conservatives".

1961: Opposition to Arms Control

In 1961, Phyllis Schlafly voiced her opposition to arms control agreements with the Soviet Union, arguing that such measures would not deter aggression.

June 2, 1964: Distribution of 'A Choice Not an Echo' in California

Prior to the June 2, 1964 GOP primary, 300,000 copies of Phyllis Schlafly's book "A Choice Not an Echo" were distributed in California. The distribution was handled in such a way as to mask the John Birch Society's involvement.

1964: Publication of A Choice Not an Echo

In 1964, Phyllis Schlafly self-published "A Choice Not an Echo", a book supporting Barry Goldwater and criticizing liberal Republicans. Over three million copies were sold or distributed.

1965: Publication of Strike From Space

In 1965, Phyllis Schlafly wrote in "Strike From Space" about her work during World War II as a "ballistics gunner and technician at the largest ammunition plant in the world".

1967: Lost Bid for NFRW Presidency

In 1967, Phyllis Schlafly lost her bid for the presidency of the National Federation of Republican Women (NFRW) against Gladys O'Donnell.

1970: Unsuccessful Congressional Run

In 1970, Phyllis Schlafly ran unsuccessfully for Illinois's 23rd congressional district, losing to Democratic incumbent George E. Shipley.

1972: Campaign Against the Equal Rights Amendment Begins

In 1972, Phyllis Schlafly began her campaign against the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).

1972: Founding of the Eagle Forum

In 1972, Phyllis Schlafly founded the Eagle Forum, a conservative political interest group. She remained its chair and CEO until her death.

1973: Commentaries on WBBM

From 1973, Phyllis Schlafly provided commentaries on Chicago news radio station WBBM.

1974: CBS Morning News Commentaries

From 1974, Phyllis Schlafly provided commentaries on CBS Morning News.

1975: ERA Ratification Predicted

Many people believed that the ERA would have been ratified by 1975 had it not been for Phyllis Schlafly's early and effective efforts to organize potential opponents.

1976: ERA Ratification Predicted

Many people believed that the ERA would have been ratified by 1976 had it not been for Phyllis Schlafly's early and effective efforts to organize potential opponents.

January 1977: Indiana Ratifies the ERA

In January 1977, Indiana became the last state to ratify the ERA, with State Senator Wayne Townsend casting the tie-breaking vote.

November 1977: Opposition Speaker at National Women's Conference

In November 1977, Phyllis Schlafly was an opposition speaker at the 1977 National Women's Conference with Lottie Beth Hobbs, Dr. Mildred Jefferson, Nellie Gray, and Bob Dornan.

1977: Pro-Life, Pro-Family Rally

In 1977, Phyllis Schlafly led anti-feminists in organizing a counter-conference to the National Women's Conference, known as the Pro-Life, Pro-Family Rally, at the Astro Arena. Over 15,000 people attended the rally.

1978: Juris Doctor Degree

In 1978, Phyllis Schlafly earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Washington University School of Law.

1978: Cancelled Speeches

In 1978, Phyllis Schlafly told Time magazine, "I have cancelled speeches whenever my husband thought that I had been away from home too much."

1980: NOW Downplays Program for Older Women

By 1980, the National Organization for Women (NOW) downplayed their program to help older divorced and widowed women, focusing almost exclusively on ratification of the ERA. Schlafly criticized feminists for abandoning older, middle-class women and warned that the ERA would strip legal protections they needed.

1980: Commentaries on CNN

From 1980, Phyllis Schlafly provided commentaries on CNN.

1983: Syndicated Radio Commentaries

In 1983, Phyllis Schlafly began creating syndicated daily 3-minute commentaries for radio.

1989: Eagle Forum Live

In 1989, Phyllis Schlafly began hosting a weekly radio talk show, Eagle Forum Live.

1992: Son John Schlafly outed as gay

In 1992, John Schlafly, the eldest son of Fred and Phyllis Schlafly, was outed as gay by Queer Week magazine.

1992: Bill Clinton Elected President

The defeat of the ERA damaged the women's movement and led to feminist dissatisfaction with the Republican Party, which helped elect Bill Clinton to the presidency in 1992.

1993: Move to Ladue, Missouri

Following her husband's death in 1993, Phyllis Schlafly moved to Ladue, Missouri.

1993: Death of John Fred Schlafly Jr.

In 1993, John Fred Schlafly Jr., husband of Phyllis Schlafly, passed away.

