Association for Voluntary Sterilization Records

The Association for Voluntary Sterilization (AVS) promoted the benefits of voluntary sterilization as a means of family planning and population control. Its predecessor, The Sterilization League of New Jersey, was formed in 1937 to promote the eugenic sterilization of the physically and developmentally disabled and persons with mental illness. Between 1943 and 1964, the organization changed its name several times. It was known successively as Birthright (1943-1950), Human Betterment Association of America (1950-1962), and Human Betterment Association for Voluntary Sterilization (1962-1964) before becoming AVS in 1965. The name changes reflected the association's growing emphasis on voluntary sterilization as a means of birth control and ongoing efforts to disassociate itself from eugenic sterilization.

The Sterilization League of New Jersey was formed January 9, 1937 at an organizational meeting called by Marian S. Norton (later Olden), chairman of the Princeton League of Women Voters' department of social hygiene. During the mid 1930s, Norton had worked for the introduction of sterilization legislation in the New Jersey legislature, conducted studies of sterilization in the United States and abroad, and corresponded with persons interested in sterilization. In 1936 she was invited by the New Jersey League of Women Voters to form a committee to seek adoption of a model sterilization bill. These efforts ended in an impasse. As a result, Norton proposed the formation of the Sterilization League of New Jersey in December, 1936 and hosted the organizational meeting in her home in January, 1937. Norton became the secretary of the League and served the organization in varying capacities from 1937 to 1948. The first president was Thomas L. Zimmerman, a judge in the Bergen County Juvenile Court. In its early years, the small, Princeton-based League conducted an educational program of publications and exhibits designed to promote sterilization as a means to control physical, mental, and social disease. It also continued to work towards passage of a sterilization bill in the New Jersey legislature, but was unsuccessful.

In January, 1943, the League voted to expand its program to become a national sterilization organization under the name Sterilization League For Human Betterment. However, friends and relatives of Ezra S. Gosney, founder of the Human Betterment Foundation (a California-based organization) apparently objected to use of "Human Betterment." On April 12, 1943, the League became Birthright, Inc., a national, non profit, educational organization dedicated to fostering "all reliable and scientific means for improving the biological stock of the human race" and ensuring that "there should be no child in America that has not the complete Birthright of a sound mind in a sound body and that has not been born under proper conditions." H. Curtis Wood Jr became president of Birthright in 1945. He served until 1961 and continued as a medical consultant until 1973. Under his leadership, the organization worked to improve the understanding and appeal of sterilization among the general public; promote sterilization to medical and social work professionals; and make sterilization procedures more available. It also attempted to minimize its former emphasis on eugenic sterilization.

In an effort to find a name more descriptive of Birthright's changing functions, members present at a June 23, 1950 special membership meeting voted to assume the name, Human Betterment Association of America. At approximately the same time, following formation of a medical and scientific committee chaired by Robert L. Dickinson, the Association opened a New York City office in Dickinson's studio in the New York Academy of Medicine. (The Princeton office was eventually closed.) During the 1950s, the Association continued to expand its education, research, and service functions. It conducted fact finding studies in the "medical, legal, eugenic, psychological, and socioeconomic aspects" of sterilization; disseminated information on sterilization to groups and individuals; and referred individuals seeking sterilization to specialists who would perform the procedure. Continued concern about its ability to develop full public understanding of the meaning and use of voluntary sterilization led Association members present at the 1962 annual membership meeting to change the Association's name to the Human Betterment Association for Voluntary Sterilization. In 1964, "Human Betterment" was dropped and the organization became the Association for Voluntary Sterilization.

During John Rague's tenure as executive director (1963-1972), AVS conducted a widespread public information campaign on the advantages of voluntary sterilization as a means of birth control. AVS speakers, primarily H. Curtis Wood, Jr., appeared on TV and radio programs and toured the country advocating voluntary sterilization. AVS also continued its referral service and provided financial assistance for sterilization procedures through a revolving loan fund established by attorney Graham French. In addition, AVS worked to improve access to sterilization through the courts. In conjunction with Zero Population Growth and the American Civil Liberties Union, AVS mounted "Operation Lawsuit" in1971 to 1973. "Operation Lawsuit" actively sought out possible litigants for lawsuits against hospitals that refused to perform sterilization procedures. The success of the lawsuits and increasingly widespread acceptance of sterilization for birth control made it possible for the Association to shift its focus to medical research. The new focus was implemented under the leadership of Charles T. Faneuff, who succeeded Rague as executive director in November, 1972, and Ira Lubell, who replaced Faneuff in August, 1973. Lubell served until 1981, when he was succeeded by Hugo Hoogenbloom.

During the1970s, AVS also increased its international work. As early as December, 1966, a Temporary Organizing Committee for the International Association for Voluntary Sterilization was created to promote voluntary sterilization around the world, with an emphasis on developing nations. In May, 1972, AVS received a grant from United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to conduct an international conference on the role of voluntary sterilization and to establish international educational and technical assistance programs for access to safe, voluntary sterilization procedures. With the help of the grant, the International Project of the Association for Voluntary Sterilization (IPAVS)became an increasingly important segment of the association's work. Gradually, international activities became the dominant component of the AVS program.

AVS changed its name to the Association for Voluntary Surgical Contraception (AVSC) during the 1980s, was renamed AVSC International in 1994, and became EngenderHealth in 2001.

Sources for the history of the Association for Voluntary Sterilization include: