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Foster Gunnison Jr.

1925 – 1994

American LGBT rights activist

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About Foster Gunnison Jr.

Lived 1925 – 1994 (aged 68–69). Foster Gunnison Jr. was a lGBTQ rights activist.

Foster Gunnison Jr. (1925–1994) was an American LGBT rights activist who collected a substantial archive of LGBT history and activism in Hartford, Connecticut. Following Gunnison's death, his family donated the archive to the University of Connecticut's Archives and Special Collections.

Born in 1925 in the upscale suburb of Bronxville, New York, Gunnison came from a privileged background. His father, Foster Gunnison Sr, was a founder of the prefabricated homes industry in the United States. Gunnison Jr. enrolled in Haverford College and transferred to Columbia University, graduating in 1949. He moved to Connecticut in 1955 to attend Trinity College, where he earned master's degrees in psychology and philosophy.

Gunnison joined the Mattachine Society in 1964. Gunnison founded his own organization, the Institute for Social Ethics, which he described as a "libertarian-oriented research facility and think tank for controversial social issues." He published the pamphlet An Introduction to the Homophile Movement (1967).

Starting in the 1970s, Gunnison also became interested in smokers' rights, founding the American Puffer Alliance in 1984.

Gunnison died of a heart attack in January 1994 in Hartford. He was 68 years old.

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Important facts

Born
1925, Bronxville, New York
Birth century
Died
1994, Hartford, Connecticut
Education
Columbia University, Trinity College (Connecticut)

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Foster Gunnison Jr.'s

Frequently asked questions

Who was Foster Gunnison Jr.?

American LGBT rights activist

When was Foster Gunnison Jr. born?

Foster Gunnison Jr. was born in 1925 in Bronxville, New York.

When did Foster Gunnison Jr. die?

Foster Gunnison Jr. died in 1994 in Hartford, Connecticut.

What was Foster Gunnison Jr.'s occupation?

Foster Gunnison Jr. was a lGBTQ rights activist.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Foster Gunnison Jr.

· Wikidata: Q105109632

· DBpedia: Foster Gunnison Jr.

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Foster Gunnison Jr.. https://biography.guide/foster-gunnison-jr/

MLA: "Foster Gunnison Jr.." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/foster-gunnison-jr/.

Chicago: "Foster Gunnison Jr.." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/foster-gunnison-jr/.

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