Additional papers of Mary Steichen Calderone, 1922-1979

Physician and leader in public health, birth control and sex education, Mary Steichen Calderone (1904-1998), the daughter of photographer Edward Steichen, was graduated from Vassar in 1925, the University of Rochester Medical School in 1939, and received an M.A. in public health from Columbia in 1942. She married Dr. Frank Calderone, worked as physician for the public schools in Great Neck, New York, as medical director for the Planned Parenthood Federation from 1953 to 1964, and from 1965 in association with the Sex Information and Education Council of the U.S.

During her years with SIECUS, she traveled thousands of miles, addressing high school and college students, parents, educators, religious leaders and professional groups. A compelling speaker, she was especially popular with youthful audiences who appreciated her candid no-nonsense factual replies to their questions. Dr. Calderone spearheaded a virtual revolution in liberalizing United States attitudes toward sex education and as a result, became the target of extremist groups. Although she remained in close contact with SIECUS, Calderone resigned from the presidency in May 1982. She continued to speak internationally on the subject of sex education and other topics, such as aging and sexuality and sex for the physically handicapped. She served as an adjunct professor in the human sexuality program at the University of New York between 1983 and 1988. Mary Steichen Calderone died on October 24, 1998, at the Longwood Nursing Home in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. She was 94.