Alice S. Rossi (1922 - 2009)

Sun Sep 24, 1922

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Alice S. Rossi, born on this day in 1922, was a pioneering feminist and sociologist who co-founded the “National Organization of Women” (NOW).

One of Rossi’s most influential articles was “Equality Between the Sexes: An Immodest Proposal”, first presented as a talk in 1963. In the piece, Professor Rossi argued that for most women motherhood had become a full-time occupation, a state of affairs that hurt not only women but also the larger society in which they lived. For the well-being of both the women and the culture, she argued, parity of the sexes is essential.

The year “Equality Between the Sexes” was published coincided with the publication of “The Feminine Mystique” by Betty Friedan, a fellow feminist author and activist. Professor Rossi’s argument was considered subversive at the time, and in later interviews she recalled being called a monster, an unnatural woman, and an unfit mother.

In 1966, Rossi, along with Betty Friedan and others, founded the National Organization for Women (NOW).

“Demands for equality for women are threats to men’s self-esteem and sense of sexual turf.”

- Alice S. Rossi