1994: Condemnation of Globalization

Prior to the 1994 Congressional elections, Phyllis Schlafly condemned globalization through the World Trade Organization as a "direct attack on American sovereignty, independence, jobs, and economy."

1995: Condemnation of the United Nations

On the 50th anniversary of the UN in 1995, Phyllis Schlafly referred to it as "a cause for mourning, not celebration... a Trojan Horse that carries the enemy into our midst."

1996: Bill Clinton Re-elected President

In 1996, Bill Clinton was re-elected as president, due to the combination of feminist dissatisfaction with the Republican Party and overwhelming minority support.

1996: Opposition to Bosnia Troop Deployment

In 1996, Phyllis Schlafly opposed President Bill Clinton's decision to send 20,000 American troops to Bosnia during the Yugoslav Wars.

2005: Call for Impeachment of Justice Anthony Kennedy

In 2005, Phyllis Schlafly advocated for the impeachment of Justice Anthony Kennedy, citing his vote to abolish the death penalty for minors as grounds for impeachment.

March 30, 2006: Attribution of Women's Improvements

In an interview on March 30, 2006, Phyllis Schlafly attributed improvement in women's lives during the last decades of the 20th century to labor-saving devices such as the indoor clothes dryer and disposable diapers.

2006: Creation of Website Opposing North American Union

In late 2006, Phyllis Schlafly collaborated with Jerome Corsi and Howard Phillips to create a website opposing the concept of a "North American Union."

March 2007: Speech Against Marital Rape Concept

In March 2007, Phyllis Schlafly spoke against the concept of marital rape in a speech at Bates College, stating that "By getting married, the woman has consented to sex, and I don't think you can call it rape."

2007: Warnings Against New ERA

In 2007, while working to defeat a new version of the Equal Rights Amendment, Phyllis Schlafly warned it would force courts to approve same-sex marriages and deny Social Security benefits for housewives and widows.

May 1, 2008: Announcement of Honorary Degree

On May 1, 2008, Washington University in St. Louis announced that Phyllis Schlafly would receive an honorary degree at the graduation ceremony, sparking objections from students and faculty.

May 16, 2008: Award of Honorary Degree and Protests

On May 16, 2008, Phyllis Schlafly was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters at Washington University, amidst protests where faculty and students silently turned their backs in opposition.

2008: Criticism of Mike Huckabee and Barack Obama

In 2008, Phyllis Schlafly criticized Mike Huckabee for his leadership of the Republican Party in Arkansas and referred to Barack Obama as "an elitist who worked with words".

April 2010: Call for Military Veteran Appointment to Supreme Court

In April 2010, following the retirement announcement of Justice John Paul Stevens, Phyllis Schlafly advocated for the appointment of a military veteran to the U.S. Supreme Court.

December 2011: Endorsement of Michele Bachmann

In December 2011, Phyllis Schlafly endorsed Michele Bachmann for the Iowa caucus of the 2012 Republican presidential primaries.

February 3, 2012: Endorsement of Rick Santorum in Missouri Primary

On February 3, 2012, Phyllis Schlafly announced she would vote for Rick Santorum in Missouri's Republican primary.

2012: Endorsement of Michele Bachmann

In December 2011, Phyllis Schlafly endorsed Michele Bachmann for the Iowa caucus of the 2012 Republican presidential primaries.

September 5, 2016: Death of Phyllis Schlafly

On September 5, 2016, Phyllis Schlafly, the American attorney, conservative activist, and anti-feminist, passed away. She was a nationally prominent figure in conservatism.

September 6, 2016: Publication of "The Conservative Case for Trump"

Phyllis Schlafly's last book, "The Conservative Case for Trump", was published on September 6, 2016, a day after her death.

2016: Death of Phyllis Schlafly

In 2016, Phyllis Schlafly died while still serving as chair and CEO of the Eagle Forum, remaining active in conservative causes until her death.

2016: Endorsement of Donald Trump and Eagle Forum Split

In 2016, Phyllis Schlafly endorsed Donald Trump for president, leading to a division within the Eagle Forum board.

2017: Nevada Ratifies ERA

In 2017, Nevada ratified the ERA, many years after the deadline to do so.

2019: Reference in "The Testaments"

In 2019, Phyllis Schlafly is briefly referenced in Margaret Atwood's novel "The Testaments," the sequel to "The Handmaid's Tale," in which there is a "Schlafly Café" open to women in the "Aunt" or teacher caste.