Betty Friedan

Betty Friedan was an American feminist writer and activist, born Bettye Naomi Goldstein in Peoria, Illinois, whose 1963 book The Feminine Mystique is often credited with sparking the second wave of American feminism. The book grew from a survey of college graduates she made for her 15th college reunion in 1957 and depicted the role of the full-time homemaker, which she deemed stifling. In 1966 she co-founded the National Organization for Women (NOW) and was elected its first president. In 1970 she organized the nationwide Women's Strike for Equality, and in 1971 she helped establish the National Women's Political Caucus. She died in Washington, D.C., in 2006.