Mary D. Crisp

Mary Dent Crisp (November 5, 1923 – March 24, 2007) was an American Republican leader and feminist who was ousted from her party after publicly opposing its views on abortion rights and the Equal Rights Amendment.

Activism In 1977, Crisp wrote to every Republican in Congress in order to gain support for a bill that would extend the ERA ratification deadline. In her speech at the 1980 Republican National Convention, Crisp publicly challenged and spoke against the Republican Party’s decision to abandon the Equal Rights Amendment and support and abandon their anti-abortion platform.

After Crisp spoke out against the Republican Party, the party chairman, Bill Brock, told her that “[She] should adopt the lowest profile possible.” Brock ordered her remarks to be deleted from the program of the national nominating convention, and canceled two convention events that Crisp was supposed to host. Crisp had endorsed an independent Republican John B. Anderson of Illinois for president, but denied endorsing him and arranged with Brock that she would no longer talk to reporters and would not seek re-election of her position. Later, her friends said that Crisp agreed to listen to Brock to protect her staff members from being fired. She served on boards for numerous political organizations and "fought to return the Republican Party to what she believed were its ideological roots: individual freedom and limited government".

A supporter of Equal Rights Amendment and abortion rights, Crisp supported pro-choice and women's right to make their own reproductive choices. Crisp then left her position under pressure from supporters of President Ronald Reagan. In the same year, Crisp co-founded the National Republican Coalition for Choice, where she served as chair and spokesperson, in response to the government's abandonment of the abortion and equal rights. National Women's Political Caucus National Advocacy Board of Planned Parenthood Trustee for The Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression Honorary Doctor of Law degree from Cedar Crest College in 1981 Honorary Doctor of Law degree from Oberlin College in 1